CLIMATE OVERVIEW IN MOROCCO :
orocco lies on the north west of the African continent with long coasts upon the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. The climate is as varied as its diverse geography. The coastal regions generally have a Mediterranean climate. However, as you move further inland the conditions become more extreme and elevation plays a role in the changeable weather conditions.
The country is basically divided into three different regions: a narrow coastal belt which is home to a typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot summers there is then the interior region which consists of the Atlas Mountains and plateaus; and the southern fringe which sees the Sahara extend to the coast and exhibits arid, desert conditions.
Morocco also shares a long Eastern border with Algeria the conditions here are the same as those on the other side of the border. As you move from north to south the conditions change quite dramatically this is also the case as you from west to east - moving inland away from the coast
NORTHERN MOROCCO-MEDITERRANEAN COAST :
In the very north of Morocco along the Mediterranean coast, the weather is Mediterranean. The towns of Tangiers and Tetouan are perfect examples of this, each seeing long enjoyable summers that begin in mid May and continue right through until the end of September, and shorter winters in which the region sees most of its annual rainfall.
Tetouan lies 60 km east of Tangier and sits at the foot of the Rif Mountains in the midst of an orchard belt. Most people will tell you that Tetouan is more picturesque than Tangier, but both towns have a favorable climates. The enormous Rif Mountains lies towering behind Tetouan which makes for many stunning views. The beaches in this region, while warmer, have a tendency to be slightly dirty.
In this area summer averages sit in the mid 20’s, with daily highs reaching into the high 20’s. Spring and autumn both see daily averages in the low to mid 20s, and the daily minimums rarely fall below 10°C. Winter time sees enjoyable daily highs of 16°C to 17°C - though keep in mind that autumn and winter are when the rainfall picks up.
NORTH-WESTERN MOROCCO- ATLANTIC COAST :
Once you reach the Atlantic coast on the west, the weather is tempered by the waters of the Atlantic - more specifically the Canary Current which brings cold waters into the area. On the northwest coast the conditions are still Mediterranean, though the colder waters do have a moderating affect on the climate; it is cooler, wetter and windier. In the summer this is often considered preferable to the scorching heat on the north coast.
North-western Morocco lies in the path of the Atlantic depressions, which means that in the winter time it is not uncommon to experience several days of very heavy rainfall. However, this is a desert country and rainfall is never particularly high. In fact it is very low and falls in very short showers. You are more likely to experience a sandstorm than a rainstorm. Moving further south down the West coast you will hit Morocco’s capital city of Rabat, and further to the south is Morocco’s larger and more economically significant city of Casablanca. Rabat sits on the Atlantic Ocean and sees pleasurable weather year round. June and September each see daily averages of 20°C and 22°C respectively; July and August (the warmest months) see a daily average temperature fom 23°C. Summers do get hot, average highs of 26°C to 27°C, though the cooling winds off the Atlantic Ocean blow in the evenings bringing temperatures down to an enjoyable 15°C to 16°C.
Winters in Rabat and Casablanca are much more enjoyable than the UK in the winter months. With temperatures very rarely falling below 8°C, and daily highs of about 17°C to 18°C, this region is a great winter escape. Spring and autumn each see highs of about 20°C to 22°C.
The Atlantic coast has much colder waters than the northern coast. And as you move further south down the western coast of Morocco you will find that the waters become much rougher - a result of the Atlantic depressions. So you may be fighting with the waves at times. Ignoring the choppy waters, the beaches here are much cleaner than on the Mediterranean coast.
SOUTH-WEST MOROCCO - THE SAHARA :
Oving further south the weather starts to warm up a lot as you move toward the Sahara desert. Agadir lies in the middle of the Moroccan Atlantic coast as a beach resort. Here the average temperatures are in the 20’s all year round, making it a very popular tourist destination. The town was once previously destroyed entirely by a severe earthquake in 1960; it was rebuilt about 3km south of the original spot in 1961. You won’t find any ancient architecture here; most of the buildings are modern and there a lot of resorts and hotels, making it feel like a purpose-built resort town. It still has beautiful beaches. Once you reach further south the conditions are much more arid and desert-like, particularly when you reach the very south desert town of Guelmim. Temperatures here are hot year round, only slightly cooled by the Atlantic sea breezes.
INTERIOR MOROCCO :
The conditions can get quite harsh once you reach the interior of the country. In the Sahara desert, as you move away from the coast, temperatures reach real extremes. In the summer it is very common for daytime temperatures to hit the high 30’s or mid 40’s while nights are still hot around 20°C. In the winter daytime highs are mild in the high teens, though it can get into the mid 20s, and night times can see temperatures below freezing.
Marrakech lies in Morocco’s interior. In the winter the average temperature is a very enjoyable 21°C, while in summer the average high temperature is a blistering 40°C. Marrakech is a great place to visit outside of the summer months but between June and beginning September you may find it too hot.
If you are visiting Morocco’s north, any time of the year is good. If visiting Morocco’s interior or the Sahara region then it is hot unless you feel you can tolerate the 40°C scorching heat! Also, if you are a woman, wear conservative clothing (light cottons in the summer), covering your arms, legs, and even hair in more conservative areas.
Tripadvisor previous guests reviews
We were booked and had paid a deposit for a trip late March of 2020, which was canceled due to the pandemic. Said, the owner of MD, went to extraordinary lengths to refund the deposits for our travel group of six from the U.S. Apparently the Moroccan banking system is not "user friendly" when it comes to wire transfers for reasons unclear to me. Nevertheless, Said managed to refund all our money using a very creative approach. We would DEFINITELY travel with MD in the future given this level of honesty and effort; but we do hope that MD will accept credit cards rather than wires in the future. Thank You Said & Morocco Discovery!
Three of use booked a 19-day with Moroccan Discovery Holidays for March, 2020 and paid a 50% deposit. When Morocco closed its borders due to Covid. Initially we put our trip on hold and asked Said to hold our deposit. Said agreed to this. When it appeared holiday travel would likely go on for many months we asked for a refund. Said again agreed but the Moroccan banks, being what they are, refused to release all of our deposit. With some pressure on the bank from us and Said's help we did receive 100% of our deposit.
We planned our April-May 2020 trip to Morocco in the late fall of 2019 and worked with Said at Morocco Discovery. We were taking our adult children and their partners and Said was patient and added everything we wanted and more. One month prior to travel we were surprised by the pandemic, with flights cancelled, borders closed and no idea when we could travel again. Said remained as diligent, helpful and honest throughout the arduous process of refunding our downpayment. We were thrilled with Said, and his company's commitment to customer service and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone travelling to Morocco. As soon as it is safe again it is our intent to rebook with them!
From their already outstanding reviews when I started working with Sayd, this was an amazing experience. I got prompt friendly responses to every question I had and as this was our first trip to Africa I had a lot of questions. The price was incredibly reasonable - I don’t know how they can put the trip together on this budget. We stayed at amazing Riads in every city with excellent food every evening and great breakfasts - our driver was AMAZING- he was always ready wherever we were 1 minute before we needed him. The prearranged guides were the best. If you are going to Morocco - you want to go with Morocco Discovery and you definitely want a driver.
I have to admit, when I first started looking at using a local Moroccan tour company for our trip I was very nervous. After having toured Morocco for 11 days with Morocco Discovery Holidays, I would HIGHLY recommend them without any hesitation. Said worked with me for over a year to come up with a customized trip that included everything we (2 couples) wanted to see and more. Every change I made to the itinerary was completed within hours of my request.. and I made many. Said is very prompt at responding to e-mails and questions. Having a private driver was definitely the ideal way to see Morocco. Our driver, Mohamed was amazing. From the minute he met us at the airport (with sweets to welcome us) until he dropped us off at the port for our journey to Spain, Mohamed could not do enough for us. Mohamed is funny, engaging, very knowledgeable and was totally flexible and I felt very safe at all times, even on the curvy, narrow road. If I wanted him to turn around so I could take a picture, he would…and Did!! LOL Our Riads were beautiful and the meals that were included were some of the best meals we had in Morocco. I cannot say enough about the 5* service and attention we received from Morocco Discovery Holidays and Mohamed during our trip.
Mr Said provided us with a very pleasant and safe driver (Mustafa) as well as a new van, so we had a very enjoyable round trip Casablanca-Rabat-Fes- Marrakech-Casablanca. Local guides accompanied us in Fes and Marrakech, and we could have had other tours but we opted to spend more time walking around the towns. The Riads selected for us were very satisfactory and service all round was great. No hesitation at all in recommending Morocco Discovery.
Said arranged an excellent holiday for us. We began with one of the standard trips as our starting point and adapted it to better suit our needs with an added night here and there and starting in Marrakesh rather than Casablanca. Everything went very smoothly from start to finish.The choice of the Riads in which we stayed was great, as were the guides that were arranged for us. Abdoul proved to be a first rate driver - safe, dependable, friendly and very professional. We felt very comfortable being driven by him and we enjoyed his company.