Visiting Chefchaouen: guide to Morocco's blue town

Outa el-Hammam square

Cafés and restaurants beside the great mosque.

The kasbah

A fortress with a garden and a small museum; from the tower you can see the whole town.

Ras el-Maa

A spring where you can still see the traditional washing places.

Spanish Mosque viewpoint

A short, steep walk that gets crowded late in the afternoon.

Blue streets

Wandering with no plan is what most people do. From mid-morning to mid-afternoon there are tour groups and queues for photos; early on, the streets are almost empty.

Textiles and goat's cheese

Wool blankets, Rif rugs and hand-woven clothing. At the table, fresh goat's cheese, lamb tagine and harira.

One day from Fez or Tangier

It can be done, but it's a lot of hours on the road for very few in town.

What we recommend

You see the sunset and the empty medina in the morning.

• Blue streets first thing
• Kasbah mid-morning
• Ras el-Maa and textiles in the afternoon
• Viewpoint at sunset

With the Rif or Akchour

Time for a walk in the Rif or a trip to the waterfalls.

Bab el-Ain gate

Taxis stop here and the climb to the medina begins. Around it are blanket shops and cafés with terraces; it's a good meeting point if you get lost.

Souika quarter

The oldest quarter, with the steepest and bluest streets. Families live here, so it's silent at night and you should keep your voice down.

• The most photographed streets
• Lots of steps, no cars

The way to Ras el-Maa

The stream coming down from the mountain has small bridges, cafés by the water and, further downstream, old mills. In summer it's the coolest part of town.

New town

Avenues with banks, pharmacies, a supermarket and the bus station. This is where you can park easily and get cash; from here to the medina square is about ten minutes on foot, uphill.

Spanish Mosque path

The path starts near Ras el-Maa and climbs through olive trees. In the morning there's hardly anyone about and the light falls straight onto the medina.

First afternoon

Drop your bags, walk up to the Spanish Mosque viewpoint, about 20 minutes from Ras el-Maa, and come down for dinner on the square once the groups have left.

Early walk through Souika

At 8 you walk round Souika, the oldest quarter, and head down towards the square. Then the kasbah, some shopping and lunch before one o'clock, which is when the day-trip coaches arrive.

Just one day from Fez

If you can't stay the night, leave Fez at 7: you arrive around 11, have lunch in the medina and leave at 4 pm. You'll see the streets with groups in them and without the late-afternoon light.

Trip to Akchour

About 45 minutes by car. The trails to the waterfalls and God's Bridge take two to five hours there and back, depending on how far you go. In summer, bring swimwear.

A stop in Tetouan

If you're carrying on north, give two or three hours to the medina of Tetouan, just over an hour away. Have lunch there and the journey feels shorter.

The whole north from the ferry

Tangier and Cape Spartel, the medina of Tetouan, two nights in Chefchaouen with optional Akchour, and back via Asilah. Pick-up can be at either of the two ports or at Ibn Battuta airport.

Monday and Thursday market

Women from the villages come down in their straw hats with pompoms to sell fresh cheese, bread and vegetables. It's the best time to try Rif goat's cheese.

Bissara with Rif olive oil

The northern broad bean soup, with a drizzle of local olive oil. At the small cafés in the lower town they serve it with bread for very little.

Terraces facing the kasbah

Eating on the square is more expensive and no better: you're paying for the view. For dinner, the streets climbing towards Souika have simpler, cheaper places.

Tea with almond sweets

The bakeries in the medina sell almond and sesame biscuits by weight. With a tea on a terrace, that's your afternoon snack for a few dirhams, and in winter a hot tea mid-afternoon is very welcome.

Olive oil and honey

The small shops in the medina sell oil from Rif villages and mountain honey in reused bottles. Taste first: quality varies a lot from one bottle to the next.

Wool blankets

In some medina workshops the treadle loom is still in use. A medium wool blanket costs around 250–500 MAD; cotton or acrylic ones cost less.

Gentler haggling

Opening prices here are more reasonable than in Fez or Marrakech. Offer 20 or 30% less and close quickly; there's no need for half an hour of negotiation.

Bags and babouches

There's plenty of leather in the shops, but almost all of it comes from Fez. Buy it here if you like it, without expecting a better price than at the source, and check stitching and zips before you pay.

Piles of blue powder

The coloured cones in the shops are pigment for painting walls. They look good in photos, but they're no use as cosmetics and they'll stain your suitcase if the jar opens.

Wool jellabas and ponchos

Thick garments of raw wool are typical of the Rif and genuinely keep you warm in winter. Ask to try one on: the sizes follow no rule at all.

Olive oil soap

Small shops in the medina sell soap made with olive oil and mountain herbs. It weighs little, won't break in your suitcase and costs a few dirhams.

Early-morning light

Between 7 and 9, the upper streets of Souika have soft light and nobody on the steps. By around 10 there are people waiting their turn on the best-known ones, and at midday the light is harsh.

Drones at customs

Don't bring a drone: Moroccan customs hold them if you don't have authorisation, and getting it back when you leave takes time. A small tripod gets through without trouble and works for the view from the viewpoint.

Car park attendants

Next to Bab el-Ain and in the squares lower down there are informal attendants; people usually give them between 5 and 10 MAD. For an overnight stay, a hotel with parking is better.

Paying for a pose

Some children or residents ask for coins to appear in a photo or for a decorated doorway. If you don't want to pay, don't photograph that person.

Slippery steps

The medina's paving is polished, painted stone, and in the rain it gets very slippery, especially going downhill. Wear rubber-soled shoes and save sandals for the riad terrace.

Bus station

It's below the new town, about 15 or 20 minutes' walk uphill to the medina. With luggage, take a petit taxi to Bab el-Ain.

Fez

No airport or train: everything is by road.

Tangier

A mountain road with lots of bends; if you get carsick, tell the driver.

Tetouan

The shortest journey.

Marrakech or Casablanca

They're a long way off, so we fit Chefchaouen into routes through Fez or Tangier.

From Spain

How to cross the Strait, in our guide.

Akchour and God's Bridge

Pools of very clear water. These are walks of several hours with climbs, so wear hiking boots.

Rif trails

Paths between villages and forests.

Tetouan medina

With a strong Andalusian influence.