Best tips pour Chefchaouen : votre guide touristique complet N°1

Chefchaouen known under the name of the blue pearl for its blue medina is one of the most picturesque cities in the world! It is also the most touristic city in northern Morocco.

Chefchaouen City

📍Location

Chefchaouen is a town in the northwest of Morocco in the Tangier-Tetouan region about a 2 hour drive from the south of Tangier. It is characterized by its location at an altitude of 600 m in the middle of the high peaks of the Rif (massif of the Pays de Jebala), sufficiently away from the coast

It is located at the foot of Jebel Mezedjel. Jebel (mountain) Beni Hassan is opposite, on the other side of the valley, to the west, it extends further south and takes the name of Jebel el Akhmâs.

🚌How to get there?

There are several ways to get there.

By air

The closest airports are first Tetouan and Tangier then a little further Fez and Rabat!

With the TGV, the Casablanca - Tangier trip becomes very short so Casablanca airport is also an option!

By land

You should know that Chefchaouen is not served by train. If you don't have a car, I recommend taking a bus depending on where you are. The most practical is to go to Tangier or Fez which are notably served by the train then take the bus or a large Taxi:

• Depuis Tanger: comptez environ 2h30 de route depuis la sortie de la ville.
  • Par bus: Les compagnies les plus connus que vous pouvez réserver en ligne ou par téléphone sont CTM and Supratours .
  • By grand taxi: Go directly to the Tangier bus station and ask for the grand taxis that lead to Chefchaouen. There will be 6 of you in the taxi, you just have to wait for the taxi to be full for it to start otherwise you can pay the 6 seats and leave comfortably.
• From Fez: allow 4 hours by bus for this trip. Likewise, the most famous companies that you can book online or by phone are CTM and Supratours.

When to go?

Attention, it is no longer Dakhla or Agadir ! We are in the middle of the mountains in the far north of Morocco, the winter is considerably cold with a very hot summer! So I recommend going to Chefchaouen during the spring or autumn season for the good weather and also to avoid the tourist crowds. The advantage as everywhere in Morocco is that you can enjoy clear blue skies all year round!

📜History

Etymology and history

Getting lost in the Chefchaouen medina is the favorite activity of travelers in Chefchaouen. That said, a deep ancient story lurks behind its walls.

Chefchaouen was originally known as Chaouen, which means "peaks". Chefchaouen (Look at the peaks) is a small town in the Rif mountains with a rich history.
Moulay Ali Ben Moussa founded the town of Chefchaouen in 1471. It started as a small fortress to fight against the Portuguese invasions of the Morocco.

The Ghomara tribes, Moriscos and Jews settled there after the Spanish Reconquista in 1492
Later, in 1920, Spain seized the old city and it became part of Spanish Morocco.
Then, finally, Morocco declared its independence in 1956, and Chefchaouen joined it again.

Where does the blue color of the Medina of Chefchaouen come from?

It is indisputable that my favorite activity in Chefchaouen, like all travelers, is to stroll the narrow alleys of the Medina, painted in an infinite range of blue 🔷🔹.
⁉️But why the Medina is completely blue?

‼ ️This color which made the reputation of this village still unknown to tourists 30 years ago!
💙At the time, local women had a brilliant idea… To attract tourists from all over the world and therefore develop the economy of the region, they decided to repaint the village in blue.

🔯Initially, only the old Jewish part of the town was repainted. But little by little, the dwellings and the medina suffered the same “fate”.
Indeed, the practice of painting the walls in blue was introduced by the Moroccan Jews to be linked to their religious practices around 1930.

👩🏻 Today, to keep a shade of blue intact, the women repaint the walls 3 times a year during the holiday season and thus make the village each time more beautiful and intense

🏨Accommodation

In Chefchaouen

There is a wide choice for all types of budgets and especially the smallest.
We opted for an Airbnb and frankly I am strongly advising you to take a look at Airbnb before booking. Entire accommodations all clean in the heart of the Medina from 150dhs / night 💰. Prices have fallen significantly during this period of crisis.

There are also stopover lodges for hikers and, if you go on a trek through Talassemtane National Park to the more isolated villages, you will likely sleep at a local's home.

Usha Guest House Chefchaouen

⚠️I stayed at Usha Guest House, a nice guest house in the Medina. The service was great!

🛣The alley where it is located is very cute with its tiny entrance in the heart of the blue medina near a magnificent mosque.

Access not very easy – ask for Place Sébanin.

🤩 The architecture around is splendid

🛌 The room is small (but that's the charm of sleeping in a house in the medina like the old one) and comfortable with a private bathroom. Everything was clean. The cozy bed.

☀️ And the best for last, the terrace is a big plus. It has a 360° view of Chefchaouen.

💰 For the price, I had paid cheap during a pandemic. Unfortunately, I now see that the prices have risen considerably.

📣I booked on Airbnb here.

📸Feel free to check out my highlight stories "Talassemtane NP" in my instagram pagefor more videos/photos.

In Akchour

If you want to spend the night there are apartments for rent on site (from 200dhs 💰 per night), and a Tyrolean campsite around 100dhs 💰 (to be confirmed) per night.
For my part I stayed at the Akchour hermitage hotel.

L’Ermitage d’Akchour Hotel

I am delighted to present to you a place I fell in love with: The Akchour hermitage.
Located at the start of the Akchour waterfalls trail. The hermitage of Akchour, as its name suggests, is an ecolodge lost in the middle of luxurious nature ⛰. An assortment of magnificent small and large chalets on the edge of the private river and the hotel's natural swimming pools.

📣 Tips:
No network or internet here !! Wifi is only available in the restaurant area.
You enter into full communion with nature, a real place of rest that allows you to recharge your batteries and take the time to savor the present moment.

🥘 Food:
-The Hermitage of Akchour also has a restaurant where you eat well, a little expensive 💰 but the menu is interesting. Otherwise you can eat tagines in the restaurant mentioned in the previous post and which is a 2-minute walk from the hotel.
-Breakfast is included.

💰 Price: One night at the Hermitage is not the cheapest night in Akchour and the region.
Count a minimum of 1200dhs per night for a chalet for 4 people with breakfast. Prices vary according to season and availability. You will find everything in detail on their official website.

🤸‍♂️Activities:
In addition to hiking in the surrounding forests, the establishment offers holistic retreats, treatments and therapies, yoga courses 🧘‍♀️, massages 💆‍♀️ and meditation ...

Hostel Rueda Akchour

We stopped there by chance and it was the best thing we did!

📍Located on the road at the entrance to the wonderful site of Akchour, I highly recommend this Rueda hostel for lovers of serenity and simplicity!

⛺️It has a breathtaking 360° view of the surrounding mountains and meadows. It's just WOW!

⚠️ Attention, to start the Akchour hike you have to walk 1 hour more to barely reach the Akchour car park.

🛌 The rooms are not the most comfortable but given the quality/price ratio, I can't complain too much.

💰 The price is from 300 dhs per Double room. Be sure to choose the room with a direct view of the mountains.

📞 Here is the number: +2126 66 86 54 17

📸Feel free to check out my highlight stories "Talassemtane NP" in my instagram pagefor more videos/photos.

Restaurants à Chefchaouen

In Chefchaouen most of the restaurants are traditional and inexpensive (around 30-60dhs).

🌞 If you want breakfast in the sun, I recommend Dar Zambra 💰 (50dhs for breakfast and 15dhs for a glass of tea) or Chez Hicham which offer pretty terraces with a view. It’s perfect to start the day.

🎀For a typical lunch or dinner with the decoration to go with it. I recommend the Bab Ssour, the Assaada, the Casa Hassan, the Lala Mesouda, the Sofia, the Sindibad and the Morisco.

🥟If you want to taste Moroccan pastries, personally I prefer to buy them from the ladies who sell them in the street. Usually, they prepare them themselves at home (💰 1-2dhs a piece). And I bring them back with me to the Ras El Ma cafe to eat them with a mint tea 🤤

Restaurant Bab Ssour

Do you want to eat as if you were invited to a purely Moroccan family? Restaurant Bab Ssour is the best Moroccan restaurant I have ever tested with unbeatable value for money.

Everything is good and typically Moroccan!

In addition, you are served in a beautiful terrace with a view of the mountains of Chefchaouen. You can also choose to be served in the Moroccan lounge upstairs if it is cold.

I put the map here.

And here is a picture of what we ordered.

What to do in Chefchaouen?

Outa el Hammam Square & Kasbah of Chefchaouen

I will take you directly to the heart of the medina and the most lively square in Chefchaouen, Between the restaurants 🍽, terraces, shisha bars and street musicians which form a pretty brothel bordered by mountains ⛰. And in the middle of this joyful setting stands the Kasbah of Chefchaouen.

💰 The entrance fee is free (10 / 20Dh), the garden is very cute and we are told the history of the city through the rooms. Climb to the top of the tower for panoramic views of the city, or visit the ethnographic museum inside the castle walls.
📣 To the northeast, on the edge of the medina, we find the Ras el Ma spring and we can see women washing their clothes, the old fashioned way. Very quiet, soothing area with a nice little coffee, by the water!

Stroll the alleys of the Medina

 This bluish decor of the Medina of Chefchaouen gives a crazy charm to the alleys. Very narrow streets with long sloping stairs. Do not hesitate to take a break to contemplate the beauty of these alleys. So you can catch your breath and continue the ride.

🐱Chefchaouen is a real sanctuary for cats. They have always been appreciated in the Muslim world. Today, the people of Chefchaouen still perpetuate this attachment.

Ras El Ma

We can say that the source of Ras el Ma was at the origin of the construction of the city of Chefchaouen, allowing the inhabitants to obtain drinking water and to irrigate their farm. It has now become an obligatory tourist stopover in the city of Chefchaouen.

This place offers a magnificent and rather particular setting for the local women of the neighborhood at the washhouse who regularly come to wash their clothes. We can easily recognize them with their traditional colorful clothes of the Jblia woman: hat, woolen belt (Kurzia) and apron skirt (Mendil).

In fact, in the square before arriving at the washhouse, you will find women who can rent this garment to you and help you put it on in order to take a picture. I highly recommend it to girls!

Spanish mosque, panoramic view of Chefchaouen

From Ras el-Maa, we go up by a small path which leads to the Spanish mosque which overhangs the city of Chefchaouen. We find ourselves at the best panoramic view of the blue pearl of Chefchaouen. A little further in the middle of nature inhabited by many indigenous species, you can admire the Talassemtane National Park. It is an excellent starting point to reach the highest peak in the province of Chefchaouen as well as the best hikes in the region.

What to see in the region?

Akchour

A stay in Chefchaouen is certainly not complete without making a trip to Akchour.
Akchour is a small village located 30km from Chefchaouen in the heart of the Rif mountains and the Talassemtane national park. It is mainly known for its exceptional natural 🏞 landscapes.
Once at the village car park continue towards the dam and there the road splits into two directions. To hike towards the Pont de Dieu you have to go to the right of the dam (45min), and to the left towards the waterfalls (2h).

• 🚕Transpot :

-Pour les motorisés , le parking coûte 10dhs 💰.
-Sinon les taxis sont à 25dhs 💰 depuis Chefchaouen.
🥘 Food:
Il y a des petits restaurants tout au long de la rivière en plein nature qui servent du thé (10dh) 💰 et de délicieux tajines (70dhs) 💰.

• 🏨Accommodation

If you want to spend the night there are apartments for rent on site (from 200dhs 💰 per night), and a Tyrolean campsite around 100dhs 💰 (to be confirmed) per night.
For my part I stayed at the hotel l'ermitage d'Akchour which I will talk about in more detail below.

• 📣 Tips :

-Wearing 👟 walking shoes is a necessity. You will cross the river several times.
-Bring your bathing suits 👙. For the adventurers you will have to swim to cross the river and continue the hike after the god's bridge.
-Hike light🎒. Without a bag would be better.
And finally be an environmentally sensitive hiker 😍

National Park Talassemtane

Talassemtane National Park was created in October 2004. It covers the eastern end of the Rif limestone ridge. Covering an area of 58,950 ha, this very original territory stretches from Tetouan to Assifane.

Talassemtane Park offers the most beautiful natural spectacles in the Kingdom, where stone and tree, rock and forest, waterfalls and deep gorges come together to create a landscape of rare quality.

• Forest and flora of Talassemtane park

The park contains the only Moroccan fir trees and even African, the last witnesses of a unique ecosystem on a global scale and today in great danger. There are also more than 239 plant species, many of which are endemic such as the Atlas cedar and the black pine.

• 🦁 Fauna

The park is a refuge for more than 37 species of mammals, the best known of which is the magot monkey which shelters in the caves. More than 117 species of birds have been counted there, the most spectacular of which are the bearded vulture and the golden eagle.

• Watercourses / Rivers of Talassemtane Park

-Oued Ferda ( Akchour )

-Oued Kennar click to see the full article on this hike.

-Oued Kelaa

-Oued Laou

-Oued Talemboute

• Villages and main points for crossing Talassemtane Park

-Douar Zaouiya Habteene and visit of the marabout Abdelah Habte

- Plaza of Spain at the foot of Jbel Lakraa

-Taourarte village

-Azilane village

• Summits of Talassemtane Park

The largest peaks in the Park are:

-Jbel Lakraa (2159 m)

-Jbel Tissouka (2122 m)

-Jbel Safihat Talj (2038 m)

-Jbel Taloussisse à Ametrasse (2005 m)

-Jbel El Kelaa (1721m )

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