Hotel SalamHOTEL€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0539 98 62 39; 39 Ave Hassan II; s/d Dh80/150)
An out-of-medina experience on the main road up to the plaza, the Salam has bright courtyard rooms. Shared facilities are adequate, but sinks in all rooms are a bonus. Fairly priced for a simple experience.
Camping AzilaneCAMPGROUND€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0539 98 69 79; www.campingchefchaouen.com; Hay Ouatman; camping per adult Dh30, plus per tent/car/campervan Dh20/20/35, electricity Dh15; Ws)
A shady setting with great views makes this site popular, although cleanliness is questionable. It is a stiff 20-minute walk from the medina. There’s a small restaurant and a shop that sells some essentials, but otherwise facilities are pretty basic (hot showers Dh10). Fires and alcohol are not allowed.
oAuberge DardaraINN€€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0539 70 70 07, 0661 15 05 03; www.dardara.ma; Rte Nationale 2; d/tr incl breakfast Dh600/750; as)
This authentic French auberge in the Moroccan countryside offers large rustic suites with TVs and fireplaces and an excellent restaurant. The 10-hectare complex includes an active farm and gardens, a pool, a craft shop, a hammam, a fitness centre, fishing, biking, mule riding, trekking and treasure hunts. Guest programs include crafts, gardening and more. It’s a 10-minute taxi ride (Dh5) to Bab Taza.
Dar ZmanGUESTHOUSE€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0539 98 93 46; www.darzman.net; Bab el Hammar, Ave Hassan II; d incl breakfast from Dh350; aW)
A lovely, finely restored guesthouse with eight brightly painted rooms and a wonderful rooftop breakfast area, created by some ambitious young hoteliers. The faux artefacts revealed in the walls are a clever touch.
oDar Ech-ChaouenGUESTHOUSE€€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0539 98 78 24; www.darechchaouen.ma; 18 Ave Ras el-Maa; d incl breakfast from Dh610, ste d Dh850; aWs)
Providing excellent accommodation, this guesthouse is close to Ras el-Maa, just outside the medina walls. It’s well designed with even staircases, spacious, comfortable rooms and a shady garden terrace. There’s a pool with great views, and a restaurant.
WORTH A TRIP
TAGHRAZOUTE
Some 20km from Chefchaouen on the road to Oued Laou, Le Caiat (%0666 28 87 15, 0671 85 49 97; www.caiat.com; RP 4105, Taghzoute; meals around Dh100, d with breakfast/half-board from Dh200/350) at Taghzoute is a wonderful mountain refuge. The Portuguese owner is a keen environmentalist and works with local Moroccans arranging treks between villages in the Talassemtane National Park. Trails of two hours to two days lead to cooling cascades and monkeys, rock pools and the rare black pine. There is a range of accommodation and a restaurant with breathtaking views across the valleys.
5Eating
Sip a juice or mint tea while watching the world go by at the cafes on Plaza Uta el-Hammam. In the back rooms, local men play cards and smoke kif. Look out for the sticker in some restaurant windows announcing 'The Chefchaouen Network of Community-involved Restaurants'. These establishments support farmers by using local organic products.
La Lampe MagiqueMOROCCAN€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Rue Targhi; mains from Dh45, set menu Dh100; h11am-10pm)
This magical favourite overlooking Plaza Uta el-Hammam serves delicious Moroccan staples in a grand setting. Three bright-blue floors include a laid-back lounge, a more formal dining area and a rooftop terrace. The menu – featuring favourites such as lamb tajine with prunes and some great cooked salads – is much better than average, and the ambience relaxed.
MandalaITALIAN€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0539 88 28 08; mains from Dh40; h11am-10pm)
Offering a welcome break from Chefchaouen's endless tajine parade, Mandala serves up some good pizzas and pastas, plus a serviceable steak. Surroundings are cosy and service is good. If you're feeling lazy, you can even get delivery to your guesthouse.
Lala MesoudaMOROCCAN€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Ave Hassan I; mains from Dh60; hlunch & dinner)
This restaurant serves dishes not found elsewhere in the town. Both the steak with Roquefort sauce and the chicken with cream and mushrooms are recommended, and fish is also available. The interior is comfortable and intimate, if rather dark, and the welcome warm, but check ahead of time as opening hours can be erratic.
AssaadaMOROCCAN€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0666 31 73 16; Bab el-Ain; set menu Dh40; h9am-9pm)
This reliable cheapie tries hard to please. Located on both sides of the alley just prior to Bab el-Ain, it offers the usual menu complet (complete menu), but also great fruit shakes and a funky graffiti rooftop terrace that exudes an urban charm. The staircase is not for the faint-hearted.
Plaza Café-RestaurantsMOROCCAN€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Plaza Uta el-Hamman; breakfast from Dh25, mains from Dh40; h8am-11pm, closes earlier in winter)
It's hard to make a choice between the dozen or so cafes on the main square. Menus are virtually identical – continental breakfasts, soups and salads, tajines and seafood – such that we wonder if they're all served by one giant kitchen, but the food is generally pretty good, the ambience lively and the location perfect for people-spotting.
Bab el-Ansar CaféCAFE€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Bab el-Ansar; h8am-8pm)
Set into the outside wall of the medina, this cafe has a great location overlooking the falls of Ras el-Maa, with three terraces tumbling down the hill. Views are particularly nice in the late afternoon, with the sun catching the mountains opposite.
Chez AzizPASTRIES€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Ave Hassan II; pastries from Dh4; h8am-7pm)
For a decent selection of pastries, make your way here. Pizzas and paninis are also on the menu. They squeeze a mean juice and make good coffee too, for a quick breakfast on the run.
oAuberge Dardara RestaurantMOROCCAN€€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0661 15 05 03, 0539 70 70 07; www.dardara.ma; Rte Nationale 2; menu Dh120; hlunch & dinner)
This is the best restaurant in the area, and worth the 10-minute drive from town (to Bab Taza, Dh5). The Tangerine owner uses only the freshest ingredients from the garden, bakes his own bread and makes his own olive oil and goat's cheese. Try the superb salads, and the venison cooked with dried figs or the succulent rabbit with quince.
Restaurant TissemlalMOROCCAN€€
(Casa Hassan; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 22 Rue Targhi; menu Dh90-120; hnoon-9pm)
Better known as Casa Hassan as it's part of the guesthouse of the same name, this restaurant serves the usual traditional dishes. It's particularly welcoming in winter when there's a roaring fire.
Restaurant Les RaisinsMOROCCAN€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0667 98 28 78; 7 Rue Sidi Sifri; tajines Dh25, set menu from Dh50; h7am-9pm)
A bit out of the way, this family-run place is a perennial favourite with locals and tourists alike, and known for its couscous royal. Late, lazy lunches are the best, with the front terrace catching the afternoon sun.
Chez HichamMOROCCAN€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Rue Targhi; mains around Dh80; h11am-10pm)
Chez Hicham has a lovely warm interior, comfortable seating and views over the kasbah from the terrace. The usual suspects – tajines etc – are on the menu.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
FOODIE TREATS FROM THE MARKET
The market off Ave Hassan II is excellent for fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables, and gets particularly busy on Monday and Thursday, when people come from outside Chefchaouen to sell produce.
Several local specialities are worth checking out, particularly the fragrant mountain honey and soft ewe’s cheese – both served up at breakfast. Add fresh dial makla (a type of bread) and you have your picnic.
6Drinking & Nightlife
While it’s easy to find kif in Chefchaouen, it’s hard to find a beer.
Atlas ChaouenBAR, CLUB
( GOOGLE MAP ; h9am-11pm)
The jazzy bar here is the smartest in Chefchaouen, but it's quite a hike. The
hotel's disco (11pm to 3am) is the only nightclub in the area, but trim your expectations. Hotel guests are the clientele during the week, joined by locals on weekends.
Hotel ParadorBAR
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0539 98 61 36; Pl el-Majzen; h2-11pm)
The bar here is OK for a beer, bottle of wine or spirits, but it's all rather soulless.
Bar Oum-RabiáBAR
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Ave Hassan II; h10am-10pm)
A very masculine option.
7Shopping
Chefchaouen remains an artisan centre and, as such, an excellent place to shop – especially for Riffian woven rugs and blankets in bright primary colours. The largest concentration of tourist shops is around the Uta el-Hammam and Pl el-Majzen.
Ensemble ArtisanatARTS & CRAFTS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Place el-Majzen; h10am-2pm & 4-6pm)
Chefchaouen is an excellent place to shop for woven rugs and blankets. Most of the weaving nowadays is done with wool, one of the area's biggest products. It's worth stopping at the Ensemble Artisinat, if only for the sake of comparison.
8Information
Banque PopulaireBANK
( GOOGLE MAP ; Ave Hassan II, near Bab el-Ain; h8.45am-6pm Mon-Thu, 8.45am-noon Sat)
Bank with ATM and money-changing facilities.
Banque PopulaireBANK
( GOOGLE MAP ; Plaza Uta el-Hammam, Medina; h8.45am-6pm Mon-Thu, 8.45am-noon Sat)
Bank with ATM.
BMCEBANK
( GOOGLE MAP ; Ave Hassan II; h8.45am-6pm Mon-Thu, 8.45am-noon Sat)
Bank with ATM and money-changing facilities.
Hospital Mohammed VHOSPITAL
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0539 98 62 28; Ave al-Massira al-Khadra)
IRICINTERNET
(Institut Raouachid pour l’Information et le Commerce; GOOGLE MAP ; Ave Hassan II; per hr Dh5; h8am-midnight)
Internet cafe next to Librairie Al-Nahj.
Pharmacie ChefchaouenPHARMACY
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0539 98 61 58; Ave Moulay Driss; h8am-6pm Mon-Sat)
Useful pharmacy.
Post OfficePOST
( GOOGLE MAP ; Ave Hassan II; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri, 8-11am Sat)
Preference Voyages AgencyTRAVEL AGENCY
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0539 98 79 13; www.preferencevoyages.com; 39 Ave Hassan II; h9am-12.30pm & 3-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-12.30pm Sat)
This extremely helpful travel agency has tourist information and organises mountain treks with registered guides. English-speaking.
8Getting There & Away
Bus
Bus services from Chefchaouen originate elsewhere, so are often full on arrival. Buy the ticket for your onward journey on arrival in Chefchaouen to secure a seat. The bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0539 98 76 69) is 1.5km southwest of the town centre at the far end of Ave Mohammed V (Dh10 in a petit taxi from Pl el-Majzen). CTM and all other buses use the same station.
CTM serves the following destinations.
Destination Cost (Dh) Duration (hr)
Casablanca 140 6
Fez 75 4
Nador 120 11½
Rabat 100 4½
Tangier 45 3
Other companies run a number of cheaper services to the same destinations, including a daily departure for Oued Laou (Dh32, 1½ hours).
Taxi
The fixed price for a grand taxi from Tangier airport to Chefchaouen is Dh650, and from Tanger Med Dh550. Unless you can find several people to split the fare with you, it is far cheaper to go to Tangier first, then hop to Chefchaouen via Tetouan. Even if you buy two places, you will save over Dh500 and add less than an hour.
Grands taxis north leave Chefchaouen from just below Plaza Mohammed V. Most just run to Tetouan (Dh35, one hour), where you must change for Tangier or Ceuta – direct taxis are rare.
Grands taxis headed south gather below the central market. Catch one to Ouezzane (Dh35, one hour), where you can pick up onward transport to Fez and Meknès. There is very little transport heading east to the coast. The best option is to take a grand taxi to Dardara junction (Dh8, 15 minutes) or Bab Taza (Dh15, 30 minutes) and hope for the best from there.
8Getting Around
Some of Chefchaouen’s blue petits taxis ( GOOGLE MAP ) congregate on Pl el-Majzen; others can be found near the market ( GOOGLE MAP ). They’re unmetered; most fares shouldn’t top Dh10. The safe and convenient Hotel Parador car park (Pl el-Majzen; per night Dh10) can be used by nonguests.
Chaouen Car ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0539 98 62 04; Ave Hassan II) rents cars and also organises 4WD trips and quad bikes.
Trekking in the Rif Mountains: Talassemtane National Park
There are numerous trekking opportunities of various durations in the vast 580-sq-km Talassemtane National Park, which begins just outside Chefchaouen. The name means ‘cold spring’ in Berber. Some popular destinations include the small villages of El-Kelaâ and Akchour, and God’s Bridge, a natural formation that looks like a stone arch. The duration of these excursions depends on how much you wish to drive versus walk.
Chefchaouen to Bab Taza
This is the best introductory walk to the Rif Mountains. Within the Talassemtane National Park and starting from Chefchaouen, it takes in some spectacular scenery, including the geologically improbable God’s Bridge, a natural stone arc spanning the Oued Farda. You are also likely to meet troupes of Barbary apes.
The full trek takes five days, but there are plenty of ways to shorten the distance or duration. One option would be to arrange transport from Akchour back to Chefchaouen at the end of day two. Transport isn’t too hard to find in Akchour, or you can arrange for a grand taxi from Chefchaouen to pick you up at a specified time. Alternatively, you may be able to hike back along an alternate route.
The Talassemtane National Park is one of two parks in the Rif Mountains (the other being Bouhachem). It’s a largely undiscovered area and yet these mountains make perfect trekking country, blessed with magnificent ranges, gorges and valleys, with forests of cedar, cork oak and fir. Being close to the Mediterranean, the Rif are also the greenest of Morocco’s mountains, and springtime, with its riot of wildflowers, is one of the most delightful times to walk here.
One thing that does deter trekkers is the region’s reputation as an area of drug production. But although cannabis takes up over three-quarters of cultivatable land east of Chefchaouen, trekkers have little reason to feel threatened, especially if travelling with a guide – villagers will be genuinely interested and welcoming. The trek detailed here, setting out from Chefchaouen, is well trodden and unproblematic in this respect. In a concerted effort to reduce reliance on the cannabis industry, local organisations, backed by the government, are setting up rural tourism facilities such as gîtes and homestays, managing routes and training guides.
The Rif Mountains rarely top more than 2500m in height, with most treks only occasionally venturing over 2000m, so altitude sickness isn’t the worry it can be in other parts of Morocco.
Wildlife
The Rif’s climate and proximity to Europe endows it with a Mediterranean vibe – the area closely resembles the sierras of southern Spain. Cedars make up the majority of tree species, including a rare endemic species Abies maroccana, a high-altitude variant of the Spanish cedar. In addition, cork oak, holm pine, wild olive, juniper and the rare carob are some that dot the limestone mountains. The stony land is hard to cultivate and thin in nutrients; deforestation is an issue here as in other parts of Morocco. Various herbs such as lavender and thyme thrive and are used by the local population as medicines.
Locals may tell you that there are wolves in the mountains, but it’s a mistranslation – there are foxes. Wild boar are also native, but have a retiring nature that makes them hard to spot. The Rif’s most famous mammals are the Barbary apes (known locally as mgou), whose range extends south into the Middle Atlas.
You’ll have better luck with birdlife. Raptors easily spotted wheeling on thermals include black-shouldered kites, golden eagles and long-legged buzzards. Ravens can also
be seen against the limestone cliffs.
Scorpions present a small risk in the Rif, although less so than further south. Be wary of the red scorpion; stings are extremely painful. The venomous fer à cheval viper (named for the horseshoe-like mark on its head) is more likely to flee from you than vice versa.
TREK AT A GLANCE
Duration Four to five days
Distance 56km
Standard Medium
Start Chefchaouen
Finish Bab Taza
Highest Point Sfiha Telj Pass (approximately 1700m)
Accommodation Gîtes and camping
Public Transport Yes
Summary The walking here is relatively undemanding but the mountain scenery is spectacular, the tiny Riffian villages worth a detour, and the gorges and weird geology fascinating.
Day 1: Chefchaouen to Afeska
Duration 5½–6½ hours / Distance 14.5km / Ascent 1200m / Descent 600m
Lonely Planet Morocco Page 50