Chefchaouen
Discover Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen (شفشاون, also Chaouen, Chawen or Xaouen) 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.
Taste of Chefchaouen...
The local speciality is baissara, but you'll also find the usual staples such as tajine (vegetable stew with goat or sheep), harira (tomato soup), kofte (meatballs) and tagras (fish). The Moroccan salad is a salad of cucumber and tomatoes, while salada variada includes eggs. The region is also well known for olives and olive oil, and for goat cheese, which is sold on display in various shops. Always busy restaurants near the Kasbah (Outa Hamman square) offer tajines starting from 40 dirham of somewhat subpar quality. Local breakfast includes fried eggs, cheese, olives, Moroccan mortadella, bread and tea/coffee, all for 20-25 dirham. Pretty much any cafe will be happy to serve it. Some stalls cook pancakes (baghrir) with honey and olive oil or butter, for 10-15 dirham. Alcohol is not readily available but can be found in Restaurant Oum Rabie. The latter charges some exorbitant prices for alcohol and requires ordering accompanying food. Mint tea is prevalent, 7-10 dirham per cup/pot. Accommodation can be tight in the peak periods (mid-Jul to Sep) so arrive early or book ahead in these periods. A stroll through the medina will reveal dozens of cheap hotels, starting from 40 dirham per night for a single. Many of these hotels have roof terraces. Hotels that are fully booked will sometimes deliberately over-book and try to move you to another hotel (for a commission), as always avoid touts who may tell you your hotel is closed, not good, hard to find, etc.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe nearest airports are at Tangier, Fez, Rabat, and Casablanca, while some flights go to Tetouan. From these you can take intercity buses to Chefchaouen. From Casablanca it also makes sense to use the low-priced high-speed train to Tangier and continue from there. There are frequent buses from Fez and Tetouan and also from Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Tangier, Nador, and Al Hoceima. Enjoy the sales pitches of vendors who come onto the bus while you wait for more passengers at major stops. Approximate bus timetable to destinations around Morocco (as of Jan 2017): 35.16762-5.274831 Bus station (Gare Routière) (a 15-min walk from the medina, along Av. Mohamed V). 06:00-22:00. There are two main bus companies serving Chefchaouen: CTM and Nejme Chamal, plus a few smaller ones. All of them terminate/start from this station. Supratours coaches don't serve Chefchaouen, reaching only as far as Tetouan and Fes. Storing piece of luggage in a bus trunk cost 5 dirham, don't pay more....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Chefchaouen is compact and easily walkable. This is what many people come here for. If you are looking for sports or peaceful hiking tours, Chefchaouen is the ideal starting point to branch out in the villages and the surrounding mountains of the Rif with a local guide who knows well the region or just by yourself. If you go to Chefchaouen by car, there are several small car parks on the perimeter of the ancient medina. Car parks are not signposted nor do they have meters, but are tended by people who would claim to be 'guardians'. The going rate seems to be 10 dirham per day—pay when you leave to avoid paying twice. Also, parking is possible at these specific places: The medina is the focal point of interest for most visitors to Chefchaouen. Walking around the town with its whitewashed walls, 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.
Where to Stay
Accommodation can be tight in the peak periods (mid-Jul to Sep) so arrive early or book ahead in these periods. A stroll through the medina will reveal dozens of cheap hotels, starting from 40 dirham per night for a single. Many of these hotels have roof terraces. Hotels that are fully booked will sometimes deliberately over-book and try to move you to another hotel (for a commission), as always avoid touts who may tell you your hotel is closed, not good, hard to find, etc. As Chefchaouen is on the edge of Morocco's marijuana growing region, touts desperate to extract money from travelers can be a serious problem. They can often be quite persistent, however, smiling, remaining calm, and politely refusing (repeatedly) will usually work. Travelers hiking in the Rif Mountain area close to the town can run into the areas of marijuana production. While most of the growers may ignore you, some may offer to sell to you as well.
Money & Budget
All the usuals are on offer in the medina — carpets, leatherwares, spices, metal wares, etc. If you're a seasoned bargainer you can probably get better prices in Fes or Marrakech, but Chefchaouen is undoubtedly a more pleasant place to shop. You'll also find plenty of hippie-wear aimed at budget travelers and marijuana tourists. Chaouen is particularly renowned for leather artisans, and there are 4 or 5 workshops dotted through the town, whose goods you can find at many of the local stores and in the larger northern cities. Many of the craftsmen in Fes and Tetouan served their apprenticeships here.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
As Chefchaouen is on the edge of Morocco's marijuana growing region, touts desperate to extract money from travelers can be a serious problem. They can often be quite persistent, however, smiling, remaining calm, and politely refusing (repeatedly) will usually work. Travelers hiking in the Rif Mountain area close to the town can run into the areas of marijuana production. While most of the growers may ignore you, some may offer to sell to you as well. While many travelers partake in or even come here specifically for the abundance of marijuana (hashish), understand that it is definitely illegal and there is nothing stopping you being proscecuted for buying, transporting, or smoking it. On arriving in Chefchaouen, you may be met by touts at the bus station. They will claim the hotel you're looking for is closed or under restoration. Don't trust these at all and insist on going to your planned destination.