Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen (??????) is a city in Morocco.

Understand

It's no wonder that tourists flock to Chefchaouen: 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.

Get in

The main bus station is a fifteen minute, uphill walk south-west of the medina. There are usually a couple of petit taxis waiting for a customer at the entry. Don't pay more than Dh 10 to get to the medina.

Get around

There are plenty of 'petit taxis' to ferry you around town (they are not metered, agree on a price before you start your trip), but most of the town, and certainly the medina are easily traversed by foot.

See

The 'medina' is the focal point of interest for most visitors to Chefchaouen.
The waterfall to the east of the medina is a meeting point for local residents who come to cool off, chat and do their laundry.
The ruins of an old mosque, on a hill behind the waterfall, overlook the medina and its crumbling tower offers great views of the town.

Do

Take a hike through the fantastic Rif Mountains.

Buy

Hashish its everywhere and so are its dealers.

Eat

typical dish is baissara but you can have all variety of Moroccan food in chaouen: tajines, fish tagras,..

Drink

don't forget to drink tea (of course with meat) all Cafes of Outa hamam serve this so Moroccan drink

Sleep

Accommodation can be tight in the peak periods (mid-July to September) so its advisable arrive early or book ahead in these periods. A stroll through the medina will reveal dozens of cheap hotels, starting from Dh 40 per night for a single. Many of these hotels have roof terraces. Pension Castellana (singles from Dh 50) has a lovely roof terrace and is popular with backpackers. for higher quality accommodation : casa Hassan (singles from 700 DH) Auberge Dardara' (singles from 490 DH) outside Chefchaouen.

Stay safe

As Chefchaouen is located on the edge of Morocco's marijuana growing region, touts desperate to extract money from travellers can be a serious problem. Desperate for their next fix and refusing to accept a polite refusal, they can become threatening in their efforts to sell you hashish or act as unofficial guides. Their slogan seems to be, "You have the paranoia" if you try to get away from them.

Travellers hiking in the Rif Mountain area close to the town have had stones thrown at them by armed men to scare them away from areas of marijuana production.

Get out

Regular buses depart from the long distance bus station (see 'Get Around') to destinations around Morocco:

Tetouan - hourly buses until 18:00; Dh 15, 90 minutes.
Tangier - two buses daily; Dh 27, 3 hours.
Rabat - four buses daily, the last at 13:00; Dh 50, 4 hours.
Casablanca - three morning buses, the last at 9:00; Dh 60, 5.5 hours.
Meknes - three buses, the last at 15:30; Dh 45, 4 hours.
Fes - four buses, the last at 13:30; Dh 50, 4 hours.
Berbered and Ketama - daily buses at 08:00; Dh 20, 3 hours.

'Grand taxis' to Tetouan and Tangier depart from a street just of Plaza Mohammed V.

External links

http://www.dardara.com : Auberge dardara http://www.casahassan.com : Casa Hassan http://www.parador.ma : Hotel Parador