Following an early morning pick up at your hotel in Meknes, we will have a 3.5-hour drive up into the Rif Mountains, direct to Chefchaouen.
Nestled in a green mountain valley at 600m above sea level, Chefchaouen was originally built up as a hidden outpost to push back the increasing incursions of European powers into Morocco starting in the 15th and 16th centuries.
After the Reconquista and fall of Islamic rule in Spain, Muslim Andalusian refugees flocked to Chefchaouen to begin new lives on the African continent.
Until the middle of the 20th century, when Spanish rule of northern Morocco began, Chefchaouen had held a reputation for being impossible for non-Muslims to enter.
Today, that’s all different: tourists just can’t get enough of Chefchaouen’s innumerable charms.
Much calmer and cosier than Fez, Chefchaouen’s most striking feature is, without a doubt, its old city’s picturesque sky blue painted walls and streets built on a mountainside.
Among the major sights in Chefchaouen are the Kasabah (fortress), the Ras El Maa river valley, and the hillside Spanish Mosque (a 30 minute hike from town). Chefchaouen can be explored with or without a guide.
Once completing your visit, we will drive back to Meknes and drop you off at your accommodation.