No trip to Morocco is complete without visiting the blue city of Chefchaouen. The small community is only a short drive from the Mediterranean sea. Its surreal mountain charm, gorgeous scenery, and laid-back attitude attracts people from all over the world, offering visitors an experience similar to journeying into a lullaby or classic novel, with its narrow ancient paths and charming blue walls meandering up steep hillsides populated by friendly locals and beautiful fauna. Touristy- yes. But not as bad as you would think given its proximity to Europe and Morocco’s major cities.
Getting here is easy and once inside you can get almost anywhere on foot. The city is accessible from the N2 highway, roughly two hours from Tangier and four hours from Fes. The local buses take almost twice as long as the main companies like Supratours and CTM due to their frequent stops. However, in my opinion, sacrificing comfort and convenience for the charming insight into local life that is the local bus is priceless. People going to work, transporting chickens and other livestock, seeing family, etc. No matter what the purpose of their journey everyone seems to interact with each other on the local bus. No matter what language barrier may exist you will often leave with a new friend and a belly full of Moroccan snacks; just mind the possibility of motion sickness when entering the winding mountain roads.
When I arrived from Tangier I had several days to wander the streets, hike, eat, and enjoy the company of my traveling companions and the locals we met along the way. We stayed in an unassuming but homelike estate turned bed and breakfast, commonly referred to as a ‘dar’ here in Morocco. Antique furniture, unlimited mint tea, creaky wooden floors, and incredibly gracious hosts who treated all their guests like family. From here we set off to enjoy the town.
Chaouen, as it’s commonly known, was founded in the 15th century as a small Kasbah or fortress. Since then it has been settled by people from many regions and cultures including Spanish Jews who fled Spain during the brutal reconquista period and its subsequent torturous inquisition trials. All these influxes of cultures have added to the city’s uniqueness and charm.
Nobody knows why the city originally started painting itself blue. Many seem to think Jewish influence in the form of turning objects into the color of the sky was a factor. When the city was founded, supposedly only the Jewish quarter was painted in bright hues of azure while the other parts of the city were left white. Others claim that the blue color keeps their houses cool during the hot summer months, a more practical explanation into the practice. Whatever the original reason for the tradition, the practice continues to this day, attracting instagrammers, photographers, and honeymooners from around the globe.
I started my exploration of the town at the Palace Outa el Hammam and the central Kasbah. Inside the Kasbah you’ll find a beautiful garden and a historic jailhouse. Chefchaouen’s large central mosque is next door and serves as the central place of worship for the community. Often locals will hang out in the central square, having intense conversations over mint tea and cigarettes. Chaouin’s central square is the perfect place to people watch, especially during festivals and holy days. During these festive times, food stands pop-up serving snacks while restaurants begin serving gigantic Iftar meals for the breaking of the fast.
Setting out on foot from the central Kasbah I found myself walking aimlessly, looking at the unique cobalt hues and carved designs that decorate the doorways to people’s homes. Aside from the entryways, Moroccan living spaces are simple and plain from the outside but inside they are often elaborately decorated with small garden courtyards and most importantly large dining spaces. Even the most modest homes spare no expense in furnishings and kitchen space.
Throughout the city, foot traffic can be severe, especially after school gets out. Children can be seen running around the mazes of streets as the many souks set out their finest goods for people to haggle over. During the morning hours the narrow passageways are packed with people going to work and school, with the occasional donkey hulling goods up the hill. If you’re up early enough to hear the call to prayer that rings out over the city, you can catch the gangs of house cats as they take over the periwinkle streets.
For food lovers, this town of roughly 40,000 boasts several incredible restaurants as well as limitless street food. Places like Restaurant Beldi Bab Sour, located just a few hundred meters west of the grand mosque, up #5 Rue El Karrazin, serve incredible Moroccan tajine and grilled local specialities. Tajine is the name of the clay pot these hearty stews are traditionally cooked in. Avoiding the touristy places around the grand mosque and eating around the town’s largely locals-only periphery will guarantee you a memorable meal.
However, Street food is superb around the crowded central mosque and the nearby alleys. Fresh squeezed orange and pomegranate juice stands provide thirsty visitors and locals some of the best tasting juices around. Possibly due to the abundance of fruit trees bursting with ripe fruit that cover the land outside the city. For a late night snack that’s popular with locals, try the Moroccan style Escargot. A cheap and delicious, working-class meal, the snails are cooked in a spicy broth served in soup bowls. Dunking these juicy little creatures in the soup and slurping them up while chatting with locals in broken English and Spanish became a habitual nightly experience for me.
Aside from the tourism and hospitality industries, agriculture accounts for a large portion of the town and region’s income. Olives and wheat are the official exports of the province. The olives here are delicious and often cured in a way that lets them retain some of their bitterness. Other fruits come with the seasons and are always incredibly delicious.
Marijuana, regardless of its illegal status in Morocco, is one of the region’s largest cash crops. Exported throughout Europe and found anywhere in the city, marijuana is primarily sold as hashish, the pressed and concentrated oil and pollen from the young buds of the flower. Tourists and locals alike should be extra cautious using or purchasing any illegal substance in Morocco as the penalties are quite severe.
Chefchaouen is a conservative city. Alcohol is difficult to find and people, especially women, are expected to dress conservatively. Cultural norms aside, the people are incredibly friendly and helpful. Everyone, no matter what level of English they speak, will go out of their way just to chat. As with everywhere in Morocco, friendly conversation generally leads to invitations to a meal or mint tea.
Hiking in Chaouen is an adventure. Many Dars and Riads offer their own guides who will be glad to take you through the mountain trails and off-beat paths. These guides will take you anywhere you want to go and are often full of knowledge about a certain place or viewpoint. The locals living in the mountains are not so welcoming to solo hikers and reports of people being harassed are not uncommon. This is mostly due to the marijuana farmers not wanting foot traffic through their fields and trade routes. But generally as long as you travel on the main trails in daylight while showing respect, you’ll be fine. The best of these hikes is surely the Cascades d’Akchour, a pair of waterfalls roughly 45 minutes from town.
For an unparalleled view of the the city and surrounding landscape, hike up the donkey trail to the Spanish Mosque. The short hike is something to remember and best during an early morning sunrise. The Mosque itself fell into ruin shortly after being built by the Spanish and doesn’t have any real significance other than being a viewpoint and local hangout spot after dark. The trail to the Mosque begins at the eastern gate known as Bab al Ansar. Once you pass the Ras el’Ma river and the laundry spots along its banks, you will see steps leading up to the trail.
After hiking, eating, and roaming around the blue city during my last day, I returned for the night. Resting under the fire at my small Dar, I sipped endless mint tea and listened to the owner’s stories about old Morocco, how life was, and how it’s changed. Fortunately, arguably the most important things haven’t. Whether it’s being offered endless amounts of mint tea from strangers, people inviting you into their homes, or simply taking the time to talk to each other, the customs of respect and kindness are still firmly ingrained into the fabric of society.
In the early morning after the call to prayer, I stretched and took a long walk around the narrow cobalt colored alleyways leading to my Dar. Cats purred while nestled in the corners of the street, gazing at me with their big eyes and well-fed happy faces. I walked passed an elderly man who flashed me a warm smile as he adjusted the hood of his djellaba cloak and lit a cigarette. These early mornings in the blue city would be missed. In two hours I would be bound to Fes, packed inside a small local bus, being fed strawberry tree fruit and figs from a family who kept jovially insisting that everyone on the bus eat more. These are the moments that make life so special.
Me encanta.
Lo he vuelto a leer.Me gusta como describes las cosas aunque no entiendo todas las palabras me parece muy real y cercano.
Gracias:))