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The city that blue me away

May 13, 2020 | Michael Turtle | 40 Comments

PHOTO ESSAY

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.

Chefchaouen, Morocco, blue city

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.

Chefchaouen, Morocco, blue city

This is a welcome difference from the larger cities of Morocco like Fez or Marrakech.

he 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.

Chefchaouen, Morocco, blue city

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.

Chefchaouen, Morocco, blue city

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.

Chefchaouen, Morocco, blue city
Chefchaouen, Morocco, blue city
Chefchaouen, Morocco, blue city
Chefchaouen, Morocco, blue city
Chefchaouen, Morocco, blue city
Chefchaouen, Morocco, blue city
Chefchaouen, Morocco, blue city

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.

Morocco Travel Guide

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MOROCCO?

See my Morocco Travel Guide

To help you plan your trip to Morocco:

  • My tips on the best things to do in Marrakech
  • Why it’s worth doing a side trip to this seaside city
  • Visit an incredible World Heritage Site used for filming Game of Thrones
  • My suggestions for the best things to see in the Medina of Fez
  • What you’ll find when you explore the blue city of Chefchaouen
  • The grand buildings of the old imperial city of Meknes
  • Finding the new and the old in the capital city Rabat
  • Visit the ancient Roman ruins that are now a World Heritage Site
  • How to deal with touts in Morocco
  • Details about all the World Heritage Sites in Morocco

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a Morocco tour, rather than organising everything on your own. It’s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a β€˜Wanderer’ with G Adventures and they have great tours in Morocco.

You could consider:

  • Morocco Kasbahs and Desert (8 days)
  • Highlights of Morocco (15 days)
  • Sahara and Beyond (15 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. It’s not worth the risk, in case there’s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you use World Nomads for your trip.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Elen Turner |

    March 17, 2015 at 11:50 am

    Reply

    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?

    • Michael Turtle |

      March 19, 2015 at 1:54 pm

      Reply

      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 πŸ™‚

  2. Kenin Bassart |

    March 18, 2015 at 2:15 pm

    Reply

    How cool! I’ve been to the White Villages in Southern Spain, but I’ve never heard of the Blue City. Great Photos!!

    • Michael Turtle |

      March 19, 2015 at 1:49 pm

      Reply

      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!! πŸ™‚

  3. Sunset Suzy |

    March 18, 2015 at 8:40 pm

    Reply

    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!

    • Michael Turtle |

      March 19, 2015 at 1:48 pm

      Reply

      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.

  4. Peggy |

    March 22, 2015 at 7:25 am

    Reply

    Must. Go. Back. To. Morocco. This is sooo gorgeous. Thank you for adding another place to my Must-Go list!

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 12:51 pm

      Reply

      Thanks, Peggy. It is gorgeous and certainly worth a trip to Morocco!!

  5. Jade |

    March 23, 2015 at 10:55 am

    Reply

    Beautiful! I bet your memory card was full after wandering all of these beautiful streets.

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 1:00 pm

      Reply

      So true! It was hard not to take a photo every time I turned a corner!!

  6. Mary @ Green Global Travel |

    March 25, 2015 at 3:24 am

    Reply

    Blue is such a pleasing, calming color. Beautiful photos, Michael!

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 1:03 pm

      Reply

      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!! πŸ™‚

  7. Dubai safari |

    March 25, 2015 at 8:23 pm

    Reply

    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

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 1:04 pm

      Reply

      Ha ha – thanks. I will stay blue indeed! πŸ™‚

  8. Shannon of CameraAndCarryOn.com |

    March 27, 2015 at 11:56 pm

    Reply

    Wow, amazing photos! Kind of makes me wonder if this is where the Blue Man Group started…

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 1:11 pm

      Reply

      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!)

  9. Aijika |

    March 31, 2015 at 2:59 am

    Reply

    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 πŸ™‚
    blue city it’s like a day dream feeling like a ocean deep πŸ˜€ . I love your blog Mr. Michael πŸ˜‰

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 1:16 pm

      Reply

      Wow! I’m going to have to find the rainbow city now. That would be awesome!

  10. travelFREAK |

    April 3, 2015 at 8:30 pm

    Reply

    Everything is so blue! Your photos are fantastic!

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 1:42 pm

      Reply

      Thanks mate. Blue makes everything look fantastic!! πŸ™‚

  11. Christan P |

    April 10, 2015 at 1:15 pm

    Reply

    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!

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 1:59 pm

      Reply

      Let me know if you ever get there and if you find it as laidback as it looks!

  12. Howard Johnson |

    April 14, 2015 at 9:57 pm

    Reply

    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

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 17, 2015 at 3:58 pm

      Reply

      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! πŸ™‚

  13. Dubai Tourism |

    June 17, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    Reply

    I’m intrigued about the place and wanting to go there. Thanks for sharing!

    • Michael Turtle |

      June 24, 2015 at 11:33 am

      Reply

      I hope you do manage to get there one day!

  14. Monika |

    February 19, 2016 at 11:10 am

    Reply

    We were here too <3
    http://pelnapara.com/podroze/wioska-smerfow-haszyszu-i-drzwi-do-raju-czyli-chefchaouen-we-wszystkich-odcieniach-blekitu/

    • Michael Turtle |

      March 3, 2016 at 7:22 am

      Reply

      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!

  15. Raphael |

    May 31, 2016 at 5:43 pm

    Reply

    Staying in a riad is the guarantee to live something very special and to share experiences with local people.

  16. Amit |

    June 17, 2016 at 4:27 pm

    Reply

    I love Morocco it is an incredibly beautiful country, I am also planning to go for a trip to this city.

  17. Rieke |

    June 27, 2016 at 5:48 pm

    Reply

    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! πŸ™‚

  18. Khalid |

    May 23, 2017 at 4:57 am

    Reply

    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

  19. Morocco holidays 2018 |

    November 30, 2017 at 8:09 pm

    Reply

    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!

  20. Morocco Top Trips and Tours |

    July 17, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    Reply

    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

  21. Youssef |

    April 25, 2020 at 5:32 am

    Reply

    Nice blog, Thank you so much

  22. Adrar Travel |

    December 3, 2020 at 10:52 am

    Reply

    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!

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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