Chefchaouen

The Blue Pearl — Instagram-famous blue medina in the Rif Mountains.

Wedged into the Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen is Morocco's most photographed town: a whole medina washed in shades of blue, from powder to indigo. Beyond the photos, it is a genuinely relaxed mountain town — walk the blue lanes early before the day-trippers arrive, climb to the Spanish Mosque viewpoint at sunset, and refuel at a rooftop table around Plaza Uta el-Hammam. The Akchour waterfalls and the natural stone arch of God's Bridge make a full-day hike for active travellers. Chefchaouen sits on the northern route between Tangier, Fes and the coast — it pairs naturally with an imperial-cities itinerary rather than a desert one, and Morocco Grand Adventure can link it into northern loops on request.

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Chefchaouen in Pictures

Blue-washed street lined with Berber carpets for sale in the Chefchaouen medina, Morocco
Handwoven Berber carpets add colour to a blue-washed medina lane.
Vibrant blue stairway with small craft shops in Chefchaouen, Morocco
A blue stairway lined with craft shops in the Blue Pearl.
Handmade baskets and souvenirs displayed in a shop in Chefchaouen, Morocco
Locally made baskets and souvenirs for sale in the Blue City.
Panoramic view over the blue medina of Chefchaouen and the Rif Mountains, Morocco
The blue medina spreads below the Rif Mountains.
Couple walking down blue-painted steps in the Chefchaouen medina, Morocco
Descending the famous blue steps of the Chefchaouen medina.

Chefchaouen through our lens

The blue-washed medina of Chefchaouen cascading down the hillside in the Rif Mountains
The blue medina of Chefchaouen cascading down the hillside in the Rif Mountains.

Things to do in Morocco