The Villa is to be found only a short drive from Essaouira, a seaside town with a busy port filled with a colourful wooden fishing fleet. Only 2 1/4 hour drive from Marrakech or Agadir, Essaouira is an International destination in its own right with chic restaurants, wonderful treasure trove souks and its magnificent sweep of Atlantic sea- strand. Within minutes of leaving the delights of the bustling medina you find yourself in a pastoral idyll where your closest neighbours are herds of sheep and goats. The air is filled with tinkling cowbells, bird-song, the distant roar of the Atlantic surf and laden with the scent of wildflowers. Moroccan Villa Construction Inspired by the concept of constructing a home from the raw materials at hand, Villa Argana is built from the stones and sandy soil of the land upon which it stands. Its hand-hewn architecture, designed by two European-based artists, is based on the simple shape of the traditional Berber farmhouse of a one-storey complex of rooms opening onto a central courtyard. Further layers of influence , Gaudi and Roman, contribute to the eclectic unique charm of the villa. Villa Argana was designed to co-exist with its landscape. There is no electricity-a path of twinkling candle lanterns guide you to your rooms-solar panels provide additional power. The water is derived from its own well-no guilt trip when taking a shower! The surrounding gardens are stocked with abundant indigenous plants mimosa, aloe and succulents. The Romanesque peristyle of stucco columns frames a flower-filled inner courtyard garden. The Courtyard Various corners invite you to relax whether to sun yourself in comfort or to seek a calm grotto for cool relief. Bask in the intimate plunge pool. The roof terrace is the natural place to contemplate and admire the magnificent views, or by night the extraordinary clarity of the stars, or to bask our sun starved European bodies in winter months. For those cosy evenings each room has a traditional fireplace which burns firewood scavenged from the surrounding woodland and brought to the door by the camel-load!