# Chefchaouen Blue-painted alleys, a 15th-century kasbah and mountains all around, two hours from Tangier. A slow-paced town that calls for two nights. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/morocco/chefchaouen · Revisado: 2026-11-11 ## What is Chefchaouen? A town of about 46,000 people on the slope of the Rif, in northern Morocco, with a medina of whitewashed houses painted blue that climbs up the mountain. It was founded in 1471 by Ali ben Rachid as a fortress against Portuguese attacks; that fortress is the kasbah that still stands in the centre. After the Reconquista, Andalusian Muslims, Moriscos and Jews expelled from the peninsula arrived, and you can see it in the houses, the courtyards and the tiled roofs. Between 1920 and 1956 it was part of the Spanish protectorate, and many people still speak Spanish. There are several explanations for the blue: that it keeps mosquitoes away, that it recalls the sky or, according to some locals, that it became widespread in the 1970s to attract visitors. Whatever the origin, it is what gives the town its face. You do not come to see great monuments, but to stroll unhurriedly, climb to the viewpoints and walk in the mountains. It is the quiet counterpoint to Fez or Tangier. ## What to see on foot The medina is small and is toured on foot, always uphill. One day covers this: Plaza Uta el-Hammam, the centre of the medina, with café terraces in the shade of the trees and the kasbah on one side. It is the meeting point and where you end up every time you get lost. The kasbah, the reddish-walled fortress of the 15th century. Inside it has a garden and a small museum with old weapons, photographs of the town and textiles. From the top of its tower you see the medina and the mountain. Entry is paid. The Great Mosque, next to the square, with its octagonal minaret, unusual in Morocco. Only Muslims may enter; you see it from outside. The blue streets of the upper part, above the square. They are the most photographed and the prettiest first thing in the morning, before the shops open. Ras el-Ma, the spring that gushes at the foot of the mountain, next to the wall. It is the cool spot of the town on hot afternoons. The Spanish Mosque viewpoint, on the hill opposite. You climb a short, steep path from Ras el-Ma. At sunset you see the whole blue medina light up. In the afternoon, the medina's workshops: wool weaving, rugs and basketry from the Rif. In the souks you haggle, calmly. ## Mountains all around Chefchaouen is the gateway to the Talassemtane National Park, with forests and summits of the Rif around the town. The most popular excursion is the Akchour waterfalls, about 45 minutes by car or grand taxi. You walk them beside the river and they need a full day; bring footwear that can get wet, water and food. ## How to get there Chefchaouen has no train or airport. The nearest is Tangier: about 110 km and a little over two hours by road. From Tetouan it is about 65 km and an hour and a quarter or an hour and a half; from Fez, about 195 km and three and a half hours. From Spain, the most direct way is to cross by ferry from Tarifa to Tangier Ville, in about an hour, or fly to Tangier or Fez. From there, scheduled buses and grand taxis go to Chefchaouen. By car, park outside the medina: you cannot drive inside. You need a passport valid for more than six months; the national ID card is not valid for entering Morocco. The currency is the dirham: carry cash, because in the medina almost nothing is paid by card. ## How to organise the visit Two nights is just right: you arrive in the afternoon, go up to the viewpoint at sunset, spend the next day on the medina and the kasbah, and the third on Akchour or the road to your next stop. With just one night you see the town, but not the mountains. Sleep inside the medina, in one of the riads or small hotels in the upper streets: early in the morning and at night, when the day visitors leave, the town falls silent. If you arrive with a suitcase, ask them to wait for you at the nearest gate: there are stairs and slopes. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Tangier and Asilah (a 83.6 km) ## Qué hacer - **Chefchaouen Kasbah and its museum** (1 h · Everyone · Paid entry): What it is The fortress that Ali ben Rachid built in 1471 to defend the valley from Portuguese attacks. It is the origin of the town and takes up one side of Uta el-Hammam square, with reddish rammed-earth walls that stand out against the blue all around. What you see Inside there is an Andalusian garden with orange trees, in the shade, and a small ethnographic museum with old weapons, photographs of the town and Rif textiles. The best part is climbing the tower: from the top you see the medina's rooftops, the octagonal minaret of the Great Mosque and the mountain behind. When to go and the price You pay an entrance fee at the door, in cash. Go first thing or in the late afternoon, when the square is quieter and the light is better for photos from the tower. An hour is enough. - **Walk through the blue streets of the upper medina** (2 h · Everyone, with slopes and steps · Independent · free): The medina climbs the hillside from Uta el-Hammam square towards the Souika quarter and the Bab el-Ain gate. The most photographed streets are above the square: painted steps, flowerpots on the façades and wooden doors. You do not need a map: if you walk downhill, you end up in the square. Set out early. Between seven and nine the streets are empty and the light is soft; by mid-morning the wool weaving workshops and carpet shops open, and the tour groups arrive. Ask permission before photographing locals, and do not sit on people's doorsteps for the photo. - **Spanish Mosque viewpoint** (1 h · Anyone who can manage a 20-minute climb · Independent · free): The Bouzaafar mosque, which everyone calls the Spanish mosque, was built during the protectorate on the hill opposite. Today it is the town's viewpoint. You climb from Ras el-Ma on a dirt path, short but steep: about 20 minutes at an easy pace. Arrive half an hour before sunset and you will see the blue medina light up as the lights come on. Bring water and a torch for the way down; the path has no lighting and you come back in the dark. - **Akchour waterfalls and the God's Bridge** (6 h · Walking families and hikers · Independent · free; transport extra): What it is Akchour is a village 30 km from Chefchaouen, along the Oued Laou road, at the entrance to Talassemtane National Park. Two riverside trails leave from the car park, following green, cold water: one goes up the riverbed to the waterfalls, with pools where people swim in summer; the other leads to the God's Bridge, a rock arch spanning the gorge far above the river. Getting there It is about 45 minutes by road. Without a car, take a grand taxi from Chefchaouen: agree the return trip and the pick-up time before you set off. There are simple snack stalls and cafés on the first stretch, beside the river. What to bring Shoes that can get wet and that grip, because you have to cross the river on stones, plus water and food. Allow the whole day if you want to do both trails. In winter and after heavy rain the river rises and some crossings cannot be made: ask at your accommodation before you go. - **Uta el-Hammam square and the Great Mosque** (30 min · Everyone · Independent · free): The cobbled square at the centre, with the kasbah on one side and café terraces under the trees. Beside it stands the Great Mosque, from the 15th century, with an octagonal minaret that is unusual in Morocco; only Muslims may enter, so you see it from outside. It is the point you return to every time you get lost. Sit down in the late afternoon with a mint tea and watch it fill up: that is when locals come out for a stroll and the day-trip groups have already left. - **Ras el-Ma, the spring by the wall** (30 min · Everyone · Independent · free): You leave the medina by Bab el-Onsar and reach the water coming down from the mountain: the spring that supplied the town, with public washing places, a bridge and simple cafés beside the stream. It is the cool spot on summer afternoons and the starting point of the path to the Spanish mosque viewpoint. It works well with children: they can dip their feet in the water while you have a drink in the shade. In spring and after rain, much more water comes down. ## Dónde comer - **Café Clock Chefchaouen** (Café, Chefchaouen, €€). Qué pedir: Their camel burger, the one advertised on the sign by the door, or a Moroccan dish of the day, and a juice on the terrace - **Tissemlal Restaurant (Casa Hassan)** (Restaurant, Chefchaouen, €€). Qué pedir: A tagine or the couscous; if you are not very hungry, Moroccan salads and skewers ## Consejos ### Go out to take photos first thing Between seven and nine the blue streets are empty and the light is soft. Mid-morning the groups arrive. ### Go up to the viewpoint at sunset The climb to the Spanish Mosque from Ras el-Ma is short but steep. Bring water and a torch for the way down. ### Ask permission before photographing people Many locals do not like appearing in photos. Doors and streets, yes; people, only if you ask. ### Ignore offers of hashish They will make them in the street. The Spanish Foreign Ministry reminds you that in Morocco there is zero tolerance for drugs, with prison sentences of 2 to 10 years. ### Wear shoes with grip The streets are stone, sloping and with steps. They are slippery in the rain. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How many days do you need in Chefchaouen? Two nights: one day for the medina and the kasbah and another for the Akchour waterfalls or the mountains. With one night you see the town, but in a hurry. ### How do I get from Tangier to Chefchaouen? By scheduled bus, grand taxi or car: about 110 km and a little over two hours. There is no train. ### Can you do it in a day from Tangier? You can, but it is more than four hours on the road there and back. If you can, sleep there. ### Is Spanish spoken? Quite a lot, especially among older people and in shops: Chefchaouen was part of the Spanish protectorate until 1956. ### Is it safe? It is a quiet and much-visited town. What bothers people most are the hashish offers in the street: a "no, thank you" is enough. The Spanish Foreign Ministry marks as a medium-risk zone the Rif around Ketama, further east. ### Why is it blue? There is no single answer: people mention mosquitoes, the sky and a fashion of the 1970s to attract tourism. ### Can you enter the Great Mosque? No, only Muslims may enter, as in almost all mosques in Morocco. The kasbah, in the same square, can be visited.