General & Geography
According to abbreviationfinder, Essaouira is a port city in Morocco. It is located about 200 kilometers north of Agadir and almost 400 kilometers south of Casablanca on the Atlantic coast and is an insider tip for Morocco tourists.
Until independence in 1956, the city was called Mogador. Today one of the islands in front of the city is still called that. Mogador / Essaouira was founded by the Phoenicians more than 2,500 years ago as Migdol and expanded by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Even today, many of the buildings in the city of 85,000 appear Portuguese.
The city was once the largest seaport in Morocco and an extremely important trading center. However, it increasingly lost its economic importance in the 20th century. In the 1960s, the hippies came to the picturesque city by the sea and since then Essaouira has been attracting dropouts, artists but also enthusiastic tourists from Morocco and all over the world with its narrow streets, its lively medina and beautiful wide beaches.
For many visitors, Essaouira is the most beautiful city in Morocco. As-Sawirah, the perfect one, is an epithet that Essaouire has earned. Since 2001, the entire old town with its city gates has been a UNESC0 World Heritage Site. The small town often serves as a film set for historical and fantasy films.
Climate of Essaouira
The temperatures on the Moroccan Atlantic coast are pleasant practically all year round. It is warm but by no means too hot and the sun shines around 300 days a year. In the coolest month, January, the average daily temperatures in the Essaouira region are 18 ° C, in the warmest months of August and September 25 ° C. The water temperature is 18 degrees Celsius in winter and around 25 to 28 ° C in summer.
The special climatic conditions of the southern Atlantic coast of Morocco mean that a refreshing sea breeze can often be felt, which has earned Essaouira another nickname: “City of the Wind”. That is why surfers and sailors also get their money’s worth in the region. The surf is sometimes very nice.
The so-called Canary Islands current often leads to fog in the morning hours, which usually dissolves quickly. Sometimes, however, it lays down across the Atlantic again in the late afternoon and creates a very special play of colors in the glow of the setting sun. In any case, the sunset from the old city walls is a popular and unforgettable experience.
When is the best time to visit Essaouira?
The city and its surroundings are a suitable year-round travel destination, as is the entire coastal region of Morocco. Many Central European tourists like to spend the winter months here to escape the local cold and snow. Because even if it can rain from December to February, the temperatures are pleasantly mild.
Those who like bathing and water sports tend to prefer the period from August to the end of October. Then the sea is warmest. Overall, however, we recommend the period from Easter to October (a similar rule of thumb as for summer tires in Germany) as the best time to travel to Essaouira. On top of that, there is almost no rain in the region between June and September.
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 18 ° C | 19 ° C | 20 ° C | 21 ° C | 23 ° C | 25 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C | 27 ° C | 25 ° C | 20 ° C | 19 ° C |
| Night temperature | 10 ° C | 10 ° C | 11 ° C | 13 ° C | 16 ° C | 18 ° C | 19 ° C | 20 ° C | 19 ° C | 17 ° C | 12 ° C | 10 ° C |
| Water temperature | 16 ° C | 17 ° C | 18 ° C | 18 ° C | 19 ° C | 20 ° C | 22 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 22 ° C | 20 ° C | 17 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 39 | 35 | 28 | 19 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 21st | 38 | 34 |
| Rainy days | 12 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 12 |
| Hours of sunshine | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 |
| Sunrise | 7:40 | 7:20 | 6:50 | 7:10 | 5:45 | 6:35 | 6:45 | 7:05 | 7:25 | 7:40 | 7:05 | 7:30 |
| Sunset | 18:00 | 18:25 | 18:45 | 20:05 | 7:30 p.m. | 8:45 pm | 8:45 pm | 20:25 | 19:45 | 19:05 | 17:40 | 17:40 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature is 18.5 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is August (24 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 13.8 ° C. The maximum water temperature is 23 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All but January and December have a water temperature of at least 17 ° C. Bathing is then possible to a limited extent. The months of July, August, September and October have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 237 mm on 71 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. There is no rainy season, i.e. months with more than 175 mm of precipitation. Snowfall is generally not expected in any month.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, July is the sunniest month with an average of 11 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year, the sun shines for 8.3 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Sights and attractions
The small and manageable souk of Essaouira is very interesting. Compared to the huge souks of other Moroccan cities, it is comparatively tranquil and you can look at and compare the products in peace and quiet without being pressured. As usual, there are many souvenirs, but also high-quality arts and crafts, inexpensive and high-quality leather goods and carpets as well as many argan oil products. The fragrant carvings made from Thuya wood, a specialty of the region, are also very popular.
The port of Essaouira is right next to the medina. There are still many traditional wooden fishing boats here, which are great photo opportunities. At the small shipyard you can follow their development and watch the fishermen unloading and mending their nets. Of course, there is also freshly caught fish to be tasted everywhere, preferably grilled. From the Scala du Port, an old fortress that is now in ruins, the visitor has a very nice view over the city and the harbor.
Essaouira weather in March, April and May
Average daily temperatures between 20 ° C and 23 ° C can be expected over the next three months. In Essaouira, it gets warmest in May, whereas March is a little cooler.
Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May 18-19 ° C. This is good weather for a great time on the beach and in the water.
The expected rainfall is around 9 days in March, around 5 days in April and around 4 days in May.
In the period from March to May the sun shines on average between 8 and 10 hours a day. The sunniest weather in Essaouira is in May, but with less sun you have to get by in March.
