Visiting Essaouira in April: what to expect

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April in Essaouira coincides with Easter public holiday days, meaning an influx of tourists. And with temperatures warming up from winter, there may even be days warm enough for sunbathing, although there are the odd day when sea mist rolls in to envelope the city.

For European and American travellers, April is a popular time to visit to Essaouira as it coincides with the Easter public holiday days. We all want to maximise our travel time around public holiday days, right? Plus, April is also considered a time when it’s much cooler for a Morocco road trip or tour, compared to the summer months, especially if you are planning a trip to the Sahara, or to the central cities of Marrakech and Fez.

So is April a good time to visit Essaouira? And what can you expect at this time of year? Read on as we share our personal experience.

READ: When is the best time to visit Essaouira?

Essaouira weather in April

Temperatures in Essaouira in April hover around a very pleasant 20°C, dropping to 15°C in the evening, although the wind can make it feel much cooler, especially on the exposed beach.

There is very little rain in April (average of 3 days), so you are guaranteed sunshine almost every day. The question more to the point is whether it’s windy or not; Essaouira is coined “The Windy City of Africa” for a reason! One of the best things to do in Essaouira is kite-surfing, so those windy days will be good for a lesson. If the wind drops, grab the surfboards instead.

And then there are those strange days when the drop in wind brings in a thick sea mist that cloaks the town; the island off the coast disappears, and you can’t see from one end of the beach to the other. In fact sat on the beach on a day when the sea mist rolls in, it’s so thick that you can’t see a few metres in front of you and your clothes, skin, and hair feel damp from sitting in a cloud, although it still feels warm. It really is quite eerie and magical!

But really there are only a handful days like this in Essaouira in April. Most days the glorious sun will be shining.

At this time of year in Essaouira, it’s always handy to have a light jumper handy, especially early in the morning or evening, or when you’re sat at an Essaouira restaurant in the shade.

But don’t forget the swim suit as afternoons can be lovely and warm, and sunbeds are laid out on the beach, inviting you to relax with a good book (you may need to angle your sunbed with your back to the wind though).

Is Essaouira busy in April?

As it coincides with the Easter holidays, Essaouira experiences an influx of visitors making the most of the public holiday days. It can feel busy, but it’s no way near as busy as the high season summer months of July and August when Moroccans flee to the coast to escape the scorching inland temperatures.

Is April a good time to visit Essaouira?

Absolutely. In fact, the only months we really suggest perhaps avoiding Essaouira is during the summer months of July and August.

April in Essaouira is not too hot and although the weather can be variable, you will still be able to walk along the beach in a T-shirt during the afternoon and the early mornings can be blissfully quiet before the day-trippers from Marrakech descend on the medina.

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