Things to do in Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen is a mountain town in the Rif, about 600 m up. Its medina is washed in blue, and it began in 1471 as a fortress against the Portuguese. Most things to do in Chefchaouen are on foot.

Medina, kasbah and spring

• Plaza Uta el-Hammam. The main square, framed by the kasbah and the Grand Mosque.
• Kasbah. Ali ibn Rashid's fortress, now a museum with a garden. The tower can be climbed for a view of the roofs.
• Grand Mosque. It has an octagonal minaret and is closed to non-Muslims.
• Ras el-Maa. The spring at the medina's eastern edge, where the town's water began.
• Spanish Mosque. Built by the Spanish in the 1920s and now disused, it is a lookout on the hill to the east.

Why the walls are blue is disputed. Some say it keeps mosquitoes away, and some locals say it was ordered in the 1970s to draw tourists.

The mountains behind the town

Talassemtane National Park, created in 2004, covers 589.5 km² of the Rif. Jbel Lakraa, at 2,159 m, is its highest point. The Moroccan fir, found only in the western Rif, grows on the slopes.

What gets booked

Most tours in Chefchaouen are private. Day trips come from Tangier, 112 km away, and from Fes, 195 km away.

• Blue city walk. A private guide, two and a half hours through the medina.
• Akchour. The waterfalls and God's Bridge, a natural rock arch, in a seven-hour day with a guide.
• Jbel Lakraa. A nine-hour day: 4WD into the fir forest, the summit climb, and lunch in a village.
• Treks. Two or three days through the park, sleeping in rural houses.
• Village and cave days. A cooking class with a Rif family, or five hours of caving on the Oued Laou road.

Practical

• Weather. Summer afternoons pass 30C, and January nights fall to between 5C and 7C. The province averages 16.6C over the year, with about 880 mm of rain, mostly from October to April. Snow falls in the mountains.
• Walking. The medina climbs a slope, so wear shoes with grip.
• Guides. Look for the official badge. People posing as guides harass visitors.
• Cannabis. The Rif grows it, but possession is illegal and the penalties are severe.
• Photos. Ask before photographing people.