What should a woman wear in different situations in Morocco — desert, city, beach, mosque?

Let me give you one rule that solves ninety percent of it: keep your shoulders and your knees covered, and choose loose, breathable fabrics. Morocco is a Muslim country, and dressing modestly isn't about fear — it's respect, and the practical payoff is real: women who dress modestly draw markedly fewer comments and get visibly warmer, easier interactions. You do not need to dress like a local or cover your hair day-to-day; you just avoid tight, very short or very revealing clothing. Linen trousers, maxi dresses and skirts, loose tunics, a light cardigan — that's the whole wardrobe.

By setting: in the cities and medinas, modest-but-relaxed is the standard — long trousers or skirts, tops that cover the shoulders, nothing skin-tight. Marrakech is more cosmopolitan and you'll see tourists in less, but you'll be more comfortable, and hassled less, dressed modestly. On the beach and at resort pools (Agadir, Essaouira, resort hotels), normal swimwear and bikinis are completely fine on the sand and by the pool; the etiquette is simply to throw on a cover-up, dress or sarong to walk back into the town or village, where beachwear in the streets reads as disrespectful.

For the desert, think function as much as modesty: loose, long, light layers that cover your skin protect you from the strong sun by day, and you'll want warm layers for the genuinely cold nights. A scarf is your best friend out there — it shields your face and neck from sun and blowing dust, and the camp teams will happily show you how to wrap it Berber-style. Closed shoes or sturdy sandals beat flip-flops on the dunes and rocky tracks. Earthy, forgiving colours hide the inevitable dust.

On mosques, one honest clarification women often get wrong: almost all working mosques in Morocco are closed to non-Muslims, so you won't usually be going inside one. The famous exception is the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, which welcomes visitors on guided tours — and there, yes, you cover arms, legs and hair with a scarf. So the headline is: you only need to cover your hair inside that kind of religious site, not on the street. My advice to every woman: pack two or three lightweight scarves. They cover your hair when a mosque or shrine requires it, double as sun and dust protection in the desert, dress up an outfit, and quietly signal respect wherever you go.