Best time to visit Essaouira for good weather
When is the best weather in Essaouira? Monthly breakdown of temperature, rainfall, and sunshine hours — ranked by what actually matters for your trip.
Best month
May
Best all-round month — 21C, almost no rain, wind manageable till midday, riad rates not yet at summer peak.
↑Sea temp climbing to 18C — surf possible in 3/2 wetsuit
↑Morning calm allows breakfast on the ramparts and a beach walk before wind picks up
↑Local artist galleries on Rue Skala open extended hours for shoulder market
All months ranked — Good weather
Best match
Best all-round month — 21C, almost no rain, wind manageable till midday, riad rates not yet at summer peak.
#1 for good weather
Best match
Sweet-spot shoulder — 20C, manageable wind before summer Alizé surge, Easter brings a brief crowd then it eases.
#2 for good weather
Best match
Best balance month — 22C, wind easing further, surf swells returning, Europeans returning for school-holiday breaks.
#3 for good weather
Best match
Gnawa World Music Festival mid-month — 400,000 visitors flood the medina for 4 days, then it returns to a hot dry summer rhythm.
#4 for good weather
Best match
Sweet shoulder month — wind easing slightly, Moroccan school holidays ending, sea at warmest 19C, hotel rates dropping by 30%.
#5 for good weather
Best match
Shoulder begins — 19C and drier, European spring-break visitors arriving in trickle, medina cafes filling again.
#6 for good weather
Strong option
Wind drops dramatically, surf season fully in — 20C, storm-front rain returns, riad rates back at off-season levels.
#7 for good weather
Strong option
Quietest month — mild grey 18C days, occasional Atlantic storms, riads from MAD 400/night, medina belongs to locals again.
#8 for good weather
Strong option
Still off-season — riads cheap, medina relaxed, occasional sunny windows make this a stealth-good month for fish-grill lunches.
#9 for good weather
Strong option
Christmas-New Year European escape — 19C, riad rates briefly spike for festive week, otherwise quiet wet winter.
#10 for good weather
Worth considering
Peak Alizé wind season — 35-45 km/h afternoon trade winds make it kitesurfing world capital but blast the beach.
#11 for good weather
Worth considering
Moroccan vacation peak — entire families from Casablanca and Marrakech rent apartments for the month, town is buzzing but rates max.
#12 for good weather