Chefchaouen (aka Chef-choo-choo)

Of all the places we wanted to go in Morocco, Chefchaouen was top on our list. Known as Chaouen (translation: peaks) to locals, the name Chefchaouen (translation: look at the peaks) was not adopted until 1975 during Spanish occupation. The two names are now used interchangeably.

Classic Chaouen street, with local leather shop and Rif in background

History aside, Chaouen has the reputation for being incredibly charming and picturesque! And it lives up to the expectation. Nearly every building is painted partially or entirely sky blue, and the Andalucian influence remains present in the red tiled roofing. Chaouen is also at the foot of the Rif mountain range in Northern Morocco, relatively small, and full of narrow cobblestoned streets packed with crafts. So there was hiking, scenery, minimal city craziness and the possibility of finding a carpet our hearts desired.

Local fountain, often accompanied with a communal cup


Moroccan carpets are alluring as they are one of the few crafts women make exclusively, are one of a kind, and generally tell a story in the embroidery or woven pattern. They are also aesthetically stunning. We had visited a number of carpet houses, which are literally piled with thousands of carpets. They smell earthy, the air heavy with wool and mint tea.

Pigments, sold at hardware stores all over

Carpet sellers classically have tea with potential customers, actual customers, or really anyone who wants to have tea. Most obviously want to sell carpets, but they also seemingly delight in telling you about the carpets, what Berber tribe made them and what the symbolism of the design means. But we are getting off the subject…back to Chefchaouen.

Local laundromat, cold wash cycles only


We stayed at a little hostal called Hostal Gernika, owned ironically by a Spanish couple. Further exemplifying our knack for finding Basque locales in non-Basque areas, the town of Gernika is the spiritual heart of the Basque region.


Another irresistable door

The hostal was a five minute walk through the medina to Plaza Uta el Hammam, the definite social core of this charming mountain town. Here we ate many a meal, drank cold Fanta in the shade, and kicked back to watch the world pass by.

Dinner a la Sweetie and Pooks

The other noteworthy piece about Chaouen is that it is the hashish mecca of Morocco. Although officially illegal in Morocco, this legality is overlooked if not entirely ignored by law enforcement. Acquiring hashish or kif (a powdered, less potent concoction) is easier than purchasing water. The surrounding hillsides are full of many local crops, including marijuana. So local families usually produce a mixture of wheat, marijuana, and vegetables with a goat and/or sheep herd on the side. It is no big deal having marijuana be part of the mixture, it is just a way of life. We may have been the only people there not partaking in smoking anything, it literally seemed like part of the daily routine. The interesting thing we noted, however, is that locals are not lazy or dull. They are friendly, alert, and very productive.

G'night Chaouen

All in all, Chaouen was a delightful stop in our adventure where we finally recovered from being sick, found exquisite carpets, and enjoyed ourselves fully in this friendly and beautiful town.