The blue medina
Lanes and stairways washed in every shade of blue. Get lost on purpose, it's small enough to find your way back.
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Destination guide · The Blue Pearl
Chefchaouen
شفشاون الزرقاء
Blue-washed lanes climbing a mountainside, a red kasbah on the main square and cool air from the Rif: Chefchaouen is the calmest break you can take between matches in the north.
Nearest host city
Tanger, about 2.5 hours by road
Nearest airport
Tétouan Sania R'mel (TTU), about 1 hour
Summer weather
Warm days, cool mountain nights
By coach
From Tanger, Tétouan and Fès
Don't miss
Outa el Hammam square
The heart of town: café terraces in the shade, facing the kasbah and the Grand Mosque's octagonal minaret.
The Kasbah
Red-walled fortress with a garden, a small museum and a view over the rooftops from its tower.
Ras el Maa
The mountain spring at the top of the medina, where the river runs under little bridges and locals cool off.
The Spanish Mosque
A 20-minute walk up the hill for the sunset view over the whole blue town.
Craft workshops
Weavers, woodworkers and wool blankets in the lanes around Plaza el-Makhzen.
Eat like a local
بصحتك
Mountain cheese, slow soups and mint tea on the square. Five things to taste in the Rif.
- JbenFresh goat's cheese from the mountain farms, with olive oil and bread
- BissaraThick fava bean soup with cumin and olive oil, the northern breakfast
- Kefta tagineSpiced meatballs in tomato sauce, finished with an egg
- Msemen with honeyFlaky griddle bread from the morning stalls
- Mint tea on the squarePoured from high, sipped slowly while the town walks past
Where to stay
Inside the medina
Small riads and guesthouses with roof terraces, everything on foot.
Near Ras el Maa
The upper medina: quieter lanes and the sound of the river.
The new town
Hotels along Avenue Hassan II, with parking and the coach station close by.
Run a riad or hotel in Chefchaouen?
Get listed for free in this guide and reach fans planning their trip.
Day trips from Chefchaouen
Full day
Akchour waterfalls
Turquoise pools and the natural rock arch of God's Bridge in Talassemtane National Park.
Half day
Tétouan
A UNESCO-listed medina with Andalusian architecture, about an hour away.
Full day
Oued Laou
Mediterranean beaches and fish lunches where the mountains meet the sea.
Travel day
Back to Tanger
Plan the road back to the stadium city, about 2.5 hours away.
Local tips
Ask before you take a portrait: people live behind those blue doors, and many prefer not to be photographed.
Wear good shoes: the whole town is steps and slopes, and the stones get slippery.
Say no politely if someone offers you hashish: it is illegal in Morocco, whatever you hear.