Useful tips

As we told you in the page about

Geography, climate and times to travel

the climate of Morocco is a factor to take into account when organizing your trip. Therefore, some of the most important tips we can give you before leaving are related to this:

• Protect yourself from the heat: in summer and even in the warmer times of spring, you should be prepared for high temperatures. Having a fan on hand or a device that produces air will help to calm the sensation of heat. In addition, clothing should be long (as we will see below) but thin and breathable to dissipate the heat generated by the body itself. In this sense, cotton fabrics are ideal, or synthetic fabrics that behave in a similar way.
• Protect yourself from solar radiation: this goes hand in hand with the heat, as solar radiation is usually higher in summer and in warmer areas, but not always: this danger should always be present at high altitudes in the Atlas mountains, on the coasts (because of the temptation to stay bare skinned) and on clear days in the desert, which are almost all of them. In addition, protection against solar radiation involves a series of specific measures:
  • Use sunscreen with SPF 50, and renew it every two or three hours (according to the manufacturer’s recommendations).
  • Wear sunglasses, even if you have dark eyes, preferably with polarized lenses that also protect against bounced radiation. The latter is especially important if you are in a snowy environment in the Atlas Mountains or if the sea stretches out in front of you.
  • Cover the skin with long but light and breathable clothing. Thin scarves over the shoulders can also be useful. Some technical garments are certified for their sun protection capacity, so they will also be a good choice.
  • Wear clothing that protects the head: caps or hats are valid. But if you want to feel like a nomad in the desert, you can wear a Moroccan turban.
• Hydrate well: if you travel to Morocco in the hot season, you are likely to sweat more than usual. Not only in coastal areas, where humidity is very high, but also in the desert, where humidity is very low but the heat can be suffocating. It is therefore advisable to always carry water with you, even if it may remain hot and unappetizing: warm or room temperature water will always be better than no water at all. And water is always more advisable than sugary soft drinks with bubbles as they are more effective in quenching thirst, although isotonic sports drinks can also be a good idea to replenish energy and mineral salts, which are lost through sweat. One recommendation made by experts is to drink regularly, even before feeling thirsty, since the latter, in extreme cases, can be the prelude to an episode of dehydration.
• Cool down from time to time: if the heat is stifling and you anticipate some exposure to the sun, it is advisable to cool your face, head and neck with water, either in a fountain, a basin or with a spray-type water diffuser. If you resort to untreated spring water, be sure to wash your hands afterwards with a hydroalcoholic solution and disinfectant.
• Protect yourself from the cold: this seems like one of the most contradictory travel tips, but nothing could be further from the truth. As important as it is to protect yourself from the heat, it is just as important to protect yourself from the cold. Of course, if you travel to a high mountain area in winter season (High Atlas, Middle Atlas, Rif), but also if you travel to the desert, where nights can get really cold. Therefore, you should not forget to take warm clothes, and more specifically thermal clothing: thin garments that keep the body heat and do not take up too much space, since during the day you may not need them so much. It is also a good choice to equip yourself with local warm clothing, often made of pure and thick wool, used by the Berber population living in the coldest areas, such as the Rif.
• Protect yourself from the wind: this is a useful tip if you go to the Atlantic coast. It is not intended to preserve health, beyond the protection of the eyes from dust and sand that may be suspended in the environment. However, it is a recommendation that will make you enjoy your stay at the beach even more. For this purpose, wide sunglasses are of great help (also against solar radiation), as well as elements such as windbreaks and special umbrellas, which are very popular among the local population and tourists on this coast.
• Protect yourself against sandstorms: if you are unlucky enough to be caught in a sandstorm in the desert, it is very important that you are protected against it. In this sense:
  • Cover your eyes and nose: scarves and turbans are also very useful for this purpose, since they can be worn in different ways. Masks can also be very useful, as they have become so widespread and commonplace since Covid-19.
  • Wear sunglasses: for this, the best are wide and tight-fitting, sport or adventure sunglasses. For this purpose, glasses with clear lenses can also be used, because in such a situation, solar radiation is no longer a problem.
  • Take shelter inside a building and wait for everything to pass: to do this, it is important that the place chosen as a shelter can remain well sealed, closing doors and windows properly.