March eases Essaouira into spring. Daytime highs around 19°C are mild and bright, the days lengthen, and the town starts to stir as the quiet of winter lifts. The defining change is the wind: the trade winds — the alizés — begin to build through March, so the coast feels fresher and breezier, and the first kitesurfers and windsurfers return to the wide main beach. Rain is light and the light over the Atlantic is clean and clear, making the blue-and-white medina especially photogenic.
It is a good month for an active, breezy coastal trip. The strengthening wind reopens the water-sports season — Essaouira's wide, shallow beach is a classic spot for learning to kitesurf — while the medina, the Skala ramparts and the working fishing port reward unhurried exploration. Beach-lounging is hit-and-miss as the wind picks up (sand gets blown about), but walks, water sports and rampart sunsets are excellent, and fresh grilled sardines at the harbour are as good as ever.
March rewards travellers who want spring brightness, gentler prices than summer and the wind sports beginning to fire up. A windbreaker is essential — increasingly so as the month goes on — and a light layer covers cool evenings and the odd shower. As an easy spring escape from a warming Marrakech, March Essaouira offers fresh sea air, building wind and a town shaking off winter without yet drawing the peak crowds.
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