Morocco in January: What to Wear

Morocco to Timbuktu

I searched from Miami to Timbuktu…and I was not satisfied with any January Morocco weather blogs.

Fun Fact: Merzouga was a passage way for merchants going to Timbuktu..

Since my trip was originally planned for August,  never in a million years did I see myself bundling up.

I thought Morocco’s weather was similar to Miami and that it was hot year round.

Though mild, Morocco’s winters could still pack a punch depending on the area you’re traveling to.

I was basically going all over (from north to south).

Weather wise, I was mostly afraid of the desert at night and The High Atlas Mountains (Ourika Valley) which I’ve heard can get really cold and snowy.

Despite the tropical climate of home, my travels have prepared me with a wardrobe that can handle any weather.

My main problem was that I did not want to change what I was originally wearing.

I’m so anal about clothing that once I get a theme in my head, I make purchases as early as I can.

So all of my beautiful caftans, abayas, gandoras etc. were not about to “go to waste”.

I had decided that out of respect for Muslim modesty, I would try to be fully covered but still fashionable.

Most of my purchases came from SHEIN. Some of the tunics doubled as swim cover-ups.

Temperatures ranged from the low 30’s in Morocco.

Before my departure, Miami got a much colder “winter” than usual. I started panicking and wondering, “What if Morocco followed suit?”

I resigned to a compromise. I’d keep my tunics but would wear tights underneath.

I would also bring closed- toe shoes in case my exposed extremities suffered in my cute sandals. Cold toes are a pet peeve of mine so my fingers and toes were crossed!

For The Culture

The picture above is how I arrived in Casablanca.

Once we (a friend joined me) walked outside of Mohammed V, the force of heat that hit us was beyond that of a hot Miami day.

I was shocked! But I knew that may not be the case across my vast itinerary.

As the sun set, there was more of a chill in the air, but still mild.

Once my fingers need gloves, that’s a sign of ” cold cold”. I never felt that during the nine days across Morocco.

That first night in Errachidia (the city that leads to Merzouga/Sahara Desert), it was cold.

The heat was only turned on upon our arrival so it took a couple of hours to kick in. This is when our winter clothing and accessories came in handy.

I didn’t expect the hotels/roads to have thick enough blankets so I brought some of my own and doubled up on thick socks.

My coat (pictured above) kept me warm through the night on top of the blankets.

Independent Women

The picture below is how my friend and I dressed the next morning on Haitian Independence or New Years Day 2023.

As a consummate over-packer, I brought jeans and pants but the Atlas Mountains was the only place I had a set “Western themed” OOTD.

I wore a cropped burgundy animal print Adidas sweat/jersey set with matching tights. Black combat boots with thick socks would complete the outfit.

I even packed oversized wool scarves, just in case. It never got “that cold”. The matching burgundy beanie was omitted as unnecessary.

As one can never be too prepared for cold weather,  I wore a long oversized diamond quilted puffer. It did come in handy as a sleeping bag.

VIATOR EXCURSION

Unfortunately,  I had to carry it when my I started overheating. A regular jacket or maybe just my outfit would’ve been fine.

I can’t speak for the night but the day there was pretty mild.

So any warm coat will do.

You can dress like my friend (above) if you’re super sensitive to cold but I was OK with my tights underneath the thin material of my dress or in regular leggings.

Hot Potato

The sun even decided to grace us with its presence and met us in Merzouga.

Our guide was surprised since it was a cloudy day, but I told him I had a photo shoot that needed sunlight. The sun had no choice but to obey!

I was fine taking my jacket off by that point!

That night in Merzouga, it got cold as expected.

This was also the one night we would be glamping. Thankfully this time, the heater was already turned on upon arrival.

The camp’s fire pit made a lot of sense since I sat near it for warmth.

We enjoyed the drumming and music around the fire and even participated in the action.

It helped to forget the cold a bit.

That night, the luxury tent was a little warmer than the hotel in Errachidia but I still needed to bundle up and used my large jacket as a covering.

Hope for the Best. Prepare for the Worst!

So to answer the questions I searched high and low online for: During the day in January Morocco,  wear layers that can be easily removed. No need for much outside of a jacket.

Closed toe shoes are not required but always have back-ups in hand.

I never used a beanie or scarf for weather reasons.

As expected, The Blue City’s mountains had cooler temperatures than the cities of Casablanca,  Marrakech , Tangier and Rabat. But it was still mild.

I always say its better to be safe than sorry. Packing for possible winter conditions made me bring more luggage. If it was cold, I didn’t want to have the same coat on in all of my pictures.

Thankfully Royal Air Maroc allows up to three free bags from Miami to Morocco (roundtrip,). But from Errachidia to Casablanca (roundtrip) I had to pay for one.

I don’t regret being prepared. Even if temps are expected to reach high numbers, weather is temperamental!

Hopefully,  if you’re thinking of the cooler winter Morocco vibes, I’ve made packing a little easier.

~Poof…Bee Gone

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