Ask an avid surfer for a list of top secret surfing spots and you may be surprised to find Rabat among his or her answers. From summer until March, Rabat's beaches receive hearty southbound swells from the Atlantic ocean that attract in-the-know surfers looking for unpopulated waters.

However, surfers aren't the only travelers being drawn to Rabat. The city's coastal location allows for a generous climate nearly devoid of humidity throughout September and October that seduces sightseers, backpackers and history buffs looking to voyage against the grain.