THE BLUE CITY: CHEFCHAOUEN

The next stop on our tour was Chefchaouen, or better known as the blue pearl of Morocco.

After about a four hour drive, we arrived in the incredibly beautiful Chefchaouen. This place is known for its blue washed walls, and they are STUNNING! 

But WHY are they blue? Well, it’s up for some debate. Chefchaouen was founded in 1471 in the Rif mountains by Jews escaping the Spanish inquisition. And it was them who brought a tradition of painting buildings blue. Others said it had to do with keeping the mosquitos away. I also heard it is just to represent the color of the sea. But whatever the reason, it is SO cool.

We started off with a little tour of the city with our group from Travel Talk Tours to get the lay of the land, and every alleyway you passed through was more beautiful than the next! So make sure you’ve got that portable charger with you, because you will be taking a lot of pictures.

There is a street here nicknamed “Instagram street” it is the street Callejon El Asri. But trust me, EVERY street is instagram street!

We had a full afternoon here and then until lunch the next day. I could’ve easily used another full day in this town. There are so many fun shops and stands to explore. We did have a chance to check out this orange juice stand, which was so incredibly cute!

We also got some henna tattoos! According to Moroccan Berber culture, hennas can bring you good luck and protect against illness and the evil eye, so of course we had to try it out for ourselves! It was the equivalent of three dollars. But later I found out that the greener the powder, the better. This powder was basically black, so it was probably a cheap version. But hey it did the trick!

Then we got some lunch at Hamsa. This restaurant was definitely a highlight of my trip. Make sure you order the goat cheese which is a specialty of the region.

Now I should also mention that this region is known for hash and marijuana. Locals may approach you about unofficial tours where they can take you out to the mountains to see the fields for yourself. My tour guide said these are generally safe, but I didn’t go so I can’t tell you from experience!

We also hit up another great restaurant right on the main square where we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. It was called Morisco.

Lastly we went back to our hotel, which was a ways outside of the city. I would recommend staying inside of the city though.

If you have any questions feel free to email me at planetochampagne@gmail.com.