You’ve got possible seen photos on Instagram of the picturesque Blue Metropolis of Chefchaouen in Northern Morocco. It’s simple to be captivated by this picturesque city, typically referred to as the “Blue Pearl” of Morocco. However earlier than you add it to your Morocco itinerary, you need to resolve whether or not visiting Chefchaouen is value it for some fairly photos given how out of the best way it’s from the opposite main cities.
That will help you resolve, please contemplate just a few information first that I’ll clarify under! However to chop to the chase, I’ve no regrets that we spent two nights in Chefchaouen. I really feel in love with the town and located it genuine, regardless of the rash of Instagrammers. However, if I solely had per week in Morocco, I might have skipped Chefchaouen as a way to go to the desert as an alternative. I feel you want no less than 10 days to 2 weeks in Morocco to correctly slot in Chefchaouen, after which provided that what I describe under fits your fancy.
Is Chefchaouen Price It?
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Chefchaouen is tough to get to
We visited Morocco for 12-days in March and I used to be decided to suit the Blue Metropolis Chefchaouen into our itinerary. In spite of everything, I too am vulnerable to discovering journey inspiration on Instagram. The one approach to make this occur was to go straight to Chefchaouen upon our arrival into the nation in Morocco.
This meant we flew into Casablanca after which spending six-and-a-half hours within the automotive attending to Chefchaouen. As we wound by way of slim mountain roads, normally caught behind slow-moving vehicles and the occasional donkey-drawn cart, the journey felt limitless! As drained as we have been, we have been equally glad that we had employed a driver by way of Epic Morocco for our journey.
Due to Chefchaouen’s location within the Rif Mountains, within the northern a part of Morocco, it isn’t simple to get to. You may’t fly in or take the prepare. The choices are to take a bus from Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Fes, or one other native city, lease a automotive, or rent a driver.
Chefchaouen is about 6.5 hours from Casablanca, 4+ hours from Rabat, and three.5-4 from Fes. One factor we realized in our journey by way of Morocco is at all times to anticipate it to take for much longer than they are saying.
Certain, you will note day journeys to Chefchaouen marketed when you’re excursions in Fes, however actually I’d hate to do that as a day journey. You’ll spend extra time within the automotive than you’ll on the town and a visit to Morocco already entails quite a lot of time in a automotive. Should you go, you need to no less than spend the evening.
There aren’t a ton of issues to do in Chefchaouen
After taking all that point to get there, you’ll anticipate that it’s a place you could keep for days and there are tons of issues to do, proper? Not so. Chefchaouen is a good place to spend a day, possibly two. Should you additionally needed to hike within the surrounding nationwide parks, you may possibly stretch that out a bit.
Visiting Chefchaouen isn’t a lot about doing, it’s actually about wandering and having fun with. The Chefchaouen medina isn’t as massive and complicated as it’s in Fes or Marrakech so it’s the good place to wander, discover the slim streets, after which cease and sip some mint tea and absorb the tradition.
If you’re on the lookout for issues to do in Chefchaouen, here’s what I like to recommend:
Half-day guided tour – we kicked off our go to with a half-day guided tour with an area information. He made it clear that this was a cultural tour, not a procuring tour, and we realized a lot about native historical past and tradition. For instance, they repaint the city blue twice a 12 months in coordination with festivals and maintaining the medina clear is a means of displaying piety. He was in a position to level out among the cultural websites that we could not have discovered on our personal, in addition to assist us discover among the extra Instagram-worthy spots.
Go to the kasbah – a go to to the kasbah was not included in our tour so we determined to go to on our personal. It was solely 60 dirhams per individual (about $6.00) to enter. There isn’t quite a bit to see inside besides the gardens, however it’s value climbing the tower for views of the mosque, the city, and the countryside.
Discover the Ras El Ma pure spring – in case you observe the river out of city and up the hill, you can see its supply at a pure spring. That is additionally the place the native girls collect to do laundry. It was fascinating to study the EU was concerned in constructing washing services for them as a part of an effort to enhance life in Morocco and reduce immigration to the EU.
Catch a dawn and/or a sundown – it isn’t arduous to get up early in Chefchaouen in case you are staying inside the town as the decision to prayer is fairly robust to sleep by way of. I used to be in a position to go as much as one of many rooftop terraces at Lina Ryad, the place we have been staying, to observe the dawn over the town and hearken to the roosters crowing from the close by roofs.
If you’re feeling energetic, for sundown you may hike as much as the “Spanish Mosque”, which is a destroy located on a hill outdoors of the medina. From there you should have an attractive panoramic view throughout the town.
Restricted procuring – it’s arduous to not store when you’re wandering across the medinas in Morocco. Nonetheless, it’s essential bear in mind that quite a lot of the products on the market are imports. If you wish to get the true deal, be sure you are shopping for items which can be produced domestically. For instance, the most effective argan oil is discovered between Marrakech and Essaouira. Fes is the place to get leather-based items and pottery — however from the craftsmen and co-ops, not simply any outdated store within the souk.
The one items made domestically in Chefchaouen are woven gadgets akin to rugs, blankets, and jellabas (conventional lengthy robes with pointed hoods.) Many are woven by the blind at an area cooperative (you may peek in and see them at work if you would like.)
Go to a hammam – Lina Ryad has its personal hamman, and it was good to peek in there on chilly mornings to let the steam heat you up.
In case your riad or resort doesn’t have a hammam, you may go to the native baths for a scrub and a soak, together with one which dates again to 1549!
Take a ton of images – duh! That’s the reason most individuals go to Chefchaouen and discovering photogenic spots isn’t too arduous. When you find yourself heading out of city, don’t neglect to tug off on the overlook to get an incredible shot wanting again on the metropolis.
This could even be an incredible spot to e book a Flytographer photograph session to seize reminiscences from the journey with an expert photographer.
Chefchaouen, Morocco is reasonable and nice for finances vacationers
Morocco isn’t an costly nation (see my Morocco journey finances), however in cities like Marrakech you may simply spend $500-1000 an evening at a luxurious resort. Nonetheless, you’ll be very pleasantly stunned by the costs in Chefchaouen.
On the flip facet, it isn’t the most effective city for these searching for luxurious and wonderful meals experiences. We stayed at Lina Ryad, which many say is the nicest riad in Chefchaouen. We have been greater than happy with our keep, but it surely definitely wasn’t on the similar stage as Riad Fes the place we stayed on the subsequent cease. However you may as well e book it for round $150-175 an evening. Fairly a steal for what you get!
Meals was additionally cheap. Our lunch with three fundamental programs was solely about $25. Equally, dinner for 2 was round $30-40. And there is just one place to drink alcohol on the town, in order that saved us some cash too.
Not Price a day journey
We visited in March, which is the start of excessive season. For a small city whose tourism has quintupled within the final 20 years since they started repainting the buildings blue to draw guests, I didn’t assume that the crowds have been too dangerous.
There have been definitely tour teams coming by way of the slim streets in the course of the day, and a few strains on the hottest Instagram spots, but it surely was manageable. Some busses come into city only for a day journey and I feel visiting for such a brief interval would actually be a waste. It’s an excessive amount of time on the street for a fast go to.
I might undoubtedly encourage you to remain two nights so you might have one full day to benefit from the city with out the day trippers. Simply take into account that there will not be quite a lot of accommodations, so you actually ought to e book early if you wish to keep in a single day.
It truly is as fairly as you see on Instagram
The Blue Metropolis of Morocco actually is as fairly as you see on Instagram. No lie. While you see it from a distance, or in case you are solely wanting on the rooftops, it’ll look white. However once you stroll by way of the medina and see the vibrancy of the blue partitions and take within the many shades of blue painted all through the city, you may actually see its appeal.
My husband was anticipating the blue shade just like the roofs of Santorini in Greece so he felt a little bit let down. However actually, I don’t understand how. I completely loved wandering the streets, all of the blue buildings, and getting to understand the individuality of Chefchaouen.
The place to remain in Chefchaouen
As I discussed, we actually loved our keep at Lina Ryad. I noticed some critiques of individuals complaining that it wasn’t as luxurious as they anticipated, however I feel they only had the incorrect expectations. The folks have been very pleasant and useful, the included breakfast was scrumptious, and I completely cherished the rooftop terraces.
Our room was massive and whereas the decor wasn’t fancy, it felt very genuine. And we actually appreciated the little alcove with a single mattress for my daughter to have her personal little hideaway.
Simply take into accout when you’re staying in a riad that there’s a lot of tile and stone so noise echoes inside the constructing, and you’ll hear noise from outdoors as effectively (children enjoying, name to prayer, and so forth.)
There are additionally going to be quite a lot of steps to climb. Nonetheless, the employees will carry your baggage up and down and admittedly, I discovered this to be quite a lot of the appeal of staying in a riad.
The place to eat in Chefchaouen
We requested each our driver and our native information for suggestions on the place to eat in Chefchaouen. I’ve a sense most vacationers are likely to flock to the primary sq., as a result of there are such a lot of eating places there inviting folks in and it makes for an incredible folks watching spot. Nonetheless, we have been suggested to go elsewhere for a extra genuine expertise (though I nonetheless remorse not making an attempt a camel burger at Cafe Clock.)
We had lunch at Lala Mesouda, which had a really pleasant employees and quirky but genuine feeling decor. You might inform the Spanish affect on Chefchaouen with the Gypsy Kings enjoying within the background. That is the place I began my love affair with kefta tagine (meatballs in a tomato sauce with egg), which was introduced out nonetheless scorching to the purpose that I wanted a serviette to defend me from the splatter.
We opted for a quieter, barely extra upscale dinner at Casa Hassan (don’t be stunned by the combination of Spanish, French, and Arabic in Chefchaouen.) Right here a three-course dinner is just about $15 every.
Our tour information additionally really helpful Pizzeria Mandala in case you want a break from Moroccan meals or need one thing lighter like a salad.
Whether or not or not a go to to Chefchaouen is value together with in your Morocco itinerary can be a matter of what number of days you might have in Morocco and the way a lot time you’re prepared to spend in a automotive or on a bus to see this charming city. However will you like it once you get there? I’m betting you’ll.
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Tamara Gruber is the Founder and Writer of We3Travel. A former advertising and marketing government and journey advisor, Tamara is an award-winning journey author and acknowledged knowledgeable in household journey. Tamara is a member of SATW and the Journey Journey Commerce Affiliation, and serves on the Board of the Household Journey Affiliation. She can be the writer of YourTimetoFly.com and the co-host of the Trip Experts journey podcast.