Fes in Summer: Beating the Heat, Tips and Where to Stay

Summer has a bad reputation in Fes: people talk of crushing heat and stifling lanes. The heat is real, but summer is also the season of long evenings, lantern-lit terraces, calmer riads and often lower prices. For many families from Europe and North America it is also the only time they can travel. Here is how to enjoy Fes in July and August without suffering, based on our summers in the medina. To compare with the other seasons, see the best time to visit Fes, and for choosing an area, where to stay in Fes.

The real summer weather in Fes

Inland, Fes has a hot, dry summer. In July and August afternoon highs hover around 35 °C (95 °F), with peaks above 40 °C (104 °F) during heatwaves. Nights are more bearable, around 18 to 20 °C (64 to 68 °F), and mornings are often pleasant. Rain is almost non-existent and the sky a clear, deep blue. June and September are already hot, but noticeably milder.

Live on Fassi time

The secret is to live like the locals:

• 7 to 11 am: sightseeing. The medina wakes up, craftsmen open their workshops and the light is lovely.
• 1 to 5 pm: the break. Lunch, a siesta in your air-conditioned room, reading in the courtyard.
• after 5:30 pm: the second day begins. The lanes fill up, the cafés come alive and sunset, around 8:30 pm, is best enjoyed on a terrace.

The narrow, covered lanes of the medina stay far cooler than the open squares and avenues of the new town. Our plans for one day in Fes and three days in Fes adapt easily to this rhythm.

What to wear in summer

• Loose, light linen or cotton clothing that covers shoulders and knees: it protects you from the sun and is appreciated in a traditional city.
• A hat or scarf, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen.
• Closed but breathable shoes: the paving gets scorching and slippery.
• A small water bottle, always within reach.

Our Fes travel tips cover dress customs in more detail.

Stay hydrated and well

Drink bottled water regularly, even when you are not thirsty. Fresh orange juice, avocado smoothies and mint tea, served hot but said to cool you down, are everywhere. Avoid strenuous effort between noon and 5 pm and watch out for heatstroke, especially with children; we give specific tips in Fes with kids.

Summer evenings in the medina

This is the great pleasure of summer: as the heat drops, families come out, cafés set up their tables, ice-cream and fresh-juice sellers get busy and the medina stays lively late into the night. Dinner on a terrace, a stroll through the lantern-lit lanes or stargazing from the riad roof are memories you simply do not get in winter.

Where to find cool air in Fes

• The Jnan Sbil gardens, between the medina and Fes el-Jdid, with their tall trees and ponds.
• The madrasas such as Bou Inania and Al-Attarine, with thick walls and shaded courtyards; see the madrasas and monuments of Fes.
• The covered souks, where you stroll in the shade of reed canopies.
• Your riad, designed over centuries to keep cool around its courtyard.

Cool escapes around Fes

An hour’s drive away, the Middle Atlas offers real relief. Ifrane, perched at more than 1,600 metres (5,200 feet), is often ten degrees cooler than Fes. The Azrou cedar forest, with its wild macaques, and the mountain lakes make for great days outdoors. Closer still, Sefrou and its waterfall make a pleasant half-day trip. All the details are in our day trips from Fes.

Good to know about summer in Morocco

• Moroccans living abroad return home in large numbers from mid-July to the end of August: roads, ports and airports are busier.
• It is wedding season, and you may well hear parties and bands in the neighbourhoods in the evening.
• The desert is very hot in midsummer: if you want to go, set off early, choose a well-equipped camp and read Fes to Merzouga.
• Riad rates in the medina are often lower than in spring; compare in how much a trip to Fes costs.

Choosing a riad for summer

In summer, the comfort of your room makes all the difference. Check that every room is air-conditioned, not just the lounge, that the terrace has shade for breakfast, and that the riad is close to a gate to limit walking in the heat. Our full checklist is in how to choose a riad in Fes.

Summer at La Petite Maison

All our rooms are air-conditioned, with a private bathroom and walk-in shower. The riad’s thick walls and courtyard keep the house cool, the homemade Moroccan breakfast is served on the terrace in the gentle morning hours, and we are happy to help you plan your days around the heat. Browse our rooms and write to us with your summer dates.