About
Chefchaouen
With a little careful planning, your holiday in the north of Morocco can take in Chefchaouen - a remote small town, yet one of the cleanest, safest and prettiest in Morocco. It has whitewashed and blue highlighted houses, winding streets, peaceful markets and enjoys a stunning setting in the foothills of the Rif Mountains
Chefchaouen is less bustling than most Moroccan towns and has become increasingly popular with visitors and accessed by scenic mountain roads but is quite a distance from the northern international airports (Casablanca, Fez and Rabat).
The City
Chefchaouen (or Chaouen) has enormous charm: it is clean, safe, relaxed and highly photogenic - the charming cobbled streets, the flower-filled squares, its breathtaking mountain backdrop, with peaks in the area rising to over 2,000 metres soaring above the town at 660 metres, combine to produce a wonderful spectacle.
Part of its charm stems from its relative isolation, deep in the Rif Mountains. It can be approached from:
- The north at Tangier on the Mediterranean coast;
- The cities of Casablanca or Rabat on Atlantic coast to the west; or
- The Imperial cities of Fez or Meknes to the south.
Chefchaouen has a Mediterranean climate: hot and sunny May to October; warm and sunny with rain at times for rest of the year. Temperatures are moderate all year, although night time temperatures in winter can be harsh. Midday temperatures in July and August are rather high, but the climate is generally comfortable.
Location
Chefchaouen is set in a breathtaking position deep in the Rif Mountains of the north of Morocco, with peaks in the area rising to over 2,000 metres soaring above the town at 660 metres.
It is relatively difficult to visit, which is part of its charm, with access most easily being from:
- Tangier, the northern most city in Morocco overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar around 2 hours away; and
- Fez or Meknes, the fascinating Imperial cities around 3.5 hours journey south.
In the Town
The relatively small and quiet medina contains the kasbah (built by the famous Sultan, Moulay Ismai), which houses a small museum, art gallery, garden and old prison cells. Adjacent is the Great Mosque with a unique octagonal minaret and the main square, Place Outa el Hamman, an interesting place to watch life go by from a cafe, especially in the evening.
- The souks are relatively compact and not too crowded and easier to navigate than other larger towns and cities.
- Beside the walls of the town runs a mountain stream, Oued el Kebir. On its banks you'll see flour mills, women washing their families clothes, people relaxing and a ruined Mosque on a hill across the water.
- The local market, held on Monday and Thursday in the market square, is an interesting place to see the goods made by local people; notably wool garments.
Beyond the Town
- The city of Tetouan (1 hour north, a few kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea) offers a mix of sights unique in Morocco: splendid medina (a World Heritage Site), fine Spanish architecture with features redolent of the Alhambra and orchards.
- Walking or strolling in the pretty Rif mountains.
Itinerary Inspiration featuring Chefchaouen
12 Tour of the North
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