Chefchaouen, often referred to as the “Blue Pearl of Morocco” or the “Blue City,” is a stunning town in the hills of northern Morocco. The city was one of my favorite stops on our 10-day Morocco trip and definitely deserves a spot on any list of the best places to visit in Morocco—it’s beyond gorgeous!
Per its nicknames, Chefchaouen is known for its distinctive blue-washed buildings. It’s not just some blue buildings here and there—the entire city is bright blue, from the walls to the doors to sometimes even the ground. Chefchaouen is by far one of the most Instagrammable cities in Morocco because of its iconic hue and I had a blast exploring and photographing every corner I could find.
In this guide, I’ll show you the best photo locations in Chefchaouen—no easy feat when the entire city looks straight out of a postcard!
Why is Chefchaouen Blue?
Technically, no one knows for sure why Chefchaouen is blue, but ask anyone and they will tell you the same thing. Chefchaouen was originally inhabited by Jewish settlers, and many believe that the blue buildings came with the religious customs. In Judaism, the color blue is associated with divinity and holiness, and it is often used in religious rituals and decorations.
Another theory is that the blue paint on the buildings repels mosquitoes. The particular shade of blue made from a mixture of lime and natural indigo dye is believed by many locals to deter insects. I didn’t see any mosquitoes, but we saw quite a lot of flies, so I’m not sure if I buy this theory personally. Either way, the blue color is emblematic of Chefchaouen and I’m more than okay with it!
How to Get to Chefchaouen
In my 10-day Morocco itinerary, I place Chefchaouen after Fes but before Tangier and the return to Casablanca. Chefchaouen is not a major city like Marrakesh and the majority of the city is only accessible on foot. They also don’t have a train station.
I recommend taking the CTM bus from Fes to Chefchaouen, which takes about 4 hours but is extremely clean and comfortable. You can also do Chefchaouen by car from Fes, which is faster but expensive if you aren’t going with a day tour.
How Long to Stay in Chefchaouen
I recommend staying in Chefchaouen for 2 days. While it’s fairly popular to do Chefchaouen as a day trip from Fes or other neighboring cities, I personally needed two days to see and do everything I wanted to!
To be fair, most of this was photography…but let’s be real here, you’re reading an “Instagrammable spots in Chefchaouen” guide, so you probably need this much time too.
The problem (if you can call it that) is that Chefchaouen is so photogenic at every turn, you’ll have to stop every five paces to take photos!
🕌 Want to know where else to visit in Morocco? Check out my Best Places in Morocco guide, which spans a 10-day itinerary with Marrakech, Fes, and more!
Where to Stay in Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen’s medina is full of tiny blue alleys packed with hotels and shops. Unlike other parts of Morocco, riads aren’t very common here. However, the guesthouses and hotels are still beautifully decorated, even budget ones! Here are a few of my picks for the best hotels in Chefchaouen at every price point.
Budget Hotels in Chefchaouen
- Dar Bleu Pearl: This budget-friendly guesthouse offers comfortable accommodations in the heart of Chefchaouen’s medina. It features traditional Moroccan décor, a rooftop terrace with panoramic views, and a friendly staff.
- Hotel Aymane Rooftop: Another excellent budget option with cozy rooms, traditional Moroccan touches, and a wonderful rooftop terrace.
Mid-Range Hotels in Chefchaouen
- Hotel Casa Miguel: Hotel Casa Miguel offers comfortable mid-range accommodations with a touch of elegance. Situated in the heart of Chefchaouen, this hotel features stylish rooms, a rooftop terrace with views of the city, and attentive service.
- Hotel Dar Mounir: This charming hotel blends traditional Moroccan architecture with modern comforts. Guests can enjoy well-appointed rooms, a tranquil courtyard garden, and a delicious breakfast served each morning.
Luxury Hotels in Chefchaouen
- Dar Jasmine: An exclusive and beautiful luxury hotel high on the hills of Chefchaouen. The hotel features a beautiful rooftop terrace, luxury amenities, and a restaurant and spa exclusively for in-house resident guests.
- Lina Ryad & Spa: For those seeking luxury accommodations, Lina Ryad & Spa offers a sophisticated retreat in the heart of Chefchaouen. This upscale hotel features elegant rooms and suites, a rooftop terrace with panoramic views, and a luxurious spa offering a range of treatments.
The 16 Most Instagrammable Spots in Chefchaouen
Full disclosure: it is simply not possible to list every Instagrammable location in Chefchaouen. The blue city is so photogenic that every corner and every alleyway could be a photo spot! These 16 locations are simply the ones that I personally chose to stop and snap photos at, and this is not an exhaustive guide to the only picturesque locations in Chefchaouen.
In fact, I do recommend simply taking the time to wander Chefchaouen and find your own spots too! Even with two days to explore just the tiny medina, we were still discovering new and surprising corners up until the very end.
For those of you who are short on time and want to hit these 16 spots as efficiently as possible, I’ve marked them on this Google Map! Using Google Maps can be a slightly frustrating experience in Chefchaouen—the signal isn’t fantastic—but at least you’ll know where to go. I’ve also listed these 16 spots in order of a convenient path that’ll start you in the low, central area of Chefchaouen and climb your way up to the hilltops for a fantastic, sweeping view of the whole city!
You’ll have to forgive me for these terribly uncreative location names. Almost none of these locations have an actual address, they are just cute corners and spots that we found while wandering around!
1. Blue Street With Murals
There are hundreds of blue streets in Chefchaouen, but this picturesque stretch with arches and beautiful hand-painted murals is one of the best in the city. I especially love how the ground is also painted with colorful details—it really feels like you’re surrounded by blue in all four directions.
2. El Haoubi House
This narrow little house is one of the prettiest in Chefchaouen, and that’s saying a lot! With intricate mosaic stairs and bursting greenery, this blue residence sets itself apart from all the other blue residences in Chefchaouen thanks to its stunning details.
I’ve seen people take photos on the steps before, but the gate was closed and we didn’t want to intrude on private property. Please respect the residents!
3. Place El Haouta
Place El Haouta is one of the main squares in Chefchaouen. It’s surprisingly expansive for such a small town, bathed in warm sunlight and decked out in blue and white designs. The central fountain here is just as perfect for photos as it is for shopkeepers and restaurant owners to gather water and wash their dishes (we witnessed this firsthand).
4. Orange Juice Cart
This little orange juice cart is one of the most Instagrammable spots in Chefchaouen! Not only is the orange juice delicious and the owner extremely friendly, but this gorgeous setup next to the cart featuring floating oranges is just too beautiful to pass up. The owner will even insist on taking photos and videos for you, and the fresh-pressed orange juice is still very affordable at 20 dirhams a glass!
5. Derb El Assri
Derb El Assri, also called Callejon el Asri, is one of the most popular streets in Chefchaouen. The all-blue stairs, walls, and doorways with bursts of color from ceramic pots make it incredibly charming and Instagrammable. However, I personally didn’t end up taking a photo here: while it’s beautiful, the lighting was a bit harsh and I thought we found even more beautiful and colorful streets in Chefchaouen.
6. Sidi Bouchouka
Sidi Bouchouka is another one of the most popular photo spots in Chefchaouen. You’ve probably seen it on Instagram, even if you didn’t now where in the blue city it was located. The wide blue stairs that lead forever upward and the colorful tiles and blue door in the foreground are certainly a treat to look at.
Despite the fact that everyone seems to take a photo here, we didn’t have any trouble with crowds even in the middle of the day. The hardest part, actually, was trying to get the colorful tiles, the doorway details, and the stairs all in one photo!
7. Blue Stairs
There are dozens of blue stairs in Chefchaouen, but this intersection of 3 cobalt-blue pathways is my favorite. We happened upon these stairs and couldn’t resist taking some photos, especially because there was a cat napping in the sun!
8. Stairs with Door and Pots
Located just steps away from the blue stairs, you’ll find this downward-sloping pathway with a picturesque little door and pottery hanging on the walls. The lighting was just perfect here in the early afternoon and I love the ceramic details!
9. Paid Set
You’ve probably seen this perfectly decorated courtyard in every photo collection of Chefchaouen. This super-Instagrammable location is actually someone’s house, and he’s converted his courtyard into a paid set that you can take pictures at! Honestly, his business sense is impeccable, because this was the most popular spot we saw in all of Chefchaouen—there was usually a line out the door.
It only costs 5 dirhams per person to enter the courtyard, and he gives you about 3 minutes per person to take photos.
10. Art Sellers Street
This street, which is a section of one of the main shopping streets in Chefchaouen, is so full of beautiful details and colors. I loved the artwork and ceramics all over the walls and the greenery overhead!
Because of its central location, the art sellers street has decent through traffic and it can get quite busy here in the late morning and early afternoon. But most of the people are just passing through.
🪔 If you like the vibe of this street, you’ll probably love the bustling souks and shops in Marrakech! Read my travel guide to Marrakech here.
11. Triple Doors
We were just wandering the streets when we came across this tucked-away corner that features three beautiful blue doors in a quiet courtyard! I loved seeing how interesting and unique all of the blue doors of Chefchaouen were and this back alley was no exception.
Of course, these are actually people’s homes so please be respectful of the residents there!
12. Stairway to Heaven
“Stairway to Heaven” is just the cheesy name I gave this spot, but it was so beautiful that I truly felt like I was climbing a stairway to (blue) heaven! Also, there are quite a lot of stairs if you keep walking.
Thanks to the potted plants and beautiful artworks and decorations, this staircase is elevated from any old staircase in Chefchaouen to an Instagrammable photo spot. I especially love the large, detailed fan—it’s such a gorgeous touch.
There is usually a guy or two collecting donations at the bottom of the stairs here. I’m not sure if they actually own the decorations or just hang out here to make money, but we tipped them a quick 5 dirhams on our way out.
13. Dar Yakout
The entire street that Dar Yakout is on deserves an award for being so photogenic. The broad walkway is bursting with greenery, flowers, blue and white tiles, and of course the iconic blue doors of Chefchaouen. Not only is Dar Yakout itself extremely Instagrammable, but all the doors along this stretch of road are just begging to be photographed. There are plenty of cats too!
Bonus points to Dar Yakout for having a super nice staff and an exceptionally clean bathroom that they let us change clothes in as well.
14. Dar Jasmine
Dar Jasmine is one of the most luxurious properties in Chefchaouen. Located on a high hilltop overlooking the entire city, this high-end hotel boasts possibly the best view of Chefchaouen that I’ve ever seen. From the terrace, you can watch golden hour light up all the beautiful blue and white buildings before a brilliant pink sunset washes the city in warm pastel hues.
The catch with Dar Jasmine is that you have to be a resident guest of the hotel to access the property. They do not offer any services or amenities for non-residents, so make your booking before they fill up!
It’s also worth noting that the hotel is located at the top of many, many stairs. And there doesn’t seem to be much of another way to get in or out of the property besides making the arduous climb every single time. So make sure your legs are warmed up before you go!
⛲ Read more: The 10 Best Riads in Marrakech: Home Away From Home
15. Bouzafer Mosque (Spanish Mosque)
Bouzafer Mosque, or the Spanish Mosque, is the most popular place to catch the sunset in Chefchaouen. Perched dizzyingly high on a hilltop over the city, you can watch the entire valley turn from day to night from the lookout ledge of the mosque. And if you ask locals where the best views of Chefchaouen are, they will certainly direct you here!
However, because this is one of the only good vantage points of Chefchaouen, the Spanish Mosque is extremely crowded. Absolutely banish all ideas of having this spot to yourself, particularly during sunset! I could see the hordes of people all the way from Dar Jasmine. If you have a private hotel and terrace, you obviously don’t need to make the hike here; but if you’re looking for a free spot with a good view, the Spanish Mosque is a great bet.
16. Parking Lookout
For a slightly less panoramic view in exchange for zero crowds, come to this offhanded parking area just a minute away from the bottom of Dar Jasmine’s stairs. We watched the sunset here in pretty much complete solitude! While it’s not located as high on a hill as the previous two spots, it’s still elevated enough to offer an excellent view of Chefchaouen.
That’s all 16 of the most Instagrammable spots in Chefchaouen! However, I can’t let this guide end without a disclaimer: there is no comprehensive list of all the best photo locations in Chefchaouen. The Blue Pearl of Morocco is truly beyond gorgeous, begging to be photographed at every twist and turn. And the best way to discover it all is with your own two feet, so don’t be limited by this guide alone!
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