Chefchaouen City

According to tradition, the houses of Chefchaouen were painted blue by the Jewish community that settled in the town, and the color spread throughout the medina. Today, the beauty of its blue streets, contrasting with the surrounding mountains, and its relaxed atmosphere make it one of the most attractive places in Morocco. The main square of the medina, Outa el Hammam, is full of cafés where locals and travelers mingle naturally. Chefchaouen is also a great place to buy crafts that are hard to find elsewhere in the country, such as woolen clothing and woven blankets, and to taste its famous goat cheese. The town was founded in 1471 in a hard-to-reach location that controlled the trade route between Tetouan and Fez and served as a base to stop Portuguese influence from Ceuta. Between the 15th and 17th centuries it prospered and grew with the arrival of Moriscos and Jews expelled from Spain. In 1920 it became part of the Spanish protectorate and returned to Morocco with the country’s independence in 1956.