For years, I’ve been wanting to go to Morocco. I’ve read about it, watched some travel videos, even fantasized about it after watching spy movies (you know the ones- the good guy getting chased by the bad guys in the winding roads of the souks). However, most impactful of all for me- I’ve heard about it from students who are from (or have family from) Morocco. In short, it has been on my wish list for a while. So I was so ecstatic that this summer I finally had the opportunity to travel there, and that my boyfriend David was willing to go along. And when I first started planning out my itinerary and talking to guides who would take us around the country, Chefchaouen was at the top of my list. Read on to find out all about traveling to Morocco and the blue city of Chefchaouen.
Getting to Morocco
Getting to Morocco from the United States can prove to be difficult and/or expensive. So planning for our trip from Columbus, I turned to my favorite flight-booking website: Skyscanner. Skyscanner is so amazing because you can play around to find the best possible flight cost, especially if you can play around with travel dates and/or departure cities. I found that a flight from NYC to Paris was the cheapest deal summer of ’23. And then, flying to Morocco from Europe is SOOOOO much cheaper than from the midwest. So, we first spent a couple of days in my favorite city- Paris- before heading to Morocco. {Check out this blog post about how to spend an incredible couple of days in Paris.}
Admittedly it’s taken me awhile to write about Morocco. First, I started a new job and have been so busy with that. And, Morocco was just so overwhelmingly amazing, putting the experience into words has been challenging. And then, with the tragedy of the earthquake, I felt even more pressure to make sure I gave Morocco its due praise. But truly, it’s one of the best places I’ve ever been.
Morocco Bucket List Tours
Chefchaouen was relatively unknown by tourists until a few years ago. Then people started noticing it, in large part because of pictures on Instagram and social media. Even our guide Abdoul, who lived in Morocco his whole life, said he didn’t really know about it until recently. Now, allow me take a quick minute to talk about my guide. I usually explore countries on my own, renting a car and planning out my own itinerary. But for this trip (and the comfortability of my travel partner David), we decided to use a tour guide. I got into contact with Morocco Bucket List Tours through a travel group on Facebook.
From the start, Morocco Bucket List Tours was friendly, helpful, professional, and really allowed me to customize our trip. They do group tours, but we decided to do a trip with just the two of us. And then during the trip, there aren’t enough great adjectives I could use for our experience with Abdoul and Morocco Bucket List Tours. It truly felt like traveling with a friend (who did all the hard work of driving and planning). I hope to travel with them again, and I hope you do too!
History of Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen, until the past decade, was relatively unknown. But it does have a very rich history. The name derives from the Rifi word for ‘horn’, which refers to the peak that overlooks the region.
The location of the city was chosen strategically in order to hide against attacks from the Portuguese in 1471. And later, in the 16th century, Andalusian immigrants seeking refuge from the Spanish Inquisition moved to the area. Walls were built around the city to protect it. Then, in 1760, the sultan ordered the Jewish population to move into this Medina. They started painting the exteriors of their home a light blue- the color that is now associated with this city. In 1920 the Spanish captured the city, forming part of the Spanish territory in Morocco. During WWII, many Jews left the city to move to Israel and finally Morocco gained independence in 1956.
Okay, enough history and background, let’s talk about my trip to Morocco and my experience of traveling to Chefchaouen, the blue city.
My experience with Chefchaouen
Our adventure in Morocco started in Tangier where we were picked up by our guide Abdul. From there, it was a few hours drive into Chefchaouen. And I have to say, with our first look at Morocco, we were just enamored. It is a beautiful country, with regal mountains and luscious valleys. And as we got close to Chefchaouen, we saw the whole city and the blue buildings, and I was so excited to explore.
Before we explored Chefchaouen, Abdoul took us to our riad. A riad is a multiple-story home centered around an open-air courtyard often featuring a fountain. In Morocco, riads abound as the place to stay for visitors. Riads were created to be a way for families to have privacy in the middle of a busy medina, and to give a sense of being outside. We stayed at a lot of great riads during our trip in Morocco. However, the riad we stayed at in Chefchaouen was one of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed in.
Where to stay in Chefchaouen
When traveling to Morocco and the blue city of Chefchaouen, there are lots of great options of where to stay. During our time where we stayed at Dar Echchaouen Maison d’hôtes & Riad– which was gorgeous and felt very luxurious. It has a beautiful pool, a terrace where the included breakfast is offered, a great restaurant, views, plants- it was incredible. Our suite had wifi, air conditioning, a sitting room, and was beautifully decorated. It was detached from other rooms, but there are also rooms in the main building.
Check out the video I made of our riad- it was just so beautiful at every turn I decided the best way to capture it would be in a reel.
Not only was our room wonderful, but during our evening in Chefchaouen we enjoyed dinner at our riad. There, I had my very favorite meal in all my time in Morocco. In fact, it will rate as one of my favorite meals ever: a wonderful vegetable tagine. It, like many meals in Morocco, came with a bunch of yummy appetizer snacks, like olives and dips, and we brought in our own bottle of wine. It was a lovely evening on the patio, with a musican playing. I can NOT speak highly enough about how great our stay was at the Dar Echchaouen Maison d’Hôtes & Riad.
Exploring Chefchaouen
In the early evening we set out to explore the medina of Chefchaouen. Medina is the word used for an old, walled city in Northern Africa. Nicknamed the blue city, the narrow blue streets and alleys wind around the medina, opening up in squares before becoming narrow again. The medina was very clean, and while there were people lining the walkway selling things, they were not pushy. There are signs in Arabic and Spanish that explain some of the historical importance of the city. In this area of Morocco, Arabic and Spanish are the primary languages, though in other areas, the languages are Arabic and French. There are plenty of opportunities for shopping. Fabrics, rugs, leather goods and typical souvenirs can all be found here, so battering is welcome.
Place Uta el-Hammam
The main square, Place Uta el-Hammam is in the heart of the old medina. It is overlooked by the old kasbah and there are restaurants, shops, and art. If you want to sit and relax while sipping a mint tea, this would be the place to do it. You would be able to take in the mountain views, and if you’re lucky you’ll get some entertainment, like we did the day we were there.
At one end of the plaza is the town’s Grand Mosque. Like all of Morocco, Chefchaouen is predominantly Muslim. Built in the 15th century by the son of the town’s founder, the mosque is unique with its octagonal minaret. The mosque is only open to Muslims, but everyone can hear the calls to prayer which are made from the minaret five times a day. Also in the plaza is a beautiful large tree: the perfect meeting stop for friends, or the spot to get some respite from the sun on a hot day.
Ras El-Ma waterfalls
The Ras El-Ma waterfall is the major water source in the area, coming straight down from the mountains. This is the area where women take their laundry. We also saw a lot of oranges, which this area of Morocco is known for. We didn’t have any orange juice, but there were lots of people selling them in the market.
Here we were bombarded by some ladies from Chefchaouen, who dressed us like a locals, giggling the entire time while Abdoul watched, grinning. I agree, it was a cute photo op.
La Place El Haouta
This old square, La Place El Haouta, is a bit trickier to find, but is more quiet and serene than the other square. In the center is the fountain, which is used by locals to get water. However, Americans and tourists should stick to bottled water.
Callejon El Asri
Callejon El Asri has been named one of the most beautiful streets in the world. This famous flower street is great (and frequented often) for photo ops. When traveling to Morocco and the blue city Chefchaouen, it’s definitely a must-see.
I keep talking about a medina, so allow me to explain what a medina is. A medina is usually the oldest part of a city which is walled off and often has lots of narrow alleyways. Our guide, Abdoul, took us on a tour through the city, pointing out to us the things that make a medina a medina- like fountains, communal ovens (families don’t bake their own bread, but instead prepare it and take it to the communal oven), hammam’s (public bathhouses), markets and mosques.
My favorite part of Chefchaouen
While there was just SOOOO much about Chefchaouen to love my favorite part was…
Cats and doorways! (and my boyfriend is pretty great too). Cats are EVERYWHERE in Chefchaouen (and most of Morocco too). In the alleys, markets, we even had them join us for dinner. But it’s pretty adorable. And I really love a good door, and there are so many beautiful,intricate ones in Chefchaouen.
But again, Chefchaouen is known as the blue city, and it was amazing wandering the alleys and seeing all the shades of blue. Even caught someone in the act of painting. It truly was a thrill just moseying about and taking it all in.
If rather than moseying you’re looking for more adventure, you could go on a hike in the Rif mountains, or the nearby Talassentane National park. Additionally, overlooking the city is the Spanish Mosque which you can hike to from the city and get spectacular views.
While we only spent one evening in Chefchaouen, it would be easy to spend more time there, shopping, hiking, taking in the sights, or even just relaxing at the fabulous riad.
I hope you enjoyed hearing about traveling to Morocco and the blue city of Chefchaouen. It was one of my favorite places to see, and made even better by our incredible tour guide, Abdoul. I hope you choose to travel to Morocco, and if/when you do, consider using Morocco Bucket List Tours. Have you been to Morocco? Do you have a suggestion for a future travel spot for me? Make sure to let me know in the comments. And check back soon for more posts about Morocco. Catch you soon!
-Catching Katie
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