Chefchaouen in July

July is the warmest stretch of the year in Chefchaouen, but the Rif altitude keeps it well short of the inland furnace. Daytime highs around 31°C are hot in full sun, yet the evenings cool pleasantly and the nights stay comfortable — a genuine relief compared with Fes or Marrakech. The blue medina is at its summer-busiest, so the famous lanes fill from mid-morning; an early start for photography, and a midday pause for shade, mint tea and a rooftop café, keeps the heat easy to manage.

It is still a workable month for the mountains if you plan around the sun. The Akchour Waterfalls become a popular, well-judged cool-down, with shaded riverside paths and pools to swim in, while Talassemtane's cedar trails are best walked in the cooler early hours. In town, the circuit shifts toward the edges of the day: dawn and golden-hour photography on Rue Targa and around Bab El Ain, the Kasbah Museum and Ras El Ma in the shade by day, and the Spanish Mosque hike saved for the cooler evening light.

July's appeal is that Chefchaouen offers a cooler, greener, calmer alternative to the baking interior — many travellers come precisely to escape the heat down south. The trade-off is the summer crowds and higher prices, so book ahead and start early. For visitors who want warm, bright days, swimmable waterfalls and comfortably cool nights, July works well, provided you treat the midday hours with respect.