# Chefchaouen URL: https://soukytours.com/destinations/chefchaouen Region: Rif Mountains. From Marrakesh: About 3.5 hours by car from Fes; from Marrakesh a two-day journey. Best time: April through June and September through October; cold and wet in winter. Chefchaouen, the blue town in the Rif Mountains: why everything is blue, what to do besides taking photos and how to get there from Fes. ## Highlights - A medina painted in every shade of blue - Walking up to the Spanish Mosque for the view at sunset - The Rif Mountains and the waterfalls of Akchour - Goat cheese, olives and honey from the market - A pace even slower than in Essaouira Chefchaouen sits on the flank of the Rif Mountains, two hours from the Mediterranean, and it is blue. The walls, the stairs, the doors and even the flowerpots are painted in shades from light blue to indigo. People come for the photos, and it is also one of the most relaxed towns in Morocco. The pace is slow, people are friendly without an agenda, and the medina is small enough to cross in an hour. ## What you do there Mostly walk around. The medina has no major sights; you come for the streets themselves. Early in the morning, before the day-trippers from Fes and Tangier arrive, you have the blue alleys to yourself. Have your coffee on Place Outa el-Hammam. The kasbah next to it has a garden and a tower with a view. At the end of the afternoon it is a twenty-minute walk to the Spanish Mosque on the hill across from the town. From there you watch the sun drop behind the mountains and the town turn from blue to purple. Everyone does it, and still it isn't crowded. If you have an extra day, go to Akchour, an hour's drive into the mountains, and hike to the waterfalls and the natural stone bridge. The trail is doable in sneakers, with a steep climb at the end. At the market you buy local things: fresh goat cheese from the Rif, honey, olives and wool blankets that are still woven here. The vendors leave you alone. Cannabis is grown in the Rif Mountains and you will be offered some. A friendly no is enough, because nobody pushes. Possession is a criminal offense in Morocco. ## As a woman on your own in Chefchaouen Chefchaouen is an easy town to stay in longer than you planned. The mood is relaxed, you get hardly any attention, and the guesthouses are small and personal. In the evening you sit on the square or on the rooftop terrace of your riad. Nights don't run late, and they don't need to. The Rif is rural and people dress conservatively, but the town is used to visitors. Covered shoulders and knees are the norm; an ankle-length dress or wide pants are fine. It can be cold. Chefchaouen is at 600 meters and it rains more here than in most of Morocco. Bring a rain jacket and a warm layer, even in May. The [packing list](/en/practical/packing-list) has the rest. ## Travel time from Fes and best months From Fes it is a three and a half hour drive, from Tangier two hours. From Marrakesh you are on the road for two days, so Chefchaouen fits best into a tour of the north. Stay one night for the town, or two if you also want to go to Akchour. The best months are April through June and September through October. In winter it is cold and wet. In summer the altitude keeps it pleasant, but it is crowded. For the rest of the country, see [the best time to visit](/en/practical/best-time-to-visit). There are ATMs, but most guesthouses and shops want cash. More on that in [money and payments](/en/practical/money-and-payments). ## Chefchaouen on the tour Chefchaouen is an optional leg of the [imperial cities tour](/en/trips/imperial-cities-tour). From [Fes](/en/destinations/fes) Soukayna drives you through the Rif to the blue town in three and a half hours, with a stop in a village on the way. You stay one or two nights and then drive back to Fes or on to Tangier and the coast. Soukayna arranges the riad and the drive. All you have to do is walk around, and you are guaranteed to take too many photos. ## Frequently asked questions **Why is Chefchaouen blue?** There are several stories: Jewish refugees who brought the blue of the sky with them in the 1930s, blue as a way to keep mosquitoes away, or simply because it is pretty and attracts tourists. A mix is probably true. The town is repainted every year. **Is Chefchaouen worth a day trip from Fes?** It is three and a half hours each way, so a day trip means seven hours of driving for three hours in town. Staying the night is much nicer. Then you have the morning without day-trippers and the evening on a terrace. **What is there to do besides walking around?** You can walk up to the Spanish Mosque above the town, take a day hike to the waterfalls and the natural bridge at Akchour, visit the kasbah and its small museum, and sit on the square. You don't need more. --- Source: https://soukytours.com/destinations/chefchaouen Souky Tours, contact through the chat on https://soukytours.com/contact