The picturesque medina, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Rif Mountains, is filled with white-washed homes with distinctive, powder-blue accents, and the call to prayer rings out of several mosques around the town in chorus.
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This town is blessed with picturesque landscapes and well-designed architecture. It is said painting walls blue was an idea introduced by jewish refugees in 1930 who thought that blue was the symbol of sky and heaven.
The ancient part of Chefchaouen, known as the medina, is covered in all shades of blue paint. You'll find blue spreading across the streets, the walls, and even inside the homes on nearly every street and alleyway. It's not difficult to figure out why Chefchaouen is often called "The Blue Pearl of Morocco."
At the arrival of Chefchaouen, you might be met by touts at the bus station. These would probably try to bring you to some cheap and not very good quality hostel in the medina, so it is advisable to find the place by yourself. If you arrive with touts, you will be charged extra so they get their commission.
If you are looking for sports or some peaceful hiking tours, Chefchaouen is the perfect starting place to branch out in the villages and the surrounding mountains of the Rif with a local guide who knows very well the region or just by yourself.
Chaouen is particularly famous for leather artisans, and there are four or five workshops dotted through the whole town, whose goods you may find at a lot of the local stores and in the larger northern cities. Many of the craftsmen in Fes and Tetouan served their apprenticeships here.
Whatever the season, visitors are guaranteed incredible views. April to June is a popular time of year for trekkers. Chefchaouen is prone to dustings of snow in winter and may be more challenging for hikers (experience recommended).
