By air
Tangier (TNG) or Fès (FEZ), ~2–3 h by road
Africa · Morocco
Chefchaouen, Morocco
The blue city in the Rif mountains
Getting there
Best time to visit
April to June and September to October — mild
Don't miss
The blue medina
The Kasbah
Outa el Hammam square
The Ras el Ma spring
Things to do
Wandering the blue lanes
The Akchour waterfalls
The kasbah
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Ismailbrk · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Layers, walking shoes
A quieter corner
The Spanish Mosque at sunset
Questions travellers ask
How do I get to Chefchaouen?
Fly into Tangier (TNG) or Fès (FEZ); from there, the blue city in the Rif mountains is about 2–3 hours by road.
When is the weather mild in Chefchaouen?
April to June and September to October. Pack layers and walking shoes.
What is there to do in Chefchaouen?
Wander the blue lanes, visit the Kasbah, relax in Outa el Hammam square and find the Ras el Ma spring. The Akchour waterfalls make a good outing.
Where should I watch the sunset in Chefchaouen?
At the Spanish Mosque. Afterwards, try the goat's cheese and a tagine.
About Chefchaouen
- Mountains
Where it is
Chefchaouen is a small city in the Rif mountains of north-western Morocco, in the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma region, built on a slope beneath two peaks that give the town its name.
History
Chefchaouen was founded in 1471 as a small fortress to resist Portuguese raids, and it grew with Muslim and Jewish refugees from Andalusia after the fall of Granada. It stayed so isolated that few Europeans saw it before Spanish troops entered in 1920, and it was part of the Spanish protectorate until Moroccan independence in 1956.
People
Chefchaouen's people speak Moroccan Arabic in its northern Jebli form, Spanish is widely understood from the protectorate years, and many families trace their roots to Andalusian settlers. Weaving, goat's cheese and olive farming are traditional in the surrounding Rif villages.
Known for
- The blue-washed lanes of the medina
- The Kasbah and Outa el Hammam square
- The Ras el Ma spring
- Hiking to the Akchour waterfalls
- Goat's cheese and woven wool blankets
Did you know?
No one is quite sure why Chefchaouen is painted blue: one popular theory is that the colour keeps mosquitoes away, another that it symbolises the sky and heaven.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.