Chefchaouen travel guide

Background

Set in the Djeballa region, Chefchaouen was founded in 1471 by Cherif Moulay Ali Ben Rachid, a follower of Moulay Abd es Salam Ben Mchich, the patron saint of the area, in order to halt the southwards expansion of the Spanish and Portuguese. The city’s population was later supplemented by Muslims and Jews expelled from Spain, particularly from Granada, and for a time the rulers of Chefchaouen controlled much of northern Morocco. The town also grew in importance as a pilgrimage centre.

From 1576 Chefchaouen was in conflict with, and isolated from, the surrounding area, the gates being locked each night. Prior to 1920 only three Christians had braved its forbidding walls: the Vicomte de Foucauld disguised as a rabbi in 1883; Walter Harris, Times correspondent and author of Morocco That Was, in 1889; and the American William Summers, poisoned in Chefchaouen in 1892. They found Jews still speaking 15th-century Andalucían Spanish. In 1920 the town was taken over by the Spanish as part of their protectorate. They were thrown out from 1924 to 1926, by Abd el Karim’s Rif resistance movement but returned to stay until Independence in 1956.

Modern Chefchaouen has extended across the hillsides, and the old town is now ringed by a suburb of the usual three-storey family apartment buildings. Though it is now well established on tourist itineraries, both mainstream and backpacker, Chefchaouen manages to retain a village feel. Here you may have your first sighting of the distinctive garments of the women of the Rif, the red and white striped fouta or overskirt and the large conical straw hat with woollen bobbles.

Getting around

Chefchaouen’s bus station is a 20-minute walk out of the town centre, or a short petit taxi journey. Coming in by grand taxi, you arrive close to the old town on Avenue Allal Ben Abdallah. Once you’re in the old town, everything is accessible on foot.

Ins and outs

Getting there

By bus and grand taxi, Chefchaouen is within easy travelling distance of Tetouan (one hour), Ouezzane (1¼ hours) and Tangier (two hours). The journeys from Meknès (five hours) and Fès (seven hours) will require early morning starts. Driving your own car, you might take the N13/N2 which runs close to Chefchaouen from Ouezzane to the south to Tetouan. Note that as Chefchaouen is midway between central Moroccan towns and Tangier/Tetouan, buses often arrive full.

Chefchaouen

Try to reserve your bus seat in advance when you want to move on.

Bus

: the bus station is down the hill out of town. Buses are often through services and can thus be full. There are several buses a day for Ouezzane, 3 daily for Meknès (5 hrs), 10 daily for Fès (7 hrs), 4 a day for Tetouan and Tangier, 2 daily for Al Hoceïma (8 hrs). Grands taxis: leave from the bus station on Av Allal Ben Abdallah to most of the above destinations.

Banks

Banque populaire, Av Hassan II; BMCE, Av Hassan II; Crédit agricole, Pl Outa el Hammam.

Post

PTT, Av Hassan II.

Medical services

Chemist beside Hotel Magou.