Morocco

In Marrakech, Jemaa el-Fnaa square comes alive at dusk with smoke from grills, musicians and storytellers, while the minaret of the Koutoubia glows above it. In the lanes of the souk the air smells of cinnamon, leather and mint, and in a traditional riad a courtyard with a fountain and orange trees offers calm.

In Fes, the medieval medina is a labyrinth of car-free lanes with tanneries and madrasas. In Chefchaouen the houses are painted in shades of blue, and in the Atlas Mountains Aït Benhaddou, a fortified mud-brick village, stands on the old caravan route to the desert.

In the Sahara, near Merzouga, the dunes change colour at dawn, and a camel trek leads to a camp for the night. On the plate: tagine, couscous and mint tea.