Best month · 01 / 12

Kitesurfing in Morocco in January

Short answer

In January the windiest Moroccan spots in the dataset are Dakhla (50% of days ≥ 12 kn, mean 11.8 kn), Tarfaya (41%, 11.1 kn) and Essaouira & Moulay Bouzerktoun (28%, 9.1 kn). The least windy is Taghazout (2%). Offshore sea temperature ranges from 17.2 to 18.4 °C across the 8 Moroccan sea points.

January ranking

Ranked by share of days whose mean daytime wind reaches 12 knots, then by mean wind. Wind: ERA5 2015–2024. Sea: offshore means 2022–2024.

Rank 1
Dakhla
50%
Days ≥ 12 kn
50%
Days ≥ 15 kn
18%
Avg wind
11.8 kn
Main direction
NE 51%
Sea temp.
17.9 °C
Offshore waves
1.4 m
Rank 2
Tarfaya
41%
Days ≥ 12 kn
41%
Days ≥ 15 kn
18%
Avg wind
11.1 kn
Main direction
NE 35%
Sea temp.
18.4 °C
Offshore waves
1.1 m
Rank 3
Tarifa †
30%
Days ≥ 12 kn
30%
Days ≥ 15 kn
12%
Avg wind
9.5 kn
Main direction
E 40%
Sea temp.
17.2 °C
Offshore waves
1.3 m
Rank 4
Essaouira & Moulay Bouzerktoun
28%
Days ≥ 12 kn
28%
Days ≥ 15 kn
13%
Avg wind
9.1 kn
Main direction
NE 53%
Sea temp. (Essaouira)
17.3 °C
Offshore waves (Essaouira)
1.9 m
Sea temp. (Moulay Bouzerktoun)
17.2 °C
Offshore waves (Moulay Bouzerktoun)
1.9 m
Rank 5
Sidi Kaouki
28%
Days ≥ 12 kn
28%
Days ≥ 15 kn
13%
Avg wind
8.8 kn
Main direction
N 48%
Sea temp.
17.3 °C
Offshore waves
1.7 m
Rank 6
Imsouane(surf spot)
16%
Days ≥ 12 kn
16%
Days ≥ 15 kn
6%
Avg wind
7.1 kn
Main direction
N 60%
Sea temp.
18.1 °C
Offshore waves
1.9 m
Rank 7
Oualidia
11%
Days ≥ 12 kn
11%
Days ≥ 15 kn
4%
Avg wind
7.6 kn
Main direction
NE 50%
Sea temp.
17.8 °C
Offshore waves
2.0 m
Rank 8
Taghazout(surf spot)
2%
Days ≥ 12 kn
2%
Days ≥ 15 kn
0%
Avg wind
4.8 kn
Main direction
NW 41%
Sea temp.
18.2 °C
Offshore waves
1.2 m

Ranked by share of days whose mean daytime wind reaches 12 knots, then by mean wind. Wind: ERA5 2015–2024. Sea: offshore means 2022–2024.

Rank	Spot	Days ≥ 12 kn	Days ≥ 15 kn	Avg wind (kn)	Main direction	Sea temp. (°C)	Offshore waves (m)
1	Dakhla	50%	18%	11.8	NE 51%	17.9	1.4
2	Tarfaya	41%	18%	11.1	NE 35%	18.4	1.1
3	Tarifa †	30%	12%	9.5	E 40%	17.2	1.3
4	Essaouira & Moulay Bouzerktoun	28%	13%	9.1	NE 53%	17.3 · 17.2	1.9 · 1.9
5	Sidi Kaouki	28%	13%	8.8	N 48%	17.3	1.7
6	Imsouane(surf spot)	16%	6%	7.1	N 60%	18.1	1.9
7	Oualidia	11%	4%	7.6	NE 50%	17.8	2.0
8	Taghazout(surf spot)	2%	0%	4.8	NW 41%	18.2	1.2

Essaouira and Moulay Bouzerktoun share one ERA5 grid cell, so they are one row for wind; sea and waves are given for each of their two sea points (Essaouira · Moulay Bouzerktoun). † Tarifa (Spain): comparison only, ERA5 strongly underestimates its Levante. Main direction: most frequent sector among hours ≥ 8 knots. Dakhla: sea values are ocean-side, not in the lagoon.

In context

All year, all spots

Share of days (%) whose mean daytime wind reaches 12 knots, by spot and month (ERA5, 2015–2024).

Spot	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Oualidia	11	18	29	28	40	34	50	39	19	17	13	10
Moulay Bouzerktoun *	28	34	40	47	56	57	75	64	46	28	28	21
Essaouira	28	34	40	47	56	57	75	64	46	28	28	21
Sidi Kaouki	28	33	35	44	54	59	71	57	42	24	24	18
Imsouane	16	19	22	31	34	40	22	18	11	11	10	7
Taghazout	2	2	2	3	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	0
Tarfaya	41	49	55	59	64	73	93	82	61	32	29	28
Dakhla	50	57	66	69	81	87	89	76	82	44	39	36
Tarifa †	30	45	34	34	26	25	19	21	19	24	24	27

Values in %. * Same ERA5 grid cell as Essaouira (identical numbers). † Tarifa (Spain), comparison only: ERA5 strongly underestimates the Levante.

January ranking

All year, all spots

Sources