Andalusian Gardens of the Kasbah

The Andalusian Gardens of the Kasbah are a small walled garden inside the 15th-century fortress on Plaza Uta el-Hammam in Chefchaouen, in the Rif mountains of northern Morocco. The garden reflects the Hispano-Moorish style brought by the Andalusian Muslims and Jews who settled the town after leaving Spain, and it forms a quiet contrast to the busy square just outside the walls. Visitors find orange trees, roses, other flowering shrubs and small fountains laid out along paved paths, with stone benches in the shade and views up to the fortress tower. Entrance is through the Kasbah courtyard and is included in the 60 MAD (about $6.50) Kasbah ticket, so the garden is normally combined with the Ethnographic Museum and the tower climb. A visit lasts about 20 to 30 minutes, which is enough to walk the paths, sit by a fountain and take photographs. The best photo angles are the garden with the tower rising behind it, the water of the fountains against the ochre walls, and the orange trees in bloom or fruit. Spring is the most fragrant period, when orange blossom and roses are at their peak, while summer brings welcome shade and the sound of water. The garden is at its quietest in the morning shortly after the Kasbah opens, before tour groups arrive in late morning, and again late in the day. Because the space is small, even a modest group can make it feel full, and visitors who want solitude should come early. The garden is a pleasant place to rest between the museum rooms and the tower, and it gives a sense of the Andalusian influence that shapes the whole medina, from its arched doorways to the tiled fountains found on small squares. No separate ticket is sold for the garden, and opening hours follow those of the Kasbah, which vary by season.