Chefchaouen Blue City Day Trip from Fes

Chefchaouen is a small mountain town in the Rif whose medina is painted in every shade of blue, from pale sky to deep indigo. It is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in Morocco, and this day trip from Fes lets you see it without changing hotel. The drive of about three and a half hours crosses olive groves, rolling hills and the green slopes of the Rif. On arrival, a local guide takes you through the blue lanes and stairways, the Outa el-Hammam square shaded by trees, the red-walled kasbah and its garden, and the Ras el-Maa spring where women still wash wool and clothes. You then have free time to take photos, browse the shops of woollen blankets and goat cheese, or have lunch on a terrace facing the mountains. For the best view of the town, you can walk up to the Spanish Mosque on the hill. The drive back to Fes is in the late afternoon. A long day, but the colours and calm of Chefchaouen are worth it.