{"id":11351,"date":"2017-02-07T04:52:49","date_gmt":"2017-02-07T04:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/?p=11351"},"modified":"2025-08-27T07:29:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T14:29:31","slug":"chefchaouen-morocco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/chefchaouen-morocco\/","title":{"rendered":"5 REASONS TO VISIT CHEFCHAOUEN, MOROCCO"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a brand new year, and with that celebratory flip of a calendar page comes a few possibilities. Maybe you\u2019ve made a resolution to see more of the world, decided to treat yourself better, or rolled over some vacation days.<\/p>\n

Maybe you now have a whole year\u2019s worth of vacation days at your disposal, in fact. No matter what the scenario, I\u2019ve recently left a place that was so incredible, it would be a tragedy not to share my findings, and my enthusiasm for it.<\/p>\n

I urge you to consider a trip to Africa. Exotic, exceptional, colorful Chefchaouen, Morocco, to be precise.<\/p>\n

\"CHEFCHAOUEN-MOROCCO\"
\n\"Malawi<\/a><\/p>\n

Most people who travel to Morocco head straight for Marrakech. I can\u2019t blame them- it\u2019s culturally rich, foreigner-friendly, fairly Westernized, and incredibly beautiful. I nearly made the same mistake, until somewhere in the land of social media I discovered photos of a stunning all-blue city called Chefchaouen.<\/p>\n

The photos depicted blue-washed buildings, charming medina streets, and a mountainous setting that quickly put it at the top of my travel list. With a flexible 8-day trip to Morocco planned, no set itinerary, a starting point in Tangier, and a flight out of Marrakech, it was generally along my route.<\/p>\n

Come to find out, it is one of the most picturesque places I\u2019ve ever had the pleasure of traveling to. I could have explored the maze of the old medina forever with my camera in hand. Chefchaouen is a magical yet simple place, so if you are content with beauty, relaxation and culture, it is the perfect place to spend a few days. So, what makes this place so amazing? I\u2019ve put together a list of my 5 reasons to go to Chefchaouen:<\/p>\n

\"MOROCCO<\/a><\/p>\n

\"CHEFCHAOUEN-MOROCCO\"<\/p>\n

1) DOORS<\/h2>\n

The world is full of them, but none are quite like the ones you\u2019ll find in Chefchaouen. You\u2019ll be happily lost in the<\/p>\n

maze of the medina; climbing up and down stairs while passing some of the most intriguing doors you\u2019ve ever seen. You can\u2019t really make sense of what might be behind them (until you can, because a young Moroccan real estate mogul finds you on the street and offers to let you have a peek), but I digress. The medina truly resembles a maze with walls that appear to meld together.<\/p>\n

\"CHEFCHAOUEN-MOROCCO\"<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no visible separation, just doorways dotted along the walls. Take a look inside, however, and you\u2019ll be surprised to find individual homes, of several stories, with gorgeous open-air rooftops. With the city\u2019s staggered design, everyone gets a great view.<\/p>\n

Here are just a few of my favorite doorways: (note: the green door belonged to a mosque outside of the all-blue medina, but is so beautiful I couldn’t leave it out!)<\/p>\n

\"Mosque-Door-morocco\"<\/h3>\n

2) A SEA OF BLUE<\/h2>\n

Something about the color blue is serene, relaxing, and just a pleasure to be surrounded by. This is why a lot of us love the ocean, but even then, it\u2019s not the only color around.<\/p>\n

This single color palette has completely taken over the old medina, however, where blue-washed walls meet cobblestoned streets. With the beautiful Rif Mountains in the background, the vibrant landscapes perfectly complement this picture-perfect city.<\/p>\n

\"CHEFCHAOUEN-MOROCCO\"<\/p>\n

Subscribe to We Are Travel Girls<\/h2>

Join 9 million+ readers, get travel tips, event invites, trip discounts and more!<\/p>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/span>  <\/span><\/h6>\n

3) INCREDIBLE SUNSETS<\/h3>\n

Chefchaouen sunsets are everything. With mountainsides to climb and outdoor rooftops to hang out on, it\u2019s not hard to find the best seats for the show.<\/p>\n

If you make your way outside of the medina walls and go east towards the town\u2019s waterfall, Ras el Maa<\/a>, you\u2019ll quickly discover a steep incline leading up the mountain to the right. There are many vantage points along the path for watching the sunset disappear behind distant mountains.<\/p>\n

\"Chefchaouen-Sunset\"<\/p>\n

\"CHEFCHAOUEN-MOROCCO\"<\/p>\n

4) COLORS<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve already touched on blue, a color that dominates the entire old medina. It\u2019s everywhere and makes an idyllic backdrop for the pops of other vibrant colors that you\u2019ll find scattered around. Sacks full of colored powdered paint representing the whole rainbow can be found on the street, as well as beautiful hand-made carpets.<\/p>\n

Hanging from the walls on display, the shop owners are eager to sell. \u201cI have carry-on luggage and I don\u2019t have a home, otherwise I\u2019d take ten!\u201d I tell them. And no joke, I would. Chefchaouen may be called \u201cthe blue pearl\u201d but some of my favorite photos are ones that include the colors that didn\u2019t get the honor of coloring the entire city.<\/p>\n

\"CHEFCHAOUEN-MOROCCO\"<\/p>\n

5) LOCAL CHILDREN & CATS<\/h2>\n

Full disclosure- the older residents of Chefchaouen didn\u2019t seem particularly happy to have foreign visitors. I got scolded more than once just for taking photos (of general scenes, not specific people, mind you) and a few nasty looks for reasons I still can\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be disheartened, though; tourism is still pretty new in Chefchaouen, so just be respectful and do your best not to disrupt the small-town lives that they\u2019re used to.<\/p>\n

\"CHEFCHAOUEN-MOROCCO\"<\/p>\n

The kids were welcoming enough, however, and as you can see, really enjoyed having foreigners in town. While the kids were sweet, the kitties were arguably sweeter. The stray cats I find while traveling usually make my day. I love cats, and most are just longing for a little love!<\/p>\n

If you’re looking to head to Morocco and had your sights set on the more popular sights in the south, I urge you to reconsider. You won’t regret getting lost in this off-the-beaten-path sea of blue.<\/p>\n

\"CHEFCHAOUEN-MOROCCO\"<\/p>\n

\n

Have you visited the Blue Pearl, Chefchaouen? Then please share your own travel tips for this beautiful city with our readers in the comments below. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you want to share your own travel tips by guest writing for We Are Travel Girls? Please visit our <\/i><\/b>Contribute<\/i><\/b><\/a> page for guidelines and to submit your article.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\n

Subscribe to We Are Travel Girls<\/h2>

Join 9 million+ readers, get travel tips, event invites, trip discounts and more!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/span>  <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Read More About Morocco<\/em><\/h4>\n