I am writing about my favorite place in Morocco’s Blue City Chefchaouen. Famous for blue-rinsed houses set on one of the hills of the Rif Mountains. It’s definitely one of the most picturesque towns I have ever seen. If you just scroll through social media, you will see plenty of photos from Chefchaouen.
Town looks like from a fairy-tale! It was so much fun to get lost in the labyrinth of narrow streets and blue buildings. I am a big fan of colorful cities, are you? What I also loved there was its calmness – in the old part there is no traffic, just small pedestrian streets leading to the main square. After few days there, I was feeling so relaxed, I didn’t want to come to the streets full of cars hustle and bustle again.
Buying blue pain on the street of Chefchaouen is easy and cheap. Citizens of the blue city are encouraged to paint their houses blue for growing tourism.
Why is Morocco’s blue city Chefchaouen actually blue?
Blue is a popular color in Morocco. Many old cities have medina (old market) in blue and white colors. Chefchaouen, however, has its unique style – blue is more vivid and white is less popular. I was asking people and doing research and found out the true about Morocco’s blue city Chefchaouen blues.
First of all, there is a theory that Jewish refugees which ran away from Hitler in 1930 painted the city in blue. The reason was that blue color symbolizes the sky and heaven. Secondly, blue color deters mosquitos and flies as they are afraid, that’s it’s water. That’s why plenty of fishermen towns all around the world are painted in blue. Looks at Greece for example, where windows and doors were painted blue to stop the flies entering the houses.
Both theories seem to be true, but the only certain fact is, that blue city of Chefchaouen attracts visitors, which love to wander the calm streets and shoot some beautiful photos. You will admire lovely lanes during the day as well as with the night lights. Morrocans walking by in their traditional clothes or cats stalking for food, look great with the blue background. When you are there, you literally want to take photos all around, every single second.
What is blue city of Chefchaouen famous for?
The blue city is famous not just for the blue color. Rif Mountains are source of hashish for all Morocco as well as export. Local hills all over cover this plant. This also effects the citizens – they move in a slow pace, along with the town. I traveled to many destinations in Morocco and had the impression that everyone is peaceful here, so are the streets of the old town without cars and noises. It is extremely easy to buy some hash almost on every corner.
Moreover, blue city is known for hammams – Turkish bath, which are numerous here. Have you already done it? A hot sauna and old women turning you like a sack of potatoes and scrubbing your body with a rough pad to remove the dead skin. Yummy! Let’s do that!
Check other posts:
3 weeks itinerary
Marrakech Ultimate Guide
What to see in Chefchaouen?
Blue city is a small town. Most of the people come here just for two day, but some stay longer just to relax. Walking around old medina to enjoy the mesmerising blue streets is not all! You can go out of the medina walls, up the stairs, to see the stunning view over the blue city. Highly recommend getting there for sunset!
Besides, there is a little hike to the spanish mosque, which is on another hill. The view from there is stunning as you can see the blue city of Chefchaouen just in front of you.
If you start to feel too blue get out of the medina towards the waterfall Ras el Maa. This waterfall is on the east end of the medina and is where the locals gather to socialize.
PL Pszczoła kocha przyrodę, kwiaty oraz herbatę. Najbardziej sprawia jej przyjemność życie i podróże w rytmie slow, bez pośpiechu. Stara się podróżować bardziej ekologicznie i inspirować do tego innych. Lubi poznawać inne kultury, tradycje, spędzać czas z lokalnymi i kosztować ich przysmaków. Jej ulubione miejsca w każdej podróży to uliczne bazary.
ENG The Bee is a nature lover and tea addict. Loves the idea of slow life and responsible traveling, constantly trying to improve to bee more eco-friendly. Appreciates old cultures and traditions, loves to immerse with locals, listen to ethnic music as well as taste regional food and drinks. Her favorite spots while traveling are family houses and street markets.
I’ve always wanted to visit Morocco. I like the blue touch in your photos. It emits a cool feeling.
Thanks Claire, blue color really gives this town magic feeling.
We spent 3 weeks in Morocco 2 years ago and we missed the blue city! We did a two week tour that was ironically called “Drunk on Colour” and it didn’t visit the blue city…so it’s still on our bucket list.
It is weird that Blue city was not included in your trip. Next time! 🙂
Wow! I did not know that blue helped deter flies and mosquitoes. What a great colour to choose to paint a city. This town looks fascinating, and I’m sure the market would be pretty amazing.
Blue is often used in the fishermen villages. Market indeed is amazing specially in the evening when the lights give totally different point of view.
The photos look surreal and the blue looks like it’s out of a movie. Morocco has such a mystique about it.
Thanks Christina, it is really magic place
Wow Such a beautiful city and with a unique colour. In India we too have one such city Jaipur which is know as Pink city 🙂
Oh that’s true, I have been there! There is also city in France – Toulouse- known as a pink city:) check this out 😉
Chefchaouen to też moje ulubione miejsce w Maroku,
przez te cudowne kolory i spokój – ale nie tylko z braku samochodów
– miałam też wrażenie, że nie było tam aż takiego “zachęcania” turystów do zakupów,
co bywało bardzo męczące w innych miastach.
Pozdrawiam!
Masz racje, bylo tam zdecydowanie spokojniej pod wzgledem ‘naganiaczy’ , no oprocz ofer kupna haszyszu 😉
Strasznie chciałabym odwiedzić Maroko. Jednak nie jestem przekonana, czy aktualnie jest tam bezpiecznie?
Pewnie, ze jest bezpiecznie! W drogę!
Niebiańskie miasto? na pewno zachęcające, wydaje się autentyczne i unikatowe, nic tylko pakować walizki 😉
szkoda, że nie ma więcej fotek. to naprawdę cudne miejsce;)
Po więcej fotek zapraszam do galerii 😉
Marzy mi się Maroko 🙂
Dla chcącego nic trudnego! 😉
Kocham ten kolor i z pewnością nigdy nie mam go dość. Maroko bez dwóch zdań pod względem architektury i barw jest wyjątkowy.
Przy tym kolorze można się zrelaksować, kojarzy się niewątpliwie z wakacjami nad morzem 🙂
Love the blue city, Chefchaouen. It reminded me of Jodhpur from Mehrangarh fort but Chefchaouen is so blue from up close too. Hashish :), I am sure that makes it quite popular too ! Love the pictures, they are superb
Oh yeah I heard about Jodhpur but didn’t have enough time for Rajastan. Hopefully next time. Thanks for visiting Swati.
Looks unique and beautiful i know Sidi bou Said greeks and some in turkey they use blue with white but here seems blue is dominant i heard insects perceive blue as a fire and they dont come close dont know it is true or not 🙂
Yeah I think you are right, insects are affraid of blue color. Greeks used it as well in their fishermen villages.
Nie byłam w tym mieście podczas mojej wizyty w Maroko. Trochę żałuję, bo wiem, że bardzo by mi się spodobało, ale jestem pewna, że jeszcze kiedyś tam wrócę. Uwielbiam Maroko – jego klimat, kuchnię i architekturę. Coś wspaniałego!
Pozdrawiam,
Kinga
Chefchaouen is our beloved city in Morocco. I sense that the tones of the blue-washed town aided to quiet not only the citizens but also the travelers that roam the streets. Such a distinction to Marrakech! Thanks for such an attractive and educational post! Cling to up the motivation.