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Visiting Alexandria in February

BySunMed Guide

Visiting Alexandria in February

# Alexandria in February: Egypt’s Second City Off-Season

February sits in Alexandria’s coolest stretch, and “cool” means something genuinely different here than in Cairo. You’re talking 12-16°C most days, with a wind off the Mediterranean that has real bite to it, especially in the evenings. Pack a proper jacket. Locals are wearing coats and looking at you sideways if you’re not. Rainfall is genuinely unpredictable – Alexandria gets more rain than almost anywhere else in Egypt, and February can deliver grey, drizzly days that feel more like the Italian coast in autumn than the Egypt of your imagination. It can also be perfectly clear and beautiful. You genuinely cannot count on either.

What this means practically is that the famous Corniche walk – which is legitimately one of the great waterfront promenades in the Mediterranean – might be windswept and atmospheric, or it might be miserable. The sea itself is absolutely not swimming weather.

The crowds are minimal. This is a city that Egyptian tourists descend on in summer, and most international visitors skip entirely in favour of Cairo. In February you’ll have the Bibliotheca Alexandrina largely to yourself, which is genuinely worth it – the building is extraordinary and the underwater archaeology museum inside is underrated. The catacombs at Kom el-Shoqafa, the Qaitbay Citadel, the Greco-Roman Museum (check current restoration status before going) – everything is accessible without fighting anyone for space.

The seafood restaurants along the waterfront are open, busy with locals, and serving exactly what you’d want. This is genuinely where Alexandria earns its reputation.

**Is it worth it?** Yes, for the right person. If you want Alexandria as a living city rather than a beach resort, February actually suits it. The melancholy off-season light works in the city’s favour – it has a faded, layered quality that summer sun slightly flattens. History people, food people, anyone who finds crowds exhausting: this works.

**One practical tip:** Bring layers you can actually peel off and on. The temperature difference between midday sun and an evening sea breeze is significant enough to catch you out.

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