Chefchaouen Medina, Plaza Uta el-Hammam and Kasbah

The medina of Chefchaouen, in the Rif mountains of northern Morocco, is famous for its blue-washed walls, narrow lanes and mountain setting. Its heart is Place Uta el-Hammam, a lively square lined with cafes and restaurants and dominated by the Kasbah, a 15th-century fortress with a tower and gardens, and the adjacent Grand Mosque with its unusual octagonal minaret. The medina is free to explore and open at all times. The Kasbah museum and garden are reported to charge about 60 MAD, with typical hours of 9:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:30, which should be checked at the gate. Inside, visitors see a courtyard garden, small galleries of local crafts and history, and a tower with rooftop views over the town and the surrounding hills. In the lanes, visitors find blue-painted stairways, doorways, potted plants, weavers' shops and stalls selling woollen goods, local cheese and handicrafts. A full visit usually takes three to four hours, including a walk to Bab el-Ain, the gate and spring at the edge of the medina. The best photography is in the early morning, when the lanes are empty and the light is soft; the blue walls glow in low sun. Crowds are heaviest from late morning through mid-afternoon, especially at weekends and in spring and summer, while evenings are relaxed. Grand taxis and buses stop at the bus station, about 15 minutes' walk from the medina, or a short petit taxi ride to Bab el-Ain. Streets are steep and cobbled, so comfortable shoes matter.