[MOROCCO] My Day Trip to Blue City of Chefchaouen From Fez

15:40 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

Chefchaouen is the famous blue city in northwest Morocco, which is nestled in the Riff Mountains. I decided to do a day trip to Chechaouen from Fez after seeing the countless beautiful photos taken at Chefchaouen. Although the journey took me four hours one way, it was completely worth it!

Getting there:

1) By bus 

The most economical way to get there is by bus from nearby cities such as Fez, Tetouan and Tangier. It is also possible to get there by bus from Casablanca, but the journey would be six hours. 

There are two local bus stations in Fez, one is located nearby the Medina (old city) and the other is the CTM bus station in the new part of the city. Due to my accommodation is in the Medina, I decided to buy the earliest bus tickets available a day before at the bus station nearby Medina (see photo above). Or else, I would need to hail a taxi to CTM bus station before taking the CTM bus to Chefchaouen. I couldn't remember exactly how much was the bus tickets, it was about 50 Dirhams. 

I DO NOT recommend taking the local bus as the bus has no air-conditioning and dirty. The driver only opened the window once in a while to smoke, the others window are not openable. Fortunately the weather was not too hot in mid October but still it was stuffy inside the bus. There are plenty of empty seats but the bus conductor and driver did not allow us to take one more seat for my child unless I paid for one more ticket.

So for the journey back from Chefchaouen, I took the CTM bus. I bought the CTM bus ticket at the only bus station, Gare Routiere, in Chefchaouen. All buses arrive and depart from the same bus station as it is a small city. The CTM bus was slightly more expensive, but worth it as it is new, has air-conditioning and clean. The journey back was much more comfortable. All the seats were full in the CTM bus.

The bus station in Chefchaouen is a bit far from the Medina. It is 15-minute walk uphill to reach the Medina. 

There are usually some small taxis waiting at the bus station. You may consider taking the taxis to reach the Medina. 

2) By taxi / private tour

Of course, if you don't mind paying more, you can always to book a private transfer or private excursion to Chefchaouen. 

Why is Chefchaouen Painted in Blue?

The origin of why the city was painted in blue was unclear and there are a few theories explaining why it was painted in blue. The first one was that it didn't get its distinctive colour until 1900s, when it received an influx of Jews as the Second World War started. The colour blue symbolized the sky according to Jewish belief. The Jews introduced the practice to paint things in blue. The second theory was the residents believe that the blue shades repel the mosquitoes. Some locals also states that the shades of blue keep their houses cool in warmer months. Other reasons include blue represents the colour of water, for aesthetic reasons and even to boost tourism. Whatever was the reason, the city sure looks pretty in blue and it is now a popular tourist destination.

Things to do in Chefchaouen:

The best thing to do in Chefchaouen is to wander aimlessly through the narrow streets and steps of the city and took in its beauty. It was raining during my visit and I was delighted to find the city was less crowded than I would've imagined. 

There are a few favourite photo spots that I like very much. One of them is this stairway lined with brightly coloured pots. 

Try to find some variations to the photographs such as colourful lanterns or colourful potted plants.

I love this accidental shot of a shy local boy standing under the tangerine tree.

A white minaret in the background.

My favourite portrait in front of a blue door surrounded by blue walls, which is now my profile photo.

Photos with my family.

The cats in Chefchaouen were also very photogenic and weren't afraid of people.

Outa el Hamman Square is a historical square in Chefchaouen. The square is surrounded by restaurants, shops, the Kasbah and the Grand Mosque.

If you're getting tired of the blue, consider visiting the Kasbah. It is a 15th century military encampment which contains a former prison, a small garden, some galleries within a curtain wall flanked with eleven towers. The admission fee for foreigners were 60 Dirhams for adult and 25 Dirhams for child. Opening hours: 9am - 5.30pm (Oct - May), 9am - 6.30pm (May - Sep).

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Although Chefchaouen is a touristy city, shopping in Chefchaoeun is considerably cheaper as compared with other major cities in Morocco such as Marrakesh, Casablanca and Fez. They also sell native handicrafts such as wool garments, woven baskets and woven blankets here. You can try to haggle for best price when shopping for souvenirs. They mainly accept cash here.

As Chefchaoeun is located in the mountains, you can hike up the hills and old city walls to get an overview of the city.

Overall, Chefchaouen is as beautiful as I imagined.