Essaouira in January

April through June gives you the sweet spot. Temperatures hover around 22-25°C, the wind stays manageable, and you avoid both winter rain and summer crowds. May particularly shines — warm enough for beach time, cool enough for medina wandering. September through November works almost as well. The Atlantic stays warm from summer heating, but the oppressive July-August wind calms down. October brings perfect weather, though hotel prices reflect that. Winter (December-March) means rain and rough seas. January averages 8 rainy days, and the Atlantic gets too choppy for swimming. But accommodation costs drop by 40%, and you'll have the medina largely to yourself. Summer presents challenges. The trade winds that keep Essaouira cooler than inland cities also create constant 30-40 km/h gusts. Great for windsurfers, exhausting for everyone else. July and August see the medina packed with Moroccan families escaping the heat of Casablanca and Rabat.