Essaouira in September

September is one of Essaouira's finest months. Daytime highs around 23°C stay mild and bright, the strong summer winds begin to ease into a more comfortable steady breeze, and the peak-summer crowds start to thin. The blue-and-white medina, the Skala ramparts and the harbour feel relaxed again, the wide beach still has good wind for kitesurfing, and the clear late-summer light flatters the whole town from the painted boats to the rampart sunsets.

It is an excellent all-round month. With the wind softening from its July–August ferocity, conditions are a touch friendlier for time on the beach as well as superb for wind sports, and the medina, the working fishing port, the thuya-wood studios and the art galleries reward unhurried days. Long coastal walks, rampart sunsets and fresh grilled sardines at the harbour are all at their best, and the slightly gentler breeze makes September a sweet spot between summer's intensity and autumn's calm.

September keeps Essaouira's role as an easy, cool addition to an inland trip: as Marrakech eases out of peak heat, the two-and-a-half-hour drive still delivers a fresher, breezier coast. Prices and crowds soften from the August peak while the weather stays excellent. A windbreaker remains essential — this is Essaouira, after all — but with milder wind, bright days and a relaxed town, September is a standout choice.