Morocco Geography & Climate

Morocco holds a genuinely abrupt geography. The Atlantic coast runs for some 1,800 kilometres, cooled by a northward current that keeps Essaouira and Agadir mild when the interior is at 45°C.

The Rif mountains rise behind the Mediterranean coast in the north, wetter and greener than most of the country.

The Atlas runs southwest to northeast in three ranges — Middle, High and Anti — with Toubkal at 4,167 metres the highest point in North Africa. The High Atlas is a genuine climate barrier: fertile plains on its Atlantic side, desert on the other.

South and east of the mountains the land drops into stone desert, oasis valleys along the Drâa and Ziz, and finally the dune fields at Erg Chebbi and Erg Chigaga that most visitors mean by "the Sahara".

Four countries in one

Morocco divides into distinct zones that sit within a few hours of each other: a Mediterranean and Atlantic coastal plain where most of the population and the cities are; the Rif mountains in the north; the Atlas ranges running south-west to north-east in three parallel chains; and beyond them the pre-Sahara and the desert proper.

The Atlas

The High Atlas reaches 4,167 metres at Toubkal, the highest point in North Africa, and carries snow for much of the year. The range is a genuine climatic barrier, wringing moisture out of Atlantic air and leaving the land beyond it arid, and it has historically been a cultural barrier too — the Amazigh communities of the valleys retained a considerable independence from whoever ruled the plains.

Desert and oasis

South and east of the mountains, stone hamada, gravel plains and the dune fields at Erg Chebbi and Erg Chigaga. Settlement follows water: the valleys of the Draa and the Ziz carry ribbons of date palm and fortified villages for hundreds of kilometres.

Morocco holds several climates. The coasts are Mediterranean and mild: Essaouira and Agadir rarely get uncomfortably hot, because the Atlantic current keeps them cool even in August.

The interior cities — Marrakesh, Fès, Meknès — are far hotter, regularly above 40°C in July and August and cold enough for frost on winter nights.

The High Atlas holds snow from December into spring, and there is a small ski area at Oukaïmeden. Mountain passes close in heavy snow.

The desert has a severe daily range: 40°C by day and near freezing at night in winter. Anyone overnighting at Erg Chebbi should pack accordingly.

Morocco has been in prolonged drought, and water restrictions affect some regions.

Four climates

The coast is Mediterranean in the north and moderated by cold Atlantic water in the west, which keeps Essaouira and Agadir cool and breezy when the interior is baking. Inland cities such as Marrakesh and Fez are far hotter, regularly above 38°C in July and August. The mountains are genuinely alpine, with snow and a ski season. The pre-Saharan south is desert, with extreme daily swings and very little rain.

When to go

March to May and September to November are the best months almost everywhere: warm rather than hot, with the south bearable and the mountains open. Midsummer is punishing inland and in the desert; midwinter is pleasant in the south and cold at altitude.

The chergui

A hot dry wind off the Sahara can raise temperatures sharply for several days at a time, at any season, and carries dust with it.