Chefchaouen, Morocco
It’s all blue. In every direction, there’s just more blue. Dark blue, light blue. Vibrant blue, dull blue. Blue, blue, blue, blue.
It’s what draws visitors here to Chefchaouen in the first place. And once here, it draws you in further, until you feel like you’re in a magical frozen or underwater world.
The old medina of Chefchaouen is not large but it’s the kind of place where you’re happy to walk the same streets over and over again.
As the light shifts throughout the day, the blue glow changes, and you can look at the alleys afresh.
And with freshness. The colour makes everything feel so crisp and clean.
This is a welcome difference from the larger cities of Morocco like Fez or Marrakech.
The streets aren’t large, they’re not full of shops, the crowds aren’t thick and there’s less mania to the atmosphere.
It’s another one of the reasons Chefchaouen has been a favourite stop along the Morocco tourist trail for decades. This is a relaxing break where the lack of sights is part of the charm.
In the town itself, it’s easy to spend a day wandering and trying to find new angles of blue. Up and down stairs, along the main arteries, through the small winding passageways.
The main square has open air cafes and restaurants where there’s no rush to move on. A slow lunch, a leisurely coffee, an hour or two catching up on emails from a cushioned lounge.
Surrounding Chefchaouen is a mountainous nature that’s also one of the draws. There are trails leading off to hikes for a day or even longer. It’s likely these will pass through local marijuana farms – another reason travellers have come here for years – but they are easily ignored.
Unfortunately it’s cold and wet for all of my time in Chefchaouen. The blue sky somewhere above is blocked by an almost constant blanket of grey. Although I had planned a hike to explore the mountains, I decide to spend my time in the medina instead.
Thankfully there’s still enough blue here not to need the sky to give it to me.
I think you’re best off just making your way to Chefchaouen and spending a day or two exploring. But if you’re short of time and just want to go and take some photos, there are a few options here:
Let me now share some more photos of this rich colourful urban environment, high in the green hills away from the oranges and browns that define much of Morocco’s landscapes.
THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN CHEFCHAOUEN
I think Chefchaouen is worth much more than a day trip and there are some wonderful places to stay in or around the blue buildings.
BACKPACKER
When it comes to great value dorm beds, Riad Baraka has the best in town.
BUDGET
You’ll find really good prices at the very friendly Dar Besmellah, which has a great terrace.
BOUTIQUE
With a very nice modern style, La Petite Chefchaouen has great rooms just on the edge of the kasbah.
LUXURY
Overlooking the town from a quiet hillside location, Dar Jasmine is a beautiful luxury option.
Amazing photos! Reminds me a lot of Jodhpur in India, which some people say is blue to detract mosquitoes (don’t know if that’s true). Do you know why this city is blue?
I had heard the same thing about mosquitos – but another theory is that is was supposed to be symbolic of the sky and the heavens. I’m not sure if there is a definitive answer. I didn’t really question it and just enjoyed the colours 🙂
How cool! I’ve been to the White Villages in Southern Spain, but I’ve never heard of the Blue City. Great Photos!!
Well I’ve never been to the white villages in Spain so now I’ll have to add them to my travel list as well!! 🙂
Wow, stunning. I had always gotten the impression that Chefchaouen was just a side trip or day trip type place in Morocco but I have been hearing and seeing more and more things lately that make me think that it is a highlight spot to visit on its own, and is worth a day or two of relaxing. Great photos!
Oh yes, it’s definitely worth more than just a sidetrip. It’s a really relaxing place to stay for a night or two and it’s also good to soak up the atmosphere during different times of the day, not just for a few hours on a tour.
Must. Go. Back. To. Morocco. This is sooo gorgeous. Thank you for adding another place to my Must-Go list!
Thanks, Peggy. It is gorgeous and certainly worth a trip to Morocco!!
Beautiful! I bet your memory card was full after wandering all of these beautiful streets.
So true! It was hard not to take a photo every time I turned a corner!!
Blue is such a pleasing, calming color. Beautiful photos, Michael!
You’re right – it feels so calm to be surrounded by all that blue. Perhaps that’s why they painted the city like that. A constant stress-reliever!! 🙂
Amazing photos and amazing blue.A must visit place in Morocco. Everything is so stunning and completely eager me to plan a quick vacation there.
Keep sharing and stay blue…
Thanks
Tanmay
Ha ha – thanks. I will stay blue indeed! 🙂
Wow, amazing photos! Kind of makes me wonder if this is where the Blue Man Group started…
Ha ha ha. They should set up a show there. It would be great! (Although you wouldn’t be able to see them properly with an all blue background!)
HAHAHA Nice topic. I hope There also a rainbow city, you have been a colorful day even your sad I’m sure you’ll always smile 🙂
blue city it’s like a day dream feeling like a ocean deep 😀 . I love your blog Mr. Michael 😉
Wow! I’m going to have to find the rainbow city now. That would be awesome!
Everything is so blue! Your photos are fantastic!
Thanks mate. Blue makes everything look fantastic!! 🙂
Interesting place indeed! Although the vibrance of blue paints the whole place it still looks laid-back. I’m intrigued about the place and wanting to go there. Thanks for sharing!
Let me know if you ever get there and if you find it as laidback as it looks!
OMG.!! I’m not sure how many of here have visited Jodhpur (Rajasthan) India. This places exactly looks like Jodhpur. The authenticity and traditional cultural is coming out so purely.
FYI. the city is also called Blue City.
Lovely post.!1 Keep sharing
I’ve never been there, Howard, but I think I would like to go now. If it’s anything like Chefchaouen, it must be a beautiful place. Perhaps I could take a bunch of photos and do a compare and contrast post! 🙂
I’m intrigued about the place and wanting to go there. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you do manage to get there one day!
We were here too <3
http://pelnapara.com/podroze/wioska-smerfow-haszyszu-i-drzwi-do-raju-czyli-chefchaouen-we-wszystkich-odcieniach-blekitu/
Awesome – I’m so glad you managed to get there. It’s a really magical place, isn’t it? Thanks for sharing your story about it!
Staying in a riad is the guarantee to live something very special and to share experiences with local people.
I love Morocco it is an incredibly beautiful country, I am also planning to go for a trip to this city.
Such a nice post! I recognize many of my favorite places during my stay in Chaouen! Even when raining the city is worth visiting, an amazing place an with Essouira my favorite place in whole morocco! 🙂
I’m from chefchaouen city and I have page in instagram I post amazing pic ..
Can u follow me plz to see more pic about blue chefchaouen town
My instagram
Love_chefchaouen
Magnificent sceneries and photos. I have never been to Morocco, but it looks beautiful. Thank you for this lovely piece of attraction. I really impressed and recommend it to everyone!
Thank your Mr Mechael for this rich and wonderful article about the blue pearl of Morocco.
No doubt that Checfchaouen or Chaouen (as locals call it) is one of the best cities to explore in Morocco.
If you have any new adventure tour to Morocco, please feel free to contact us. It’s our pleasure to show you an Authentic Morocco
Nice blog, Thank you so much
Thank you so much for such a beautiful article! it’s always fascinating to see Morocco in the eyes of the travelers! makes us appreciate it More!
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for your article and the beautiful photos about Chefchaouen. We think no holiday in Morocco is complete without visiting the blue city. Great piece of work!
Amazing article… Thanks for sharing with us.
Wow, stunning. I had always gotten the impression that Chefchaouen was just a side trip or day trip type place in Morocco but I have been hearing and seeing more and more things lately that make me think that it is a highlight spot to visit on its own, and is worth a day or two of relaxing. Thanks for sharing the beautiful of this city I really love it.
beautiful blog full of value keep going please
amazing pictures great info
Amazing article about morocco, we really appreciate thanks
Amazing article and amazing pictures
beautiful blog full of value keep going
Love the content you are publishing..
I loved your article and how you described Chefchaouen with great pictures. well done.