The Blue City, Chefchaouen, Morocco Trip 4K, Chefchaouen Travel Guide, Chefchaouen Tourism & Vacations Travel Vlog 4K https://goo.gl/HzFhA4 Chefchaouen (شفشاون, also Chaouen, Chawen or Xaouen)or The Blue Pearl is a gorgeous mountain city in northeastern Morocco. It's no wonder that tourists flock here — this humble town is the embodiment of almost every Moroccan cliché. The picturesque medina, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Rif Mountains, is filled with white-washed homes with distinctive, powder-blue accents, and the call to prayer rings out of several mosques around the town in chorus. If you've got a few days to relax from the rigors of travel, this is a good place to do it. Tourism in Chaouen is also driven by its reputation as centre of the marijuana plantations region in North Morocco. Drugs are widespread and somehow tolerated, but touts trying to sell to tourists are also very annoying. Spanish is the foreign language mostly spoken by the population, while French is the language of higher education. See in Chefchaouen, Morocco -------------------------------------------------- The medina is the focal point of interest for most visitors to Chefchaouen. Walking around the town with its whitewashed walls, originally decorated in this style by Jewish immigrants, can be a nice change to the hustle and bustle of the cities of Marrakech, Rabat, and Fez. The waterfall (Ras el Maa) to the east of the medina is a meeting point for local residents who come to cool off, chat and do their laundry (including carpets on sunny sundays). The café nearby is rather expensive, however it's a nice change from the main square. The ruins of an old mosque (Jemaa Bouzafar), on a hill behind the waterfall, overlook the medina and its crumbling tower offers great views of the town. Was restored in around 2013. The Kasbah. Looks quite interesting from the outside, but there isn't much to see inside. The place is well preserved. There's the tower and the prison amongst others that's worth a visit, and the courtyard is green and almost alien amdist the mountain setting. Should only be an option if you're either bored or want to get away from the bustle outside. 10 MAD. The hill of the Hotel Atlas is a good viewpoint on the town and the valley, especially on sunsets. It can be reached from the south gate of the medina (Bab el-Ain) by climbing the road coasting the medina on the west side until the east gate (Bab Souk), and then uphill, crossing the old cemetery on a rocky path. Do in Chefchaouen, Morocco --------------------------------------------------- Take a hike through the scenic Rif Mountains. There is a pathway leading up into the mountains just behind the waterfall frequented by backpackers. Don't mind the vast marijuana plantations; the farmers and goat herders that work them are used to tourists and will either ignore you or try to sell you hash. See "Stay safe" below. A strenuous hike up Jebel al-Kalaa (the peak immediately overlooking the town) is fun, but can take up to 9 hours round trip and goes by (and if you're lucky/unlucky, through) big marijuana plantations. The route is not well marked (with white and yellow), and you might have to trail blaze for parts of it if you lose the trail. Start by following the road up the southeastern valley, from where you'll get a good view of town, and look for the markings up the mountain. Bring plenty of water, and some snacks. Hike over the mountain to Azilane. Not for novices as there's a long winding ascent and descent but is worth a day, or two days with a stay at the Gite. Stunning views all the way and far from the madding crowd. From the gate near the waterfall follow the city wall around then start following the dirt track when you pass the campsite. This track takes you over the other side of the mountain and eventually after an hour's descent you can follow the signs for the Azilane Gite where Abdel Kader and family will greet you with hugs, tagines and good vibes. A glimpse into a timeless rural way of life.

• published: 21 Apr 2017
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