I was already in Northern Morocco for a few days. I figured that visiting Chefchaouen would be a good idea because it’s only a few hours away from Tangier (where I stayed).
I considered spending a few days in Chefchaouen, but I was in the country for such a short time and would like to visit other places. I settled on doing a day trip. I knew that wasn’t enough; however, it would still be a great ‘reconnaissance’ trip if I ever returned.
A brief overview of Chechaouen in bullets:
It is located in the Rif mountain range.
A warrior named Abu Youma founded it as a holy city in the mid-15th century.
The Moors used it as their refuge after their expulsion from Spain.
Spain occupied it in 1920.
The Spaniards returned the city to Morocco in the 1950s.
It’s blue almost everywhere. The information above might be useful whenever an influencer walks up to you and asks about geography with US$100 as a prize.
The drive to the blue city was scenic, with views of the mountains, hills, and countryside. Our group arrived at our destination. I was unsure if it was low season or if it just so happened that there weren’t a lot of other tourists.
There are a few stories as to why many of the buildings in Chefchaouen have a blue hue. One of the narratives was that the Sephardic Jews in the city brought their tradition of painting things blue with them when they fled the Spanish Inquisition centuries ago.
For Jews, Blue symbolized the heavens and sky. As we wove in and out of narrow paths and alleys, we noticed that some of the buildings, shops, and houses were a mix of white and blue, some of which were only half painted. Our guide pointed out that Jews and Muslims lived together in Chefchaouen before.
To distinguish their houses, the Jews used blue paint for their homes while the Muslims used white paint for theirs. Although currently no Jews are living in the city, the tradition lived on. Locals repaint their walls, buildings, and homes to maintain the vibrant colors the city is famous for. The whole city gave off an artsy vibe. Several corners looked like a great spot for a photo op with either a blue wall (or door) or a mural as a background.
The old city didn’t have the grand mosques (like the ones I saw in Iran and Malaysia) I expected to see; however, the narrow, winding streets and alleys, ancient buildings and structures, and its historic atmosphere made up for it.
The balance of the white and vibrant blue walls with a sprinkle of color (exemplified by the shops selling trinkets, ceramics, and paintings, and murals) allowed my thoughts and imagination to linger. What was life like here three centuries ago? How could teenagers at that time survive without TikTok and smartphones? These questions were a couple of the things that crossed my mind.
The squares at the center of the zigzagging streets served as rest and dining hubs for weary travelers or locals. After an hour or so of haggling with shopkeepers and/or hundreds of photos, you can sit down, drink tea, or grab something to eat before doing it all over again.
The main square Plaza Uta el-Hammam is a lively spot surrounded by cafes, restaurants, and shops. A day is always never enough when visiting a new destination, but I did get a feel for what Chefchaouen is, a little bit of it.
It’s exciting to think of a return trip and to visit other cities in Morocco; concretizing my imagination with details such as visiting Rick’s Café in Casablanca (a recreation of the fictional bar from Humphrey Bogart’s movie), haggling and pretending interest in buying from a shop in Marrakech, getting lost in Fez’s medina, and riding a camel along the dunes of the Sahara Desert. But for now, I’ll let these thoughts simmer in my head until the next time.