What is Marrakech like in January?

January is the quietest month I send guests to Marrakech, and for a certain kind of traveller it is the most rewarding. The days are clear and pleasantly warm in the sun — you will be comfortable in a shirt and light jacket exploring the souks at midday, with the thermometer hovering around 18 to 20°C. The famous winter light is crisp and golden, and the snow-capped High Atlas on the horizon is at its most dramatic this month, a backdrop you simply do not get in summer.

The catch is the nights, and this is the thing people underestimate every year. Once the sun drops, temperatures fall to 5 to 7°C, occasionally lower, and the old riads — beautiful as they are — were built to stay cool, not warm. Many have no central heating, relying on portable heaters, hammam visits and thick blankets. When I book January stays I always check that the riad has proper heating and a fireplace, and I tell guests to pack a warm coat, a scarf and clothes they would wear on a cool spring evening at home.

Crowds are at their lowest of the year outside the few days around New Year, which is the real gift of January. Jemaa el-Fnaa breathes more easily, the Bahia Palace and the Majorelle Garden are calm rather than thronged, and you can linger over a rooftop mint tea without queueing for a table. This is also when riad and guide rates are at their most affordable — I have placed guests in rooms for a third less than the April price for the exact same property. If value and space matter more to you than poolside heat, January quietly delivers.

A few practical notes for the month. Rain is possible but usually brief — a few showers rather than days of it — so a light waterproof is worth a corner of the case. The rooftop pools most riads advertise will be far too cold to swim in, so do not book on the strength of a pool photo. And if a Sahara extension is on your wishlist, know that desert nights in January drop towards freezing, so bring serious layers; the dunes by day, though, are spectacular and uncrowded. Pack for warm afternoons and cold evenings and January becomes one of Marrakech's loveliest secrets.