12 months, 24 trip ideas: Where to go in Morocco & Portugal in 2025

A new year opens up new horizons with 12 fresh months ripe for exploring. Morocco and Portugal are two varied and beautiful countries that have incredible places to visit and amazing events happening every single month of the year. 

If you’re planning to visit either Portugal or Morocco in 2025, here’s where we think you should consider at different times of the year.

Want help to create your travel plans? Say hello at info@epic.travel

Where to go in January 2025

Morocco: Marrakech

The addictive buzz of the Red City is just as gorgeous in January. This far south you’ll likely experience blue skies and highs of 19°C (66°F) despite it being the depths of winter in Morocco. It’s a beautiful time of year to explore, especially for art lovers who can’t miss 1-54 Marrakech, a fair bringing together the latest contemporary works from the African art scene.

Marrakech comes alive at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair each year

Read next… How to plan your trip to 1-54 Marrakech – Morocco’s biggest art event

Portugal: Nazaré 

Each winter the calm surf town of Nazaré is on red alert for big waves. Out in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, the Nazaré Canyon is responsible for creating mega waves, up to 30 metres (100 feet) high. The World Surf League (WSL) 2024/2025 Nazaré Big Wave Challenge officially takes place from around November until March, with organisers closely watching the conditions until the swell is just right and they can call the contest on. Hundreds of spectators will pile onto the hill around the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo to watch the surfers get towed out at Praia do Norte and tackle these thrilling mega waves.

Where to go in February 2025

Morocco: Fes

February is a beautiful, quieter month to explore ancient Fes. Most visitors will drop in between March and April and September and November, which means you can experience the massive medina with less crowds and more local life. This is the world’s largest and oldest pedestrian zone, and here you’ll find the beautiful University of al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 857.

Portugal: Northern Portugal 

February is one of the least popular months in Portugal – it’s the depth of winter, which with a Mediterranean climate means chilly days and the potential for rain. Of course, the weather forecast is usually more pessimistic than reality, so you can chance it for cool sunny days and embrace the beauty of the north of the country. Here you’ll find a handful of charming villages that still celebrate carnival and the start of spring with weird and wonderful pagan traditions.

Where to go in March 2025

Morocco: Sahara Desert

Visiting the Sahara Desert is a bucket-list item, and March is a great month to go – avoiding the cold winter nights and hot summer days. We’re big fans of exploring the Sahara around Erg Chigaga, instead of the more popular Erg Chebbi near Merzouga. This is the largest “erg” (sea of sand dunes) in Morocco, where dunes stretch out like a sea of sand in every direction, with some towering over 50 metres (164 feet) high. While not as readily accessible, Erg Chigaga rewards more adventurous travelers with unspoiled serenity, authentic Berber culture, and plenty of adventure.

Read next…. Erg Chigaga: Starry nights in Morocco’s lesser-known Sahara Desert

Note that Ramadan, a time of spiritual renewal on the Islamic calendar, falls around this time next year. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, followed by Eid-el-Fitr, a three-day celebratory feast. If you travel during Ramadan you may find many shops and restaurants with altered hours, but it can also be an interesting experience.

Portugal: Peneda-Gerês National Park

At the far north border of Portugal lies the country’s only national park, Peneda-Gerês. It’s Portugal’s oldest protected area, and within the park you’ll encounter incredible trails that lead to waterfalls, small stone villages, and plenty of wildlife, including wild horses. The park, located about 66 miles (107 kilometres) north of Porto, is a favourite with hikers and outdoors enthusiasts, and spring is a great time to explore as you’ll see beautiful wildflowers and wild Garrano foals.

Read next…. Searching for wolves: Exploring Portugal’s only national park

Where to go in April 2025

Morocco: Larache & Asilah 

Situated on Morocco’s northern tip, just south of Tangier, the coastal towns of Asilah and Larache offer an off-beat adventure far from the crowds. Asilah, whose medina is enclosed by 15th-century Portuguese walls, has been slowly transforming into a hub for artists and art lovers with an annual festival that uses the walls as a canvas. Drive 40 minutes further south and you’ll hit Larache, a small and relaxed 17th-century Spanish-built city. Both Larache and Asilah spring to life in summer when Moroccan tourists descend on the beaches, so April is a good time to visit before those sun-seeking crowds arrive.

Portugal: Serra da Estrela

Continental Portugal’s highest mountain is beautiful in April. Atop the rocky and raw mountain, at almost 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) high, you’ll feel on top of the world. Serra da Estrela is a wild and sparsely populated area is home to fantastic hiking and the country’s only ski resort. A visit in April could mean gorgeous spring wildflowers or late-season snowfall – it’s a roll of the dice from year to year! While here, don’t miss out on the famous Serra da Estrela cheese, a gooey aromatic cheese you eat with a spoon.

Where to go in May 2025

Morocco: Atlas Mountains

May is easily one of the best times to explore the beauty of the Atlas Mountains. If you like to go hiking, mountain biking, or fancy trekking up Jebel Toubkal, Morocco’s highest mountain, then spring strikes the ideal balance with days hovering around 22°C (71.6°F). In winter there’s often snow at the top, which surprises many visitors! May is also a great month for canyoning holidays in the Middle Atlas Mountains before the summer heat kicks in and dries up the rivers. 

Portugal: Porto

There’s never a bad time to visit Porto, Portugal’s second city, but we’d say May might be the perfect sweet spot. The compact historic centre is a beautiful destination to explore, but year-on-year the home of Port wine is becoming more popular. Beat the summer rush with a last-spring visit and enjoy more than 14 hours of sunlight a day to soak up the beauty of Porto.

Want help to create your travel plans? Say hello at info@epic.travel

Where to go in June 2025

Morocco: Essaouira & Casablanca

Blessed with cool coastal breezes coming off the Atlantic Ocean, Essaouira (said Ess-ow-wira) is a laidback Moroccan city that grooves to its own beat. In June things are taken up a notch when the annual Essaouira Gnaoua Festival takes the stage, transforming the city into a hub of gnaoua and world music. Last year more than 400,000 people joined the three-day event, and in 2025 it falls from June 26 to 28.

In Casablanca, the annual Jazzablanca festival brings an international line-up of pop, soul, rock, funk, world music and jazz to Morocco’s largest city.

Note that Eid Al Adha (the sacrifice of the sheep) falls at the end of June in Morocco. To put it lightly, it’s definitely a time for vegetarians to avoid.

Portugal: Lisbon 

Each June the historic neighbourhoods of Lisbon turn into one big party. For the entire month the Santos Populares festivities take over the streets of Lisbon’s most charming bairros. Here the locals erect makeshift bars and restaurants, hang colorful decorations across the streets, and get ready for non-stop fun grilling sardines, drinking beer, and dancing to pimba music. The biggest night is June 12, when the locals celebrate Saint Anthony with the “longest night of the year”. All the festas add a layer to an already fun city to explore. 

Where to go in July 2025

Morocco: El Jadida

In the Moroccan summer months, you’ll want to be by the coast – and El Jadida offers a perfect blend of sunshine, coastal beauty, and historic sights, with the unmissable UNESCO-listed Cité Portugaise. Enjoy long days relaxing by the sea, swimming in the chilly Atlantic, exploring the historic town, or browsing local markets. Watch this space for a fancy new hotel opening to be announced in the new year!

Portugal: Azores & Cascais 

Between May and September the nine Azorean islands, a Portuguese archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, are awash with seemingly endless rows of giant hydrangeas. It’s a beautiful sight to behold, and makes a summer visit to these relaxed and wild islands all the more joyful. 

If not the Azores, on the mainland the upmarket coastal city of Cascais, close to Lisbon, hosts an international line-up of brilliant musicians all month during the EDP CoolJazz event. This event brings a handful of top musicians to the gardens for evening concerts.

Where to go in August 2025

Morocco: Taghazout Bay

Taghazout Bay is one of the world’s top surf spots and Morocco’s leading eco-friendly resort. Here by the sea in the south of Morocco you’ll find consistent swells and high-quality waves that attract both beginners and experienced surfers, plus a range of international hotels right on the beach. It’s the ideal summer vacay spot to kick back, learn to surf, play a round of golf, or do yoga or wellness activities.

Portugal: Alentejo Coast 

August is peak summer in Europe, which means most European families are on vacation and will flock to the nearest beaches. In Portugal, most people go south to the beautiful coastal towns of the Algarve. This coastline is around 150 kilometers (99 miles) long, so while there’s lots of space to spread out and soak up summer sunshine, it does get busy. It’s why instead we suggest the Alentejo Coast, a quieter, wilder stretch between Setúbal and the Algarve where there’s just less of everything, meaning you can really relax and switch off.

Where to go in September 2025

Morocco: Tangier

The eclectic northern port city of Tangier is experiencing a wave of renewal, transforming from the laid-back, liberal artist hangout of the mid-20th century to an energetic and elegant city (with vinyl stores and cocktail bars!). Every September the Tanjazz festival brings four days of jazz and jazz-related music style to the city – a great excuse for a visit.

Read next… Transformation of Tangier: Gritty City to Modern Metropolis

Portugal: Douro Valley

September is a busy month for winemarkers in Portugal – it’s harvest season! If you’re interested in the art of winemaking or Portugal’s winemaking traditions, there’s nowhere better to visit in September than the Douro Valley. Here you can join the fun with a day of picking and grape stomping, where (after a hearty long lunch, of course) you’ll kick your shoes off and step into the huge lagares where you’ll join arms and stomp, stomp, stomp to a live band. 

Where to go in October 2025

Morocco: Tamouda Bay 

While many flock to Spain’s Costa del Sol for fun in the sun, just across the Mediterranean Morocco’s quieter Tamouda Bay offers a huge sandy beach and luxury resorts without the same crowds. While it has been on the radar of Moroccans for decades (it’s said that the King himself holidays here) a number of high-end resorts, elegant hotels, and golf courses have cropped up in the past couple of years. Nearby lies the former capital of Spanish Morocco, Tétouan whose historic UNESCO-listed medina gained the nickname ‘White Dove’.

Portugal: Algarve 

Just after summer the sea water is at its warmest, meaning October (especially early in the month) is a great time to visit the Algarve. While the rest of Europe is very much in autumn, down along the gorgeous Algarve coast you can expect beautiful sunny days, ideal for long seafood lunches with your toes in the sand.

Where to go in November 2025

Morocco: Skoura

November is a time to slow down and reflect on the year before the busy festive season. Nowhere ticks the box better than Skoura, a calm oasis at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. It’s the largest palm grove in the Dades Valley, and here beneath the date palms and between old adobe houses and mudbrick castles you can breathe out and think about the time when camel caravans, stacked with gold and spices, once reached Skoura after a two-month journey across the Sahara Desert.

Portugal: Alentejo Interior

Saint Martin’s summer often means the middle of November is a glorious time to explore Portugal. The Alentejo, the large region east and southeast of Lisbon, is an authentic countryside destination where endless vistas of ancient olive groves, vineyards, and cork forests are only interrupted by beautiful whitewashed villages, often topped by castles. For São Martinho, around November 11, there are often wine events where the locals eat roasted chestnuts and drink the first wines, ideally aged in a traditional talha (huge terracotta vessel). 

Read next… Harvest Season: Explore Cork & Wine in Portugal’s Alentejo

Where to go in December 2025

Morocco: Ourika Valley

Located just 30 kilometers south of Marrakech, the Ourika Valley sits at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains, still at an altitude of 1,500 metres. At this height in December you can expect cool, crisp days with groves of verdant olive trees, almond trees and cherry trees squeezed between charming Berber villages. It’s most popular to visit the area in spring or autumn, so enjoy the peace and quiet with a chance of snowfall in the mountains. Here you can enjoy the warming local delicacy of spiced snail liquor and a piping hot mountain tajine.

Portugal: Madeira Island

Nowhere else in Portugal does New Year’s Eve like Madeira Island. After the festivities of Christmas, the island capital of Funchal puts on one of the most dazzling display of fireworks in the world. Back in 2006 it won the Guinness World Record for putting on the “Greatest Fireworks Show in the World”. While it’s since lost the title, you can expect the small city to give a 10-minute show with fireworks launching from 52 stations around the city. It’s magnificent and unforgettable!

Our team of local experts knows where to go when. Reach out to have Epic design and curate your custom Morocco or Portugal trip info@epic.travel

Latest Blogs