Dar Zambra

Dar Zambra is a guest house in the Old Town of Chefchaouen with budget rates from about 300 MAD (around US$32) and an 8.8/10 score from 84 reviews on ma-hotels.net. The property sits inside the Old Town (medina) of Chefchaouen, the blue-washed hill town in Morocco's Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region. The medina is a compact maze of steep stepped lanes, whitewashed and sky-blue walls and small squares, and most of its sights are reachable on foot within about 5 to 15 minutes. Plaza Uta el-Hammam, the main square with the 17th-century Kasbah and the Great Mosque, anchors the centre, and the Ras El Maa spring at the eastern edge of town is a short, signposted walk away. Cars cannot enter the medina lanes, so luggage is usually carried by hand or by porters from the nearest gate or taxi point. The guest house offers simple private rooms in a traditional building, the sort of small-scale accommodation that characterises the cheaper end of the medina. Breakfast is served on the premises, and the cafes and bakeries nearby handle other meals. The service style is friendly and informal, appropriate for backpackers and couples who prefer lower prices. Rates are listed from about 300 MAD/night (~$32), varying by season and room type. Within Chefchaouen's accommodation range this is a budget option, so visitors should expect simple furnishings and basic facilities, with the money saved going towards meals, guided hikes and craft purchases. Cash dirhams are useful for small extras, and it is worth confirming in advance what is included in the nightly rate. Chefchaouen sits at roughly 600 metres in the Rif mountains, so evenings are cool for most of the year and winter can be wet, while summer days are warm and dry. The city is known for its blue-painted streets, wool weaving, goat cheese and local bread, and hiking in nearby Talassemtane National Park. The nearest commercial airports are at Tetouan and Tangier, with regular CTM and Supratours buses and shared grands taxis linking Chefchaouen to Tetouan, Tangier, Fes and Casablanca. Visitors planning a stay usually combine a few unhurried days of photography and walking with a day trip to the Akchour waterfalls.