Tucked high in the Rif is the small, gleaming town of Chefchaouen (pop. 50,000). The town’s laid-back ambience, excellent location for gorgeous hiking and mountain treks, and ready availability of kif (hashish) have lured backpackers for decades, but the breeze and blinding blue of its enchanting medina are more than worth a few days’ rest.
The bus station (☎039 98 95 73) is a long hike downhill from town; taxis (10-15dh) pass along the road next to the station. Most buses are just passing through, and they fill up, so get tickets as early as possible. CTM and other buses go to: Fez (5hr.; 1, 3:15, 6pm; 65 dh); via Ouzzane, the best bet for connections (1hr.; 25dh); Marrakesh (8-9hr., 4 per day 1:30-8pm); Casablanca (8hr., 7pm) via Rabat (7hr.); Tangier (3:15pm, 40dh); and Tetouan (1hr., noon, 3:15pm, 25dh). To get to Ceuta, you must go through Tetouan. Private companies also have daily buses to Fez and Meknes. Grand taxis are the easiest way to get to Tetouan (30dh) and Ceuta, although they often take a while to fill. Taxis leave a block downhill from Pl. Mohammed V on Av. al-Massira al-Khadra.
From the bus stations, head up the steep hill and turn right after several blocks onto Av. Mohammed V, which leads to the tree-filled, circular Pl. Mohammed V; the center of town is a 20min. walk (or 10-15dh cab ride). Cross the plaza and continue east on Av. Hassan II, the main road of the ville nouvelle. Here you’ll find currency exchange at the BMCE (open M-F 8:15am-2:15pm), the post office with telephones (open M-F 8am-4:30pm, Sa 8am-noon) and internet at IRIC, 10 av. Hassan II. (☎039 98 97 15. 10dh per hr. Open daily 9am-midnight.) Chefchaouen has no tourist office. Down Av. Hassan II is the Bab al-Ain, the main gate into the medina. From Bab al-Ain, the main street twists uphill to place Uta al-Hammam, the plaza at the heart of the medina. Just east of Uta al-Hammam is Place el-Majzen, the end of Av. Hassan II, which runs past Bab al-Ain and skirts the southern edge of the medina. Hospital Mohammed V (☎039 18 62 28) is a block west from Pl. Mohammed V on Av. al-Massira al-Khadra, down a flight of stairs from the plaza and on the left, and police can be reached at ☎19.
Chefchaouen has a slew of colorful budget hotels. Inside the medina, head uphill from Bab al-Ain. Lodgings are clustered along these streets and around Pl. Uta al-Hammam. Firmly a backpackers town, Chefchaouen is full of establishments that have social common rooms and rooftop terraces.
Inside the medina, outdoor seating is available in Pl. Uta al-Hammam at various restaurants, which have largely identical menus but good ambience.
Chefchaouen’s steep medina is one of Morocco’s best to explore, perhaps because it is less crowded and more relaxed than those of larger cities. Enter through Bab al-Ain and walk uphill toward Pl. Uta al-Hammam, the center of the medina. The side streets are worth a look, too, as some are drenched in exquisite bright blue paint, giving the town a fresh, Mediterranean feel unlike any other in Morocco. Also worth seeing is the 17th-century kasbah built by Moulay Ismail, Morocco’s famous rogue. Inside is a museum with traditional Berber garments and pictures of Chefchaouen during the Rif War. The old jail cells, with rusty leg irons on the walls, are open, as is the tower. The view of the city is worth all the stairs. (Open M and W-Su 9am-1pm and 3-6:30pm. 10dh.)
For information on maps, trails, or contacting guides, see Ahmed at Hotel Andaluz or the reception at Hotel Rif. Follow the Ras al-Ma River (still known as Hippie River from the days Chefchaouen attracted many) upstream into the hills for just a few kilometers for spectacular results. For a view of the city, hike to the Hotel Asmaq (follow signs for the ville nouvelle ). Behind the hotel, there’s a path that winds up the peak to the left, then runs down into the valley. Try reaching the “Spanish mosque,” the ruins of a mosque built by the Spanish but abandoned in the Rif War. It’s about 3km up the path on a hill overlooking the town. Jebel el-Kalaa (1616m), the peak that towers over Chefchaouen, is a reasonable one-day hike for anyone in decent shape. To get to the trailhead, head out Bab el-Majarrol at the end of the medina and walk up to Hotel Atlas Chaouen. Alternatively, you can walk up Moulay Ali ben Rachid (outside Bab al-Ain) and hike through the cemetary. Walk past the hotel along the road until you reach the entrance to Talassemtane National Park. The gravel path (marked with a sign reading “El-Kalaa and Izelan”) is the start of the trail. The first hour is a series of switchbacks through pine groves. Once you clear them, it’s scrub and flowers, along with lots of grazing goats. After 2-2½hr., the trail cuts sharply to the left (almost 180˚) while the 4WD track continues past the mountain. You may pass kif plantations along the way (look for the short, densely growing bright green shoots, the only plants being watered), but farmers generally ignore you. The final 2-3hr. to the summit follow small switchbacks through large boulders and arid scrub. The path falls apart toward the top and some scrambling may be required, but the way is clear. The hike to the summit should take 5-6hr. at a moderate pace, and the descent is obviously much quicker. Berbers frequent and live along the lower trails, and a “la bes” or friendly wave will be warmly reciprocated. If you do continue straight and miss the turn (you are far from alone in this club), the hiking is still gorgeous, leading though several Berber villages and past the Sfiha Telj, huge rocky crags that stick out of the mountains. There are a few campsites but no large settlements for at least another day’s hike, so plan accordingly.
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