Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen is the blue-washed Rif Mountain town in the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region, about 200 km from Fes and 4 to 4.5 hours each way. That makes it a demanding day trip of roughly 8 to 9 hours in transit, and it works far better as an overnight stay. CTM and Supratours coaches leave from the Fes bus station a few times daily for about 90 to 130 MAD each way, while a private grand taxi or driver costs about 1500 to 2200 MAD for the day and organised overnight tours cost 700 to 1400 MAD per person. Anyone attempting it in one day should leave on the earliest coach and expect only a few hours on the ground. The town centres on Place Uta el-Hammam, where the kasbah and a cluster of cafés sit beside the medina entrance. The blue-painted lanes climb the hillside and are most photogenic early in the morning before tour groups arrive. A short walk leads to the Ras el-Maa spring and waterfall at the edge of the medina, where locals wash clothes and cafés line the stream. At sunset, visitors walk up to the Spanish Mosque viewpoint above the town for views over the blue rooftops and surrounding mountains. A realistic plan is an early coach, a night in a guesthouse for around 250 to 600 MAD, a morning wander through the medina and the spring, lunch at a rooftop restaurant for 60 to 120 MAD, and a late-morning or afternoon return. April to June and September to October bring mild weather, while winter is rainy and cold, with mist often covering the hills. Summer weekends and holidays are crowded. Travellers should note that the town is a hillside walk with many steps, and that local sellers may offer hashish in the streets, which is illegal and best declined politely. Coach seats should be booked ahead in peak seasons.