The siren song of Essaouira is inescapable. A dye-producing colony in Phoenician times, the town has remained an important port throughout the ages, valued first for its secure ramparts, a later for its scrumptious sardines. The Gnaoua World Music Festival is held every year in June, and the town’s numerous galleries flaunt its artistic riches, but for most of the year Essaouira’s a quietly hip place.