Chefchaouen is a town in the Rif mountains in the northwest of Morocco. It’s known as the blue city of Morocco as most of the buildings in the old city are painted blue. Of course you are wondering why they are painted blue? There are a couple of theories; maybe the Jewish population painted the houses blue as they believe blue represents the sky, which reminds them of God and Heaven. Others say it was to repel mosquitoes and keep cool. Lastly some people believe it was to represent water.
Here are 5 reasons you should include Chefchaouen in your Morocco itinerary;
1. Chefchaouen has managed to retain a traditional Moroccan town vibe. The people are friendly and the alleys and lanes are safe to wander without fear of getting lost (if you’ve been to Fez or Marrakesh, this is a welcome change!)
2. The locals are friendly which makes wandering a joy. There are shops but there is not the pressure to buy like in larger cities such as Marrakesh.
3. You could meet our lovely guide. Our tours include a morning walking tour with a local. We had the lovely Abdosalam show us the best of Chefchaouen and he delighted in sharing his culture and the history of the area with us. He is wearing a traditional djellaba which is made of wool.
4. It’s not as touristy as other places in Morocco. There is no airport in Chefchaouen and Morocco is a large country so lots of tourists don’t allow the time to travel here. It’s about 3 hours drive from Fez.
5. It’s a photographer’s dream destination with every shade of blue imaginable. There are some classic ‘Instagram’ spots to have your photo taken! Why not!
If you’d like to explore Chefchaoeun on our Magical Morocco tour, view our tour dates here.