Chefchaouen, what to see in the most charming blue town in Morocco

Now that I have had the opportunity to visit several enclaves of the northern morocco, the closest and easiest area to reach from Spain, I can affirm that the most beautiful and charming place is Chefchaouen.

Chefchaouen, which is what it was called when it was founded by the berbers In the 15th century, it welcomed the Moorish y Jews that at that time they were expelled from Spain and that in this semi-mountainous enclave they created their beautiful and charming medina.

Nowadays This place has become a very tourist spot, which is known as the blue town for the striking color of the houses in its medina.

Where is and how to get to Chefchaouen in northern Morocco

A Chefchaouen, which is its name since the independence of Morocco in 1956, it's easy to get to by car crossing to Ceuta from Algeciras, or by direct flight from Madrid to Tangier or Tetouan.

In both cases you must go through the city of Tetuan, whose medina is very worth visiting, and proof of this is that it has been declared Heritage.

And from Tetuan You will go up little by little along a winding road, on which it will be impossible for you to pass even a bus, which will take you to the foot of the mountain range where the city of Chefchaouen.

History of Chefchaouen

Founded at the end of the 15th century by the Rife Berber tribes of the area, originally this town was called Chefchaouen, a name by which it is still known today.

It was after the expulsion of the Moors and Jews from Spain that they settled in Chefchaouen and they began to build their beautiful medina, a reflection of the Andalusian tradition.

Chefchaouen It remained closed to Christians until the arrival of the Spanish occupiers in 1920.

Then they were surprised to see how their Jewish population continued speaking the Sephardic, a dialect they used in the 15th century in Spain.

It was in the 30s when the white houses of the Chefchaouen medina were painted with the characteristic color azul figure.

The Spanish abandoned Chefchaouen at the end of the so-called protectorate in 1956 with the independence of Morocco.

Later, in 1975 it was baptized with the current official name of Chefchaouen.

The best things to see and do in Chefchaouen, the Blue Village

But what are you going to find when you get to Chefchaouen?

The first thing I will tell you is that this excursion is totally worth it because the Chefchaouen medina It contains beautiful corners.

But I will also tell you that it is not a small, bucolic town, as I imagined, but rather a large town located on the slope of a mountain range whose peaks reach 2.000 meters.

Apart from any other visit that can be made, such as the Spanish Mosque or the Ras el Mas waterfall, the great attraction of Chefchaouen It is located in the aforementioned medina.

This has become a point of great tourist attraction, where you will not be surprised to find groups of Japanese or Americans walking through its alleys.

To give you an idea, and with the experience of several visits that I have made in recent times, I am going to tell you what they are. the best places to see y what to do in Chefchaouen.

Entrance arch to the Medina of Chefchaouen

Tu Chefchaouen visit should focus on walk and enjoy the charm of its medina, for which I advise you to enter through its main door.

This access is available with a entrance arch located south of the medina, which you find on the main street that crosses from west to east this small Moroccan city with about 40.000 inhabitants, which is the capital of the province of the same name, in the region of Tangier-Tetouan.

Chefchaouen Medina Souk

From the entrance arch of the Chefchaouen Medina you must go up the narrow alley that in the end will take you to the nerve center of it, the Uta el-Hamman square.

This alley is a real souk with a succession of stores remembrances, clothing and crafts, which if visits Chefchaouen On a bridge or during the holiday season, you will find it packed with people, to the point that you may feel somewhat overwhelmed.

From this alley, another souk-type alley starts to the right, which in fact is announced as shopping street, which takes you to the back of the fortress located in the square, from where you will also reach it.

Kasbah in Uta el-Hamman Square

As I said, this square is the heart of the medina, and I can tell you that it has great charm.

Always very busy, in Uta el-Hamman highlights the fortress o kasba.

It is a fortress that has been restored and inside now houses a small ethnographic museum, although I admit that I have not yet had the opportunity to visit it.

You will also be struck by the Grand mosque from the 15th century, which shows a octagonal tower which is a very unusual configuration in mosques of morocco.

You will see that this square, the true heart of Chefchaouen, is full of cafe terraces and restaurants, where there is always great animation, both from the local population and from tourists.

Walk through the Medina of Chefchaouen

To continue with your visit, from the square Uta el-Hamman You must continue going up the different alleys of the medina.

Know that Chefchaouen It is located in the foothills of the Rif mountain range, a mountainous area with always surprisingly green landscapes, so that the small city and its medina extend over a mountainside.

On this walk through the alleys of the upper part of the medina is where you will discover the true Chefchaouen charm.

Although there are still stores, most of them local artisans, you will find yourself above all in a residential area that contains corners with the great charm of the prints on the facades of the houses with the characteristic color azul.

Stairs, passages with arches, interior patios... there is said charm of Chefchaouene.

If you are a photography fan, you will not get tired of discovering those corners.

Artisan shops in Chefchaouen

The craftsmen and artists Locals will show you their artistic works in the shops that are dotted throughout this upper part of the medina.

Painters, ceramists, iron craftsmen, sculptors...; In short, it will be difficult for you not to take away an artistic souvenir of Chefchaouen, yes, after the usual e essential haggling.

On this walk you can refresh yourself with a freshly squeezed orange juice in front of you. Or buy dyes, or typical djellabas.

Djellabas in Chefchaouen

Precisely one of the most characteristic images of Chefchaouen, and that from my point of view give it greater charm, are the hooded wool djellabas.

It is a rural garment that practically the entire local population wears in the winter season.

It is at this time, when you will hardly meet tourists, when you will best see the Chefchaouen exoticism.

Then, in spring and summer, the greater presence of tourists and the disappearance of those winter djellabas take away from the rural atmosphere of this beautiful medina.

Waterfall and wash basins in Chefchaouen

In your walk through the medina You must continue climbing in a northeasterly direction until you reach the exit arch that opens in the wall in that area, and then go down to the waterfall and the washing places.

It is an area that is filled with visitors on holidays, especially Moroccans, who cool off in the pools that form in this gorge where the water flows down, and where the washing places are located.

There you can see the peasant who concentrate with their typical and colorful straw hats, which they sell to tourists or, failing that, they ask you for a tip for taking a photo.

Where to eat in Chefchaouen

The vast majority of Chefchaouen restaurants are concentrated around the Uta el-Hamman square or in its vicinity.

Those who know this beautiful town well advise against sitting down to eat on some of the terraces in the square.

On the other hand, the restaurant that local people recommend is Hassan, in the upper part of the square.

Quite large and very touristy, there you find a menu to choose from with dishes from Moroccan gastronomy and good price.

Another recommended restaurant is Aladin House, easily recognizable by its covered viewpoint and its terrace that rises over the square.

You also have Moroccan specialties, and you can eat well with a menu that with drinks will cost you less than 10 euros.

And, without a doubt, the best way to end your day in Chefchaouen is to sit, now, on the terrace of some cafe in the square to have a typical green tea with sugar and fresh mint leaves.

I can tell you that you can spend hours watching people wander around, in a mix of cultures.

You will see everything from the most exotic local characters to the numerous tourists, both Western, Japanese and even Chinese.

In short, a visit that I preview will always remain in your memory.