Explore the medina of Chefchaouen

Getting lost in the narrow, unfrequented streets of Chefchaouen’s old town is one of the main reasons to visit Chefchaouen, but also a photographer’s dream. With cats posing in front of incredibly sturdy indigo doors, many of which still retain their traditional old look… and elderly men in hooded coats, walking up and down the often blue streets and stairs, all in a pleasantly gentle setting.

Some aspects of the medina make you feel as if you could have travelled back in time. The local bakery still delivers warm, round loaves of bread to the locals every morning, while on market day, women come down from the mountain farms to sell vats of milk… It’s only when you glance into a dark room filled with children gathered around a games console, or pass a carpet shop with Bruno Mars on the radio that you’re reminded of the present day you are in.

The medina of Chefchaouen is quiet and small compared to other medinas in Morocco, such as Marrakech or Fez. The medina of Chefchaouen has 5 gates. As soon as you pass through one of these gates, you will feel a magic that engulfs you along the way and you will be carried into the small streets with its charming shops, as well as its small blue houses, modest, and full of joy of living. The smell of hot bread from the wood-fired ovens or the smell of local food… in an idyllic setting.

The blue of Chefchaouen in the medina is contrasted by the different colours of the products sold in the shops, mixed with the doors and small windows all along the lanes that lead to a meeting place known by the locals: Place Uta El Hammam.
This square is home to restaurants and cafes, for a relaxing break in a peaceful setting, while admiring the beauty of the great mosque and the Kasbah.

What to do in the medina of Chefchaouen?

• Visit the Kasbah museum with its beautiful gardens. You will discover ancient instruments and weapons, but also historical photos of the city of Chefchaouen
• Lunch in a good local restaurant in a terrace facing the mountains. You will never forget this magical moment
• Climb to the small Jemaa Bouzafar mosque from Ras El Ma to see the sunset