Chefchaouen

We dismount at Chefchouen, uncertain of what we will find there only that the travel books either say it’s well worth the treck, or fail to mention it at all. Unfortunately, the bus stop isn’t immediately reassuring: a barren strip of gravel, punctuated only by a ghostly canteen, a police station and a whole lot of dust. It almost seems a miracle when we finally spot a cab and, to our relief, are quickly reassured with proud vehemence that this is, “not Chefchoeuen, not yet”. Our second introduction is far more encouraging and comes in a lilting song of Arabic and French as our cab driver points out features on an ever-emerging landscape that fills the windscreen like huge spreading wings.
Some of this prologue I grasp but like dust it floats away on the spiced African wind, and I find myself ever more entranced by the imagery flicking past my window like a silent film. Around us the mountain range follow our course, stoic and protective as though shielding the city from the interminable chaos radiating from close neighbor, Tangier, in the north. Indeed, having traveled through the larger iconic cities of Casablanca, Marrakesh, Rabat and Fez, Chefchoeun, due to its unique geography, history and culture- is truly a venture into an unknown, often beautiful and always surprising world.
Leaning against the Rif Mountains, an area well loved by Western tourists in the 60s for its ever-generous yields of hashish, Chefchouen is (needless to say) a far more relaxed part of the country. And, in case you were wondering, yes, Hashish is readily available and encouraged; indeed ‘hashish’ is a word young Moroccan men kick around with the same bold dexterity as they might a football through the streets. Although slightly inland, it reads like a classic beach town with the whole medina painted bright blue radiating an unmistakably Jewish-Andalucían flavor. In fact, it is hard to disassociate Chefchouen from the proximity of the sea, even the passageways and streets that interweave in great coloured tapestries seem to pulse with the rhythm of the ocean, and the redolence of the salt spray from the Mediterranean coast seems only minutes away.

Historically, Chefchoeun shows its diversity boldly; self evident in the mélange of French, Jewish, Islamic and the ever-garrulous Spanish architecture that rolls in from the mountain and down to the valley, mirroring the stark blue sky above. The obvious Spanish, Moorish and Jewish influences date from the 13th century until its relatively recent return to Morocco in 1956. This varied history has created a unique group of people, and while Islamic in religion and Arabic and French in tongue, you can still hear snatches of spoken Berber and many of their exuberant cultural traditions are still lovingly maintained. It is essentially this combination of external and internal influences that give’s this town such a unique character and allows it to embrace tourism in a more open and casual manner than its far bigger neighbours.
In short, Chefchouen is dynamic and mysterious, off the beaten track enough to satisfy a longing for adventure but with the dignity and civility of a modern town. It is a unique world, a comingling of histories, cultures and languages that has created in Chaouens, a tolerant, affable people. From the beautiful blue medina, to the mysteries of the Rif mountains overhead, Chefchaouen truly is a gateway to another way of life.