Chefchaouen: is the blue city worth the detour?

Chefchaouen is the most photographed town in Morocco, which makes people suspicious of it. The suspicion is misplaced, but the day-trip version of the visit is not worth doing.

What is actually there

A small blue-painted medina in the Rif mountains, built around Place Uta el-Hammam, the main square. The Kasbah on the square dates from the fifteenth century. The whole town is walkable in an afternoon, which is precisely why it rewards staying the night, when the day visitors have gone.

The reason to add a second day

The Akchour waterfalls, in the Talassemtane national park nearby, are the best walking in the region. Serious hikers use Chefchaouen as the base for Jebel el-Kelaa, one of the Rif summits.

Arrive in the afternoon, watch the light go down over the square, and walk the medina before breakfast. That is the version of Chefchaouen people rave about.

Where it fits in a route

It sits naturally between Fes and the coast. On our northern programme it comes after two days in Fes, with an overnight in town, then continues to Tetouan and Tanger the following day. That is the sequence we would recommend to anyone planning independently as well.