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Visiting Essaouira in December

BySunMed Guide

Visiting Essaouira in December

# Essaouira in December

Let me be straight with you about December in Essaouira: the wind is the whole story. This Atlantic coastal town is nicknamed “the windy city of Africa” for good reason, and December is not when that reputation takes a holiday. Expect persistent, gusting winds that will throw sand in your coffee, destroy any hairstyle you had planned, and make sitting on the beach feel like a mild punishment. It’s not necessarily cold — temperatures usually hover around 15-18°C — but the wind chill makes it feel sharper than the numbers suggest. Rainfall is possible but not guaranteed; some December days are completely clear and genuinely beautiful in a dramatic, moody way.

Here’s the honest upside though: the crowds are almost entirely gone. Essaouira in summer is packed with Moroccan city-dwellers escaping the heat, plus European tourists. In December you’re walking the medina largely undisturbed. The blue-and-white streets feel like they actually belong to the people who live there, which is a different and arguably more interesting experience. Shopkeepers are relaxed rather than persistent.

Everything stays open. This isn’t a place that shuts down for low season — the restaurants, the argan oil cooperatives, the small music shops selling guembris, the ramparts walk. The food scene is genuinely good year-round, and you’ll have an easier time getting a table at the better fish restaurants without planning weeks ahead.

Who should go in December? Photographers, people who love atmospheric coastal towns without the selfie-stick crowds, anyone doing a wider Morocco itinerary and wanting a day or two of coastal contrast to Marrakech or Fes. It’s genuinely worth it for the right traveller.

Who should probably reconsider? Anyone whose primary plan involves lounging on the beach or eating lunch outside comfortably.

**Practical tip:** Pack a windproof layer you actually care about, not just a light jacket. A proper shell or anorak makes the difference between enjoying the ramparts walk and just surviving it. The wind is relentless rather than occasional.

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