What's on in Laayoune (El Aaiun), Western Sahara through the year

Busy — Ramadan, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Ramadan

  25 Jan – 25 Mar · usuallyClosures

  An administrative town with little to do after dark suddenly has a night life, and none of it before sunset. Cafes on the main avenue fill an hour after the call and stay full. Source ↗

Busy — Ramadan, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Ramadan (25 Jan – 25 Mar (usually))

Busy — Ramadan, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Ramadan (25 Jan – 25 Mar (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in April.

Busy — Eid al-Adha, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Eid al-Adha

  1 May – 5 Jun · usuallyRamadan & EidClosuresCrowded

  The feast of the sacrifice moves about eleven days earlier each year; families gather, shops and offices shut for at least two days, and flights and long-distance buses north are full around it. Source ↗

Busy — Eid al-Adha, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  When the wind turns inland

  1 Jun – 15 Sep · usuallyExtreme heat

  The cold current offshore keeps this coast mild until the wind swings round off the Sahara, and then the town goes from pleasant to furnace within a day. It rarely holds for more than a few days at a time.

Still on: Eid al-Adha (1 May – 5 Jun (usually))

Busy — Throne Day, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Throne Day

  30 JulNational holidayClosures

  A national holiday marking the king's accession, with flags along the main avenues, official ceremonies and government offices closed for the day. Source ↗

Still on: When the wind turns inland (1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: When the wind turns inland (1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: When the wind turns inland (1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Busy — Green March Day, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Green March Day

  6–7 NovNational holidayClosuresCrowded

  6 November is the anniversary of the 1975 march into Western Sahara, and Laayoune is where Morocco stages the commemoration: flags on every pole, official speeches and a town that stops for the day. Source ↗

Busy — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in December.