|

Visiting Tetouan in March

BySunMed Guide

Visiting Tetouan in March

# Tetouan in March: What It’s Actually Like

Let me be straight with you: March in Tetouan is genuinely unpredictable, and anyone claiming otherwise is guessing.

The city sits in the Rif Mountains near the Mediterranean coast, which means the weather does whatever it wants. You might get bright, crisp days perfect for wandering the medina, or you might get several days of heavy rain rolling in off the hills. Temperatures are mild rather than warm, think 14 to 18 degrees Celsius on a decent day, cooler in the evenings. Pack layers and a waterproof. Don’t pack sandals as your only option.

What March actually gives you is Tetouan without the performance. This is a working Moroccan city, genuinely less touristy than Fes or Marrakech even in peak season, and in March it’s essentially locals only. The medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site that most visitors completely overlook, feels lived-in rather than staged. Craftsmen are actually working, not demonstrating for tips. The souks smell like bread and leather and coffee rather than selfie sticks and group tours.

Everything is open. This isn’t a seasonal resort town. The tanneries, the Spanish colonial quarter, the Royal Palace square, the Archaeological Museum – all accessible. Restaurants serve real food at real prices because they’re feeding their neighbours, not bus groups.

The Spanish influence here is fascinating and underappreciated. Tetouan was the capital of Spanish Morocco, and that history sits in the architecture in ways that genuinely surprise people.

Is it worth visiting in March? Yes, particularly if you care more about authentic atmosphere than guaranteed sunshine. It suits independent travellers, people who are already doing the Tangier-Chefchaouen circuit and want somewhere less photographed, and anyone who finds heavily touristed medinas exhausting.

It’s probably not ideal if you’re hoping for outdoor café culture in warm sunshine, because that’s not reliably on offer.

**Practical tip:** Bring cash from an ATM before going deep into the medina. Card infrastructure is patchy, and you’ll want to buy things.

Plan Your Trip

Similar Posts