Chefchaouen Blue Medina

Chefchaouen sits in the Rif Mountains of northern Morocco, and its old medina is painted in shades of blue from the doorsteps to the rooftops. Founded in the 15th century, it is a calm, compact town that feels very different from the big cities.

Spend your time wandering the blue lanes and stairways, browsing shops for woven blankets and local goat’s cheese, and relaxing in the main square below the walls of the kasbah. In the late afternoon, walk up to the Spanish Mosque on the hillside for sunset over the town.

Chefchaouen is about four hours by road from Fes, so it is best as an overnight stop between Fes and Tangier or on a northern route. Mornings are quietest for photographs.