When planning your trip to Morocco, the small town of Chefchaouen is a gem that deserves a spot on anyone’s Morocco itinerary. ‘The blue city’ sits high up in the Rif Mountains, surrounded by stunning green valleys that contrast beautifully with the vibrant blue of the town’s buildings. It’s a magical little town of mysterious blue alleys, cute fluffy kittens, laid-back vibes and the friendliest locals!
While it may be only small, there are plenty of fun things to do in Chefchaouen that you shouldn’t miss out on during your stay! I’ve created this complete Chefchaouen guide to help you plan out every detail of your time spent in this amazing town, including the best things to do, the best places to stay, and where you can find a glass of wine or beer in an otherwise alcohol free place.
Thanks to social media platforms like Instagram, Chefchaouen has become an increasingly popular destination due to its extremely photogenic nature. Once you travel to Chefchaouen, you will quickly see that it really is a photographer’s paradise. Truly one of the most unique and enchanting places we have ever visited, ‘the blue pearl’ is guaranteed to be a highlight of your time spent in Morocco!
Table of Contents
Top 10 Best Things to do in Chefchaouen
Get Lost in the Chefchaouen Medina
The Chefchaouen medina is an endless maze of narrow winding alleys that lead you to hidden corners and cute little spots around the town. Just spend a few hours exploring at your own pace, getting lost is all part of the fun. You will stumble on stunning doorways, alleys decorated with colourful plant pots, and many many cats.
The streets of Chefchaouen are filled with the cutest cats and kittens you’ve ever seen. As tempting as it may be to pick one up and give it a cuddle, it’s best to avoid touching them as there have been reports of rabies infections in tourists over the years. Just admire them from afar and take as many photos as you like!
Exploring the blue pearl of Morocco
As we were eating breakfast one morning, a friendly neighborhood cat was hanging around our table. He eventually hopped up and sneezed all over my plate of food!😂Luckily one of the restaurant staff saw it happen and offered to replace my meal at no extra charge.
Shop for Souvenirs
One of the most popular things to do in Chefchaouen is taking some time to browse the many colourful little shops. Shopping for souvenirs in Chefchaouen isn’t as cheap as you may expect but it’s a much more enjoyable experience than places like Marrakech, as you don’t get nearly as much hassle from the shop vendors.
Chefchaouen is known for its beautiful traditional hand-made goods such as colourful carpets, Moroccan lamps, jewellery, caftans, woven baskets, and so much more. If you’re going to buy any souvenirs or gifts for friends in Morocco, you really can’t go wrong with getting them in Chefchaouen!
Tips for shopping in Chefchaouen:
- Always shop with cash, most stores don’t accept credit card payments.
- Haggling is part of the shopping experience in Morocco. The shop vendors will initially tell you a much higher price than an item is worth, never settle with that. Offer them about half of their asking price and then you will go back and forth until you settle on an agreed price.
- If you’re looking for something in particular, check out a few different shops before settling on one so that you can gauge what the average price will be for a given item.
- If you aren’t getting anywhere with the haggling process, don’t be afraid to pretend to walk away. The vendor will often call you back to try and continue the haggling process. This way he will be more likely to lower his price so he can make a sale.
Kasbah Museum
In the Place Outa El Hammam (main square) of the old city you’ll find the 15th century Kasbah, it’s right next to the Grand Mosque. Inside the Kasbah is a lovely courtyard with a beautiful garden as well as the Kasbah museum. The small museum has some historic artifacts on display as well as some artwork but there is a lack of English.
The main highlight of visiting the Kasbah is climbing up the towers to get a fantastic panoramic view of Chefchaouen’s rooftops and surrounding countryside. To be completely honest, we chose not to go inside. The reviews we heard from other travellers were that it’s overpriced for what you see, especially if you only speak English.
If you want to check out the garden and climb up the tower for the views then go for it. But if you’re expecting a well put together museum with English labels then maybe give it a miss. We enjoyed having lunch at the restaurants in the square in front of the Kasbah, admiring the view of the building from there.
Tickets: 60 DH/$6 USD
Opening Times: 9am – 6:30pm daily
Enjoy the Scenic Views from the Spanish Mosque
One of the top things to do in Chefchaouen is without a doubt taking a short hike up to the Spanish Mosque that sits on a hilltop overlooking the town below. This is a particularly nice thing to do in the evening when the town is lit up in that perfect sunset glow!
The trail to the Spanish Mosque begins at the the east end of the town. You will pass a few cafes, cross over a little bridge and then begin the uphill walk toward the mosque. The entire walk takes about 30 mins and is very scenic along the way.
Stunning views of Chefchaouen from the Spanish Mosque
Once you reach the top, the breath taking views from the mosque will reward you. The Spanish Mosque was built in the 1920s but is no longer in use today. Watching the sunset from the mosque is the perfect way to finish off a long day of sightseeing.
Dine at a Rooftop Restaurant
Enjoy a traditional Moroccan tagine from a rooftop restaurant. There are a number of highly rated restaurants which boast beautiful views from their rooftop terraces. We tried a few of them and here are the ones we can recommend based on good food, reasonable prices and of course epic views!
Cafe Clock Chefchaouen – We had dinner at this lovely place one evening, the food was delicious, the views were awesome and there was also live music. It’s about a 5 minute walk from the main square, away from most of the other restaurants and shops. It’s a big restaurant with multiple levels but make sure to ask to be seated on their rooftop terrace!
Aladdin Restaurant – Coming in as one of the top picks for places to dine in Chefchaouen, the Aladdin restaurant is centrally located near the Kasbah in the big square. The views over Chefchaouen from their rooftop dining terrace really are awesome as it’s one of the highest buildings in the area!
The only downside is that the reviews on TripAdvisor seem to be hit or miss. Some people stating that service wasn’t great or that the food wasn’t amazing. In our experience, the food was decent and the service was fine. It’s worthwhile to have one meal there just to experience the epic views!
Hamsa – Delicious homemade food, great views and good reviews! You can’t go wrong with choosing to have lunch or dinner at Hamsa. Located in the main square near the Grand Mosque, this place serves plenty of western dishes including wraps, vegetarian meals, gluten free options and more.
Of course, traditional Moroccan cuisine is on the menu too, if that’s what you’re craving. The prices are slightly higher at this place compared to others in Chefchaouen but the food is good, it’s clean, and there is an awesome view from their rooftop terrace!
Find the Best Photography Locations in Chefchaouen
What was once a sleepy little mountain village has seen a huge increase in visitors in recent years. This all comes down to the internet and more specifically social media platforms like Instagram which have certainly put Chefchaouen on the map.
Even if you’re not into social media, the blue pearl of Morocco is truly a magical place for anyone who has an interest in photography. There is no shortage of pretty little corners and picturesque spots around Chefchaouen and you really don’t have to go far to find them.
My favourite thing to do in Chefchaouen was getting lost in the backstreets!
Simply walking around the town will lead you to all sorts of fascinating doors and colourful scenes. If you’re looking for the absolute “must-see” photography spots in Chefchaouen, here are the ones you don’t want to miss! Be warned though, don’t be surprised if you have to queue up to take some of these shots.
The Paid Set – Perhaps one of the most well-known photos of Chefchaouen is this perfect little garden scene, set up with a table, a tea pot and plenty of pretty plants. This is actually the front of someone’s home, it is well kept and costs only 5 Dirhams (50 cents USD) per person to take photos there.
Queue up and then spend as long as you like until you get the perfect shot. This person clearly had a brilliant business idea when they thought this one up! Click here for exact location of the paid set.
The Steps with Colourful Pots – Another one of the most popular photography spots in Chefchaouen, this one draws the crowds. We showed up at around 8am to try and get these steps to ourselves and there was already a small crowd of keen photographers setting up their tripods even at this time of day!
This one is hard to miss, you’ll definitely find it while you’re out and about exploring the town. It’s located on the one of the main streets that runs through Chefchaouen. Click here for exact location.
The Beautiful Door Scene – Not too far from the previous location (it’s only a few steps away on the same street) is one of my favourite scenes of Chefchaouen. A beautifully decorated blue door, with more colourful potted plants and a narrow alley of steps leading up to more dreamy scenes. I just love this little town!
Click here to find this exact location on the map.
This town is so beautiful it felt like a dream world!
The Tall House With the Cute Staircase – Another unique and picture-perfect scene of Chefchaouen is this really tall and skinny house with a gorgeous staircase filled with plants. It’s a lesser known photography spot but it’s important to keep in mind that this is actually someone’s home. Just because people on Instagram have taken photos here posing on the steps, it doesn’t make it ok to intrude.
I first saw a photo of this place when one of my favourite Instagrammers shared some photos of her sitting on the steps. I fell in love with that scene and knew I just had to check it out. Once we arrived, we notice a gate had been placed there, deterring any keen Instagrammers from posing on their private property.
This is totally understandable and I would never encourage people to hop over the gate (note, there was clearly no gate yet when Nathalie Wanders was there). Just do as we did, admire the pretty scene, take some photos and continue on your way. To find this spot, head to Hotel Nisrine and you’ll see it right in front of the hotel.
View this post on Instagram
The Many Blue Doors – Each door in Chefchaouen is unique and beautiful in its own way. The good news is that there are hundreds of them and if you’re into door photography, this is your place! You could spend hours walking around taking endless photos of doors in this town.
Unfortunately I have no idea of the exact location of the door in the photo below, but you’re pretty much guaranteed to find one just like it on your explorations around the town!
Everywhere in Chef