Chefchaouen was quite a change from Tangier. It has a smaller population of 45,000 and is located at 2,000 feet. Known as the Blue Pearl, due to the blue painted walls in the medina and surroundong town, Chefchaouen draws a lot of Instagrammers for its many picturesque hotspots. Just like Tangier, cats, especially kittens were everywhere. Supermarkets are non existent and wine is found at one store and is very expensive. You have been warned 😜.
We always appreciate a professional guided tour, especially walking tours. Abdennour was an excellent guide who spoke good English and had a sense of humor. Even though we had been here a full week, he showed us many new places we had not seen and explained the history of the area.
Chefchaouen means 2 horns and those are the 2 peaks behind the town.
Berber rugs have been handmade for millenia.
We love the little kitties everywhere. All are friendly, but some are in rough shape.
We actually had use of a small pool at our Airbnb.
The architecture, doorways and views are unique.
Plaza Uta el Hamman, the large central square with many visitors and hawkers eagerly urging guests to dine at their cafes.
Food is unique and generally inexpensive. On left, is Madfouna, also known as Moroccan pizza, a flatbread stuffed with spicy beef and served with a spicy green chutney along with a delightful ginger lemonade. On right, a typical breakfast, OJ, hot Moroccan mint tea, fried eggs, green olives, softcheese, goat cheese, chopped bologna type meat (mortadella-chicken, turkey, or beef) and the plate behind, with a thick crepe and cornbread type bread (harcha) marmalade, butter and honey, all for $4.50 USD.
Panoramic view of Chefchaouen from the Spanish Mosque just after sunset. Quite a hike to get up there, albeit paved. We ended up with over 16,000 steps that day.
Traditional neighborhood baker. Hundreds of years ago there were no home kitchens. People brought bread to him and he baked in his wood fire oven. Tradition carries on today.
Robin with her new best friend, Azzin.
Chefchaouen was a great adventure. Most tourists we see are visiting for a day trip from Casablanca, Fes, or other nearby cities. Spending 2 weeks here gave us time to further experience the Moroccan way of life and their rich and colorful culture. We enjoyed our favorite restaurants several times and really learned our way around the medina. The Blue Pearl was magical, peaceful and exhilarating.
Randy and Robin's Roving Retirement 
Awesome!
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