Magnificent Chefchouen, the blue city at north west Morocco was one of the major attractions of our Morocco tour.
Chefchouen is situated at a height of 2000 ft in the foothills of Rif mountain and is extremely picturesque.City is famous for its blue coloured houses and alleys and stunning mountain scenery.
We travelled from Rabat by car and as we were approaching our destination, rains started . When we reached the city center, rain had already stopped and spectacular rainbows had appeared . It seemed rainbows were taking off from a point just 100 meters away , sky was so clear.
We had a great dinner at restaurant Triana. We had a big car so we could not reach by the road as streets were very narrow and we climbed down the stairs ( difficult for elderly people),otherwise absolutely fine. Small cars and taxis can take you at the door of the restaurant.
However, good hospitality, live music and great foods lifted our spirits very much and we forgot that outside temperature is one degree Celsius and it was raining again.
Center of the medina ( walled city)known as Outa Hammam square is vibrant yet peaceful .We went in to many shops selling traditional garments like jillaba, leather goods etc out of curiosity.Some of us could strike good bargain price with the keepers and collected handful of local handicraft articles.
Here our guide made us stand at one corner and showed us two gigantic horns of Rif mountains overlooking the city.We came to know and felt the meaning of name Chefchouen –“to look between two horns of mountains”. Later we had lovely Moroccan mint tea and got soaked ourselves in an atmosphere of past.Actually laid back ,hippie vibe of this mountain town makes is a very popular resort town for travellers seeking a tranquil retreat.
Guide explained us multiple reasons of blue painted houses like Jewish symbols of sky and heaven or cooling effects of colour itself or mosquito repellent effects. Whatever be the reason these charming blue coloured buildings are definitely attractive to tourists.
Though we did not have time for hiking but lots of popular hiking trails are available in this lovely town as it is nestled between mountains.
With a very pleasant feeling we finished our tour and set out for Tangier .
Where to stay
Many good hotels and hostels are available . Riad Nila,, Lina Ryad, Dar Jasmine can be recommended. We stayed at El Cortijo resort and spa which is 5 kms away from main city but reasonably good place with vast campus and open space allowing one to enjoy charming Chefchouen at a distance.
How to reach
Multiple day trips available from Tangier , Tetouan or Rabat . Need to reach by road only
