The Must-See Blue City of Morocco: Chefchaouen

I was fortunate enough to get very close with my roommates this summer, living among five girls in an apartment for five weeks. This could have proved to be difficult, but our personalities clicked and we had such a blast!

When my roommate and I went to one of ISA’s cultural immersion events we were given the opportunity to interact with local Moroccans. This was particularly useful in that my roommate and I love traveling and desperately wanted to explore somewhere off the beaten path.

When we asked our newfound Moroccan friends their suggestions on “can’t miss cities”, they recommended Chefchaouen in unison.

While Chefchaouen is not an excursion offered through ISA, we knew we would regret missing it. So, the weekend of our Asilah trip, we stayed overnight in Asilah and then my two roommates and I proceeded to pile into a taxi the following day. Twenty dollars and many good tunes later, we found ourselves in the blue city.

We arrived late morning and were greeted by our host, paying only $10 each for the night in our apartment. Exhausted from our early journey, we all decided to take a nap, later heading out to explore the hidden gems of Chefchaouen.

With sunset quickly approaching we made the decision to hike to a Spanish mosque, TripAdvisor assuring us a breathtaking view. What was meant to be a twenty minute hike we mastered in ten, determined to see Chefchaouen in its early evening glory. As the pictures tell, we were not disappointed.

Chefchaouen also offers dreamy streets of blue. Our very limited research informed us that the city had been painted blue by Jewish inhabitants long before.

The city boasts its own unique charm, some streets lined with vendors, others with cats alongside their newborn kittens.

My time in Morocco seemed so fleeting looking back now, but I am glad to have made the most of it, exploring with people I now consider to be lifelong friends.

The world awaits…discover it.