Things to See in Chefchaouen – The Blue Pearl of Morocco

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Just a few hours away from the Imperial Cities of Fez and Meknes is a small town called Chefchaouen. In Berber, this means “look at the horns” (or peaks) – referring to the ridge of the Rif Mountains that encircle the city. Although said mountains are lovely to look at, Chefchaouen is famous for another reason. It’s blue. I’m not talking about a few doors and windows, or maybe the odd potted plant, or stairway. I’m talking about every wall, every door, every step, window, accent piece… nearly everything in Chefchaouen’s medina is painted in some sort of blue hue. There’s a reason it’s called The Blue Pearl of Morocco!

The jury is out as to exactly why the city continues to live on as though seen through aquamarine-coloured glasses, but a few theories are that the blue keeps the mosquitos away, or that the influx of Jewish refugees in the 1400’s brought their influence of painting buildings blue. Whichever the reason, there are plenty of things to see in Chefchaouen and the blue buildings are only just the start of it!

#gallery-7432-81 { margin: auto; } #gallery-7432-81 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-7432-81 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-7432-81 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Things to See in Chefchaouen

The Blue Medina

The most obvious of the things to see in Chefchaouen is the blue medina. I absolutely loved the time I spent aimlessly wandering around the winding streets and up the never-ending stairways.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this in any other posts from Morocco, but this country has street cats instead of street dogs. They are literally everywhere. They’re hair-raising meows can be heard from every corner of the medina. (And when the females are in heat – which seems to be most of the time – you can even partake in a game that Mac and I dubbed “cat or baby??” Ha!

Having been in numerous medinas in Morocco prior to coming to Chefchaouen, I was struck by how a concept so similar could feel so fresh & new with just a different coat of paint!

#gallery-7432-82 { margin: auto; } #gallery-7432-82 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-7432-82 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-7432-82 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

My ‘trick’ to enjoying the medina in peace was to go early before the city really wakes up. I went on a few morning walks between 7:30am – 9:30am and was able to roam at my leisure and admire the endless blue decor. The pictures below are of the same street, just a few hours apart!!

#gallery-7432-83 { margin: auto; } #gallery-7432-83 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-7432-83 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-7432-83 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Plaza Uta el-Hammam

The center of the medina is home to a large open square called Plaza Uta el-Hammam. Restaurants and cafes (and numerous souvenir shops) line one side of the square while the other side is the Kasbah Museum and Grand Mosque. This mosque is notable because of its eight-sided minaret (most are four-sided). All day and into the evening it’s filled with locals and tourists alike.

Spanish Mosque

The Spanish Mosque was constructed in the 1920’s for Chefchaouen’s Spanish population. Unfortunately the mosquita never gained traction and soon fell into disrepair. Now, however, it is a popular destination for a short day hike from the city center. Mac and I spent one morning hiking up the hill to what we thought was the Mosquita. We saw the unmistakable silhouette of a minaret up on the top of a hill and assumed it was the Spanish Mosque. Well nearly one hour later we arrived at said mosque only to discover it wasn’t the one we were looking for. We could clearly see the mosquita far down the hill, much closer to the city! Oops!

The Spanish Mosque in the morning fog

The Mosque we hiked to instead!

We weren’t too bothered about our mix-up because we were treated to some lovely country-side views of Chefchaouen. Eventually we did make it down to the mosquita and joined a crowd of other tourists that made the (much shorter) trek up from the city. We made the trek during the daytime, but the mosquita is especially popular at sunset. From our hostel terrace we could see the silhouettes of people up at the mosque watching the daylight fade over Chefchaouen.

Practical Information

Where to stay

Mac and I stayed at Hotel Souika. This backpacker/traveller hostel is one of the least expensive ones we could find, and it’s located right in the heart of the medina. (We paid 130dh for a private room.) It has a great rooftop terrace as well as a small ‘kitchen’ where you can self-cater. (The kitchen is one of the most bare-bones hostel kitchens I’ve ever cooked in. There is a four-burner gas stovetop and a sink. No cutting board, one dull knife, a pot or two, and no plates or bowls!)

Five times per day, every day, the normally quiet hostel terrace became engulfed in the sounds of the Call to Prayer. The mosques never seemed to synchronize their calls, so the chanting would go on for several minutes. I’ve read several guide books that claim the voice of the muezzin (the person doing the calling) softly coons, with beautiful echoes. I’ll let you be the judge of that 😉

What to eat

When we find something good and inexpensive, Mac and I tend to stick to it. Thus was the case in Chefchaouen. For our main meals (when I didn’t want to bother making yet another one pot meal) we went to an awesome hole-in-the-wall restaurant we stumbled upon one evening. The menu is simple, and the food is delicious. our favourite order was a bowl of stewed chickpeas, a bowl of cooked vegetables, an eggplant marinara sandwich, and fresh bread. This would leave us fairly full and it cost just 24dh (2.40eur). It’s located on Rue Assaida Alhorra and is #71, just a minute walk from Plaza Uta El-Hammam. For reference, it’s right beside the more well-known Bab Ssour Restaurant.

While in Fez we ate at Cafe Clock. There’s another location in Chefchaouen too. Though we didn’t eat at the one in the blue city, if it’s anything like the one in Fez you’re in store for a delicious meal.

Another favourite of ours came from street vendors. Every night in Plaza Uta el-Hammam, at the corner of Rue Assaida Alhorra and Al Kissariya, and down on the main street, men would set up their carts and immediately be surrounded by hungry Moroccans. After watching the chaos we couldn’t help our curiosity and decided to see what all the fuss was about. It turns out the men were selling mushy pois chiche – chickpeas. I’m still not sure of the translation, but for 1dh you could by a slice of this mushy chickpea stuff (topped with salt and/or hot sauce), and 2dh bought you a chickpea slice sandwich in a bun. I’ve never had anything like it – and I’m still not entirely sure what else was in this mush – but it was cheap & delicious and we came back for more night after night!

(Edited to add: upon further research I’ve discovered this flan-type street food is called kalinti. It’s made from chickpea flour and eggs. So, unfortunately not vegan, but as the vendors didn’t speak much English, and our Arabic/Darija is mostly non-existent I decided to take a chance on it as it was nice to find a street food offering that wasn’t grilled meat on a skewer.)

#gallery-7432-84 { margin: auto; } #gallery-7432-84 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-7432-84 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-7432-84 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Tell me, have you heard of Chefchaouen before? What’s the most colourful city you’ve been to?

Note: I’ve been told by several people that have tried to leave comments that they are being rejected for “being a suspected bot”. I’ve hopefully fixed the issue and would love to hear from you! You comments make my day, and I really enjoy sharing bits and pieces (and SO MANY pictures) with you 🙂

Pin It!

Never Miss a Post!

Enter your email address to subscribe to A Taste of Trace and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address:

Sign Me Up!