What is Morocco like in summer, and how do I cope with the heat?

Let me be straight with you, because summer is the season I most often steer people away from for inland Morocco. From late June through August, Marrakech, Fes, and the desert get genuinely brutal — 40°C and beyond is normal, and in the Sahara around Merzouga you can hit the high forties. That isn't 'a bit warm', it's heat that limits what you can safely do. Sightseeing the Marrakech medina at 2pm in August is a test of endurance, not a pleasure, and a midday camel trek in the dunes is the kind of thing I simply won't book.

But here's what most people don't realise: Morocco has its own air conditioning, and it's called the Atlantic. Essaouira, Asilah, and the whole coast stay breezy and mild all summer — Essaouira is so windy it's a kite-surfing capital, and you'll want a jacket in the evening even in July. The High Atlas is the other escape: hill towns like Imlil and the Ourika and Ouirgane valleys are cool, green, and perfect for trekking when the lowlands are an oven. I build a lot of summer trips that simply live on the coast and in the mountains and barely touch the inland cities.

If you do hit the cities and south in summer, the trick is to live like Moroccans do. Everything happens early or late: be out exploring by 8am, retreat indoors through the worst of the afternoon, and re-emerge after five when the air softens and the medinas come alive again. Drink far more water than feels necessary, carry a refillable bottle everywhere, wear a hat and loose light clothing, and never underestimate the sun. Riads with plunge pools and shaded courtyards become your sanctuary.

The upside of summer is that it's school-holiday season, so it can work brilliantly for families who plan around the heat, and the coast genuinely shines. Prices outside the coastal hotspots also soften because demand drops. Just go in with realistic expectations: this is a season to be managed cleverly, not powered through, and a well-designed summer itinerary looks very different from a spring one.