What is Essaouira like in summer?

Here's the wonderful paradox of Essaouira in summer: while Marrakech is hitting 40°C, this little port stays around 22–24°C, breezy and bearable. Moroccans know it, which is why families pour in from June onward to escape the inland furnace. I steer heat-sensitive guests here in July without hesitation — you can actually walk the medina at midday in summer, something unthinkable elsewhere in the country.

But the wind is the headline. Those Atlantic trade winds — the alizés — reach their peak in summer, and they are relentless. This is why Essaouira is one of the world's great kitesurfing and windsurfing beaches; the bay fills with sails and kites in a constant choreography. If you've come to surf, kite or windsurf, summer is glorious. If you've come to sunbathe on a still beach with a cocktail, you'll spend your time chasing your napkin and brushing sand off everything.

The town has real energy in these months. The June Gnaoua World Music Festival is a joyous, sprawling affair that takes over the squares with hypnotic rhythms late into the night, and the medina hums with visitors. Tables get harder to book and the lovely riads fill, so I always plan summer trips well ahead. The sea warms a little to 18–20°C but the wind makes it feel colder — short dips, not long swims.

My honest summer brief: come for the cool air, the festivals, the food and the watersports, not for lounging. Bring a windbreaker even in August, eat your harbour-grilled fish behind a sheltered wall, and embrace the breeze rather than fighting it. As a counterpoint to a hot inland itinerary, summer Essaouira is one of the smartest cool-down stops I recommend all year.