I’m currently seated in my room writing this whilst listening to Florence & The Machine’s ‘Dog Days Are Over’. This song made me nostalgic and took me back to my favourite Moroccan city, Chefchaouen. Disclaimer: The song has a dark, melancholic tone to it , which in no way reflects how Chefchaouen is and all its splendor. Ha!

When it came to preparing for the Morocco trip, Chefchaouen was the city at the top of my list. I read varied articles, made an entire pinterest board and even over-watched all the Chefchaouen related videos on Youtube. Finally, three weeks into my time in Morocco, I finally got to travel to my dream city! AIESEC Casablanca had organized a trip to the landmark city with transport, accommodation and a trip to some adjacent sites, Akchour & M’diq beach, that cost 900MAD (Ksh 9000) which is REALLY expensive for a weekend getaway in Morocco but I was prepared to spend the hefty amount for a ‘worth-it’ weekend.

The bus ride from Casablanca to Chefchaouen took nearly 7 hours with a quick pitstop in between with uncomfortable winding roads that made the trip feel 10 times longer but the view point of the city made from one of the hills of the Atlas Mountains was worth the backache.

HOTEL TAREK

We finally got to Chefchaouen and checked in the Hotel Tarek. This four star hotel in middle of the city is 5 minutes away from the Old Medina. The one thing that left me obsessed with this hotel was the view from their Rooftop.

THE BLUE PEARL

Chefchaouen isn’t exactly blue. It has a purplish tone to it which my friend Boutheyna felt displeased by. The main ‘blue’ part is the Old Medina due to a Jewish Community that was expelled from Spain in the 15th Century. God knows why they opted to paint the city blue…but it was a swell idea. The colours and the vibrancy of it all simply leaves you happy. Chefchaouen is comparable to your favourite flavour of ice cream and that feeling you get while devouring it with the sun shining in your face.

This Old Medina was also quite different from all the others. It was calmer than the other cities I visited, less souvenir shops , more homes, friendly locals and a large Christmas tree at the centre of the plaza…need I add that it was July?And it had all the cats! ALL THE CATS! I was in heaven.

Be sure to trek all the way to the lighthouse during sunset and view the entire city from above. You will get to see how it seats on the Atlas Mountain and the mundanity of it all. There is a sense of tranquility when you are up there. Let me shut up now and allow you to enjoy this gallery.

I even got to visit a tapestry shop that has awe-worthy crafts, leather bags, jackets, pillows etc.

I didn’t take as many photos as I would have liked because I would honestly forget to do it. Chefchaouen had that effect on people. You end up living in the moment.

Until next time, Chefchaouen. I’ll be sure to be back

Have a lovely week.