Heat alert: July is a (very) popular month for vacationers and marks the height of Moroccan summer. Though it’s not the ideal season to visit the Sahara Desert, there are still many of things to see and do in the mountains and along the sunny northern coast of the nation. This monthly guide will help you learn more About organizing a trip to Morocco in July.
The weather.
Morocco’s July weather is long and hot; in the Atlas Mountains, there are eleven hours of daylight with an average daily temperature of 84°F; in Marrakech, however, highs reach over 100°F.
Tangier’s northern coast experiences much more moderate temperatures, with an average daily high of 75°F. The beach has lower temps as well. For example, the daily average in Essaouira is typically in the mid-to upper-seventies. While it’s usually dryer in the north at this time of year, you may see thunderstorms or wet afternoons in a city like Marrakech.
Costs & Crowds
July is a particularly popular time to visit Morocco, so you’ll have to deal with crowds almost everywhere you go, despite the heat. Beach towns along the coast get packed with residents and foreign visitors; if you want to stay a few days in a popular destination such as Essaouira, you’ll need to make reservations well in advance. The same holds for lodging, train passes, and national trips.
Remember that not all lodging options include air conditioning, so before booking a room, make sure you read the tiny print.
Where to Travel
As a vacation to the Sahara is out of the question in July, think about taking a coastal break to somewhere like Agadir or Asilah, or concentrate your efforts on cooler northern locations such as Tetouan, Chefchaouen, or Tangier. In the Atlas Mountains, where the weather is typically cooler, now is also a fantastic time to organize an excursion (though you may still want to look for shade or cover during the hottest parts of the day). This fifteen-day schedule is ideal for the hot seas because it follows the country’s Mediterranean coastline.
How to Proceed
Hike through the mountains, unwind on the beach with an umbrella, or visit a city in northern Morocco. Plan on spending more time inside museums and other air-conditioned interior places, and be ready for the heat and crowds if your itinerary calls for stops in cities like Marrakech or Fes. You can explore the medina once darkness falls and the city has had a chance to settle.
Be aware that July has a packed cultural schedule. It’s a great time to enjoy a significant national holiday with a welcoming local population or to attend an art or music festival among Moroccans. For further information, see the section below.
July Events:
International Cultural Festival – Over the course of two weeks, artists from all over the world converge on Asilah to temporarily convert open spaces into expansive works of art. An added plus is that Asilah is located near the coast, where July weather is lovely.
The two-day Festival of Alegria in Chefchaouen, the “blue city,” honors the diversity of cultures in the Mediterranean and North Africa. Make sure to check ahead of time as future editions can be planned for August rather than July.
Timitar Music Festival: This four-day music event honors Berber culture in the seaside city of Agadir. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Moroccans and visitors from other countries hope to attend, so reserve your tickets in advance.
Morocco observes the 30th of July as the Feast of the Throne national holiday. The day commemorates the year that King Mohammed VI took the throne. Await street parades, public firework displays, and cuisine, but only after dark: Ramadan is when the Feast of the Throne takes place.
Are you visiting Morocco in July? Take a look at these fantastic routes.
Northern Moroccan Cities. Stick to the north of the country with this five-day plan that visits Casablanca, Rabat, “the blue city” of Chefchaoeun, Meknes, the Roman remains at Volubilis, and Fes when it’s too hot to enjoy the Sahara Desert.
Loop through Northern Morocco from Tangier. You can visit a lot of northern Morocco in four days, including the capital city of Rabat, the Roman ruins at Volubilis, and the 11th-century medinas of Tangier and Fes.
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