Chefchaouen & the North

Chefchaouen (pronounced: "Shaf-shauen") is one of the most photogenic places in the world — and that's no exaggeration. The entire medina is painted in countless shades of blue, from delicate sky blue to indigo to deep cobalt. Combined with the terracotta roofs, colorful flower pots, and the light of the Rif Mountains, a scenery is created that enchants even after the hundredth photo.

★★★ The Medina

Chefchaouen's medina is a labyrinth of blue alleys climbing up the mountainside. Unlike in Marrakech or Fès, it is manageable, safe, and relaxed — you can wander aimlessly for hours without ever being pestered. The most beautiful corners are in the northeastern part, where the alleys are narrower and the blue tones more intense. Everywhere hang handwoven wool blankets, stand brightly glazed pottery, and herbs dry on the house walls.

★★ Plaza Uta el-Hammam

The central square of the medina, lined with cafes with rooftop terraces — the perfect place to watch the hustle and bustle over a mint tea. On one side, the restored Kasbah (museum, small garden, observation tower: 60 MAD), on the other, the Great Mosque with its unusual octagonal minaret.

★★ Ras el-Maa

At the northeastern edge of the medina, the spring Ras el-Maa gushes from the rock — here Berber women wash wool and laundry, children splash, and you have the best view back to the blue city. Above, hiking trails lead into the mountains. The place is especially magical at sunset.

Why Blue?

The explanations vary: Jewish refugees from Spain (from 1492) supposedly brought the tradition of painting houses blue (symbol of heaven/God). More pragmatically: blue keeps mosquitoes away. Most likely: the city eventually switched to blue, tourists loved it, and today repainting is a civic duty — those who don't regularly paint their house blue get into trouble with the community.

Hashish

Chefchaouen is located in the Rif Mountains, the historic center of Moroccan cannabis cultivation. In the medina, you are likely to be approached — a polite "No, thank you" is enough. Possession is illegal and can lead to problems with the police, even if the practice is tolerated in the region.

Tangier is reinventing itself. The city, which for decades was considered chaotic, rundown, and intrusive, has undergone an impressive transformation over the past ten years: the new port Tanger Med, the high-speed train Al Boraq (to Casablanca in 2 hours), restored palaces, new museums, and a vibrant art scene have made the once "wild north" one of the most exciting cities in Morocco.

★★ Kasbah & Medina

Tangier's Medina (old town) sits on a hill above the port with views of the Strait of Gibraltar — on clear days, you can see Spain. The Kasbah at the top houses the Musée de la Kasbah (art and archaeology, in the former Dar el-Makhzen palace, 20 MAD). The medina's alleys are steep, narrow, and full of life — less polished than Marrakech, but more authentic.

★★ Cap Spartel & Hercules Caves

At Cap Spartel, the northwesternmost point of Africa, the Mediterranean and Atlantic meet — a symbolic place with a lighthouse and dramatic coastal landscape. The Grottes d'Hercule (10 minutes south) are sea caves whose opening to the ocean is shaped like Africa. Entrance: 20 MAD.

Literary Tangier

In the 1950s-60s, Tangier was a magnet for Western writers and bohemians: Paul Bowles ("The Sheltering Sky"), William S. Burroughs (wrote "Naked Lunch" here), Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, the Beat poets. The Café Hafa (since 1921, terraces over the sea), where they all frequented, still serves mint tea with the same view. The American cemetery (the only one on African soil) and the Anglican church recall Tangier's cosmopolitan past.

Modern Tangier

The Ville Nouvelle (Boulevard Pasteur, Avenue Mohammed V) has grand cafes in the French style, Art Deco cinemas, and a growing gastro and bar scene. The Musée de la Fondation Lorin showcases contemporary Moroccan art, and the annual Tangier Film Festival attracts an international audience.

Asilah is Morocco's most charming coastal town — a tiny, white-blue place surrounded by Portuguese fortress walls, right on the Atlantic. The medina is so small that you can walk through it in 20 minutes, and so pretty that you still stay for hours: bougainvillea on every corner, murals (renewed every year during the Moussem Culturel d'Asilah in August), small galleries, and cafes with sea views.

City Wall & Medina

The Portuguese city wall (15th century) is almost completely preserved and walkable. The tour offers views of the Atlantic and the white medina from above. Within the walls, everything is pedestrian-friendly, car-free, and picturesque — every alley a photo opportunity.

Beach

The beach of Asilah begins directly below the city wall — wide, sandy, and almost deserted in the off-season. In summer, Moroccan families from Casablanca and Rabat come. North of the town, endless, lonely sandy beaches stretch along the coast.

Art Festival

The annual Moussem Culturel International (August) has transformed Asilah into an open-air gallery since 1978: international artists paint the walls of the medina, there are concerts, exhibitions, and workshops. The results remain visible for a year until they are painted over at the next festival.

Tétouan is Morocco's Andalusian city — and a UNESCO World Heritage site that hardly any tourist visits. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Muslim and Jewish refugees from Spanish Al-Andalus settled here, bringing their architecture, craftsmanship, and culture with them. The result: a medina that feels like a piece of Granada in North Africa.

★★ Medina (UNESCO World Heritage)

Tétouan's Medina is one of the best-preserved in all of Morocco — and one of the most authentic, as it functions practically without tourism. The white houses with their wrought-iron balconies, the tiled courtyards, the souks full of artisans (tanners, silversmiths, weavers) — everything feels like it did 200 years ago. Unlike in Marrakech, there is no hustling, no fake guides, no inflated prices. You can simply stroll through the alleys and observe everyday life.

Royal Palace & Place Hassan II

The Place Hassan II at the edge of the medina is an elegant square with the magnificent Royal Palace (only from the outside), which shines in the Spanish-Moorish style. The arcades around it house cafes where you can sit for hours and watch the square.

Archaeological Museum

Small but fine museum with finds from the nearby Roman city of Lixus and the region — mosaics, sculptures, ceramics. It shows how deep the history of this region goes.

Spanish Heritage

Tétouan was the capital of the Spanish Protectorate (1913-1956), and the Ensanche (Spanish new town) south of the medina is a piece of Spain in Morocco: Art Deco buildings, a cathedral, Spanish schools, and street names in Spanish. In the cafes, Spanish is still spoken — alongside Arabic and Berber, the third everyday language.

The Rif Mountains stretch as a green arc from Tangier to Nador along the Mediterranean coast — and are one of the least traveled regions of Morocco. Despite (or because of) its proximity to Europe, the Rif feels like another country: Berber is the main language, cannabis is openly cultivated, and the close connection to Spain is evident everywhere.

Landscape

Unlike the dry High Atlas, the Rif is green and wooded: cork oaks, pines, cedars, and blooming meadows in spring are more reminiscent of southern Europe than North Africa. The mountain villages cling to steep slopes, the valleys are deep, and the roads are winding — a scenically spectacular but slow-driving region.

Berber Culture of the Riffians

The Amazigh (Berbers) of the Rif — the Riffians or Irifyen — have a distinct culture and history. They speak Tarifit (Rif Berber), which is very different from the Tamazight of the Atlas. The region has a long tradition of resistance: the legendary Abdelkrim el-Khattabi led a rebellion against Spain and France from 1921-1926 and briefly founded a Rif Republic. Even today, the region is politically assertive.

Cannabis Cultivation

A large portion of Europe's hashish comes from the Rif — especially from the region around Ketama. Driving through the mountains, you see the fields openly on the hillsides. Travelers are advised not to stop and not to take photos, as the farmers understandably react suspiciously to strangers with cameras. Since 2021, Morocco has partially legalized cultivation for medical and industrial purposes.

The Akchour Waterfalls in the Talassemtane National Park are one of the great natural wonders of northern Morocco — and one of the most beautiful hikes in the country. Only 30 kilometers from Chefchaouen, a river valley leads through dense forests to two spectacular destinations: the waterfalls and the natural rock bridge "Pont de Dieu".

★★★ Great Waterfalls

The hike to the great Akchour Waterfalls (about 3.5 hours round trip) follows the Oued Farda river through wooded terrain, over rocks, and through crystal-clear river pools where you can swim. The waterfall itself cascades over several steps into an emerald green pool — a place of unreal beauty. The path is steep and slippery in places — sturdy shoes are a must.

★★ Pont de Dieu (God's Bridge)

A second hiking trail (about 1.5 hours round trip) leads to the God's Bridge — a natural rock arch that spans high above a gorge with turquoise water. The pool below is a popular swimming spot (but cold!). The bridge itself is walkable, though dizzying.

Talassemtane National Park

Akchour is located in the Parc National de Talassemtane, one of the few protected areas in Morocco for the Moroccan fir forest (Abies marocana) — an endemic, endangered tree species. The park is also home to Barbary macaques, wild boars, and over 100 bird species.