a journey through morocco | streets of chefchaouen

I want to share so much with you about our recent trip to Morocco, but it’s hard to even know where to begin! So I’ll start with one of my favorite places. Chefchaouen is located in the Rif Mountains in the northern part of the country. A popular Moroccan song calls the city “the rose between the mountains” and that it is. Established as a fortress to fight the Portuguese invasions in the 15th century, today it’s a favorite holiday spot for Moroccan and Spanish tourists.

It was fun and a bit chaotic exploring Chefchaouen during Semana Santa, a Spanish Holy Week holiday and local spring break. The streets were full of strolling families, children eating sweets, groups of teens playing music, and, of course, tourists taking pictures! As all this activity went on against the backdrop of daily life in Chefchaoen, I was actually struck by what a peaceful place it is.

Roaming the streets early or even late you see women washing laundry at the waterfall on the outskirts of the medina, people carrying water from the city fountains, children riding their bikes in the street, and men coming and going to the mosque. Maybe it was also the daily rhythm of the rooster’s crow and the calls to prayer, the smell of orange blossoms and fresh baked bread in the air, the blue hues of the alleys in the medina that echo the color of the sky, or the gorgeous views of the fog-covered mountaintops surrounding the town. I love the play of pattern, texture and color here!  It truly is a magical place. When you see it, I think you’ll agree. If you haven’t visited Chefchaouen yet, I would highly recommend adding it to your bucket list. You’ll love it!