May in Marrakech is a lovely month, akin to high summer in Europe. With idyllic average temperatures ranging between 12 and 28 degrees, some 10 hours of daily sunshine and less than 24mm rainfall, the climate is clement enough to relax by a pool while not too hot, or tiring, to enjoy a walking tour of the city. In addition to sightseeing, there is an interesting calendar of events with something to suit everyone.
May 2017 Events
Festivities start with Kelaa-des-Mgouna, the Rose Festival, which takes place in early May in the fertile Dades Valley, south of the Atlas, an event guaranteed to tempt visitors with traditional food, music and dancing, a dedicated market and, not least, a ‘Rose Queen’ competition. There is also a street procession of decorated floats during this first weekend of the month.
International celebrities, local artists and street performers gather to entertain visitors with a variety of concerts at the Desert Music Festival in mid-May, although the exact date has yet to be confirmed at time of writing. The long established and excellent World Sacred Music Festival in Fez and the Mawazine Festival in Rabat, featuring local and top class international artists, are scheduled to run from 12th to 20th May.
Sports fans will be happy to know that this year’s Trans Atlas Marathon is set to challenge participants and thrill spectators from 12th to 22nd May.
Marrakech in May
The city’s gardens are a joy to behold this month. May is also an excellent month to experience an Atlas Mountain tour or, perhaps, explore some of the traditional villages and fishing towns along the Atlantic coast. For golfers, a visit to the Assoufid Golf Club (quite recent but reckoned to be one of the city’s finest courses) will be a rewarding experience although there are ten other courses, from 9 to 36 holes, to choose from.