Another incredible gem found during a late night Pinterest travel binge was Chefchaouen. Once I caught a glimpse of the unique and peaceful city, there was no holding me back from experiencing it first hand. I love to explore towns that are smaller and more authentic - I've never been much for tourist attractions. And Chefchaouen had the perfect amount of culture balanced with delectable food and adventure.
We were able to get a driver to take us from Tangier (one of the major cities and often where you arrive through if you're traveling from Spain) to Chefchaouen. Often times, the riad (hotel) owners will assist you with making this happen, so be sure to check with them first. It took a couple of hours through the rolling hills until we made it to the little mountain town. And it was totally worth it!
The Berber Women of Chefchaouen. They're often referred to as the "poor" and they travel down to the cities with the produce that they bring from the mountains to make money. They believe that if you take a picture of them straight-on that you steal a part of their soul. So, I was respectful to only take pictures when they weren't looking directly at me.
Riad Cherifa (our hotel) was the most beautiful place I've ever stayed! I'd say Andrew also enjoyed it! We were provided with a large breakfast made at the riad with lots of fresh fruit, jams and breads made locally and were living like royalty with the Moroccan Mint tea served out of the most beautiful tea pots and tea cups. Moroccans love sweetness, so the tea was quite sweet and you could also indulge in your tagine (like a stew) sweetened with dates and apricots - soooooo good!
Riad Cherifa's beauty was unmatched!
This is the traditional tagine "pot" and you'd take off the top to unveil the delectable stew.
Beef Tagine (sweet version) was deeeeelicous! I love how it's naturally sweetened with fruit rather than adding in refined sugar ;)
You'll most certainly take a stop at a local Moroccan rug store if you visit! Be sure to read up on the intricate rug sales process before purchasing!
Our rug store trip ended in Andrew purchasing 6 Moroccan rugs (I hope our family is enjoying their handmade Moroccan gifts! haha). Also, the locals wore the robe that Andrew is wearing and apparently the hooded version is the "latest trend."
Beautiful blues and turquoises paint the city, lending it the nickname of "the blue city"
Everywhere you look, there's brilliant blues and turquoises painting the city. My camera got quite the workout snapping lots of doors and buildings to capture how gorgeous it was.
The colors!!! So brilliant and beautiful.
Overlooking The city from the mosque
We hiked up to the mosque from the city below. The view honestly felt somewhat surreal.
Somehow BOTH of my sandals broke when hiking up to the mosque. Our guide was so sweet that he went and got me this pair of shoes to replace them. He said it was a gift from the city because the city took my shoes <3
There were "kids" running through the streets <3 We also passed many sheep grazing in the hills.
The extra interesting part of being here was that it was during Ramadan. It was pretty quiet during the day and we were some of the only people out and about. Then at night, it was bustling. People were out socializing, eating and having a good time. We'd also wake up in the middle of the night to drumming or early to the call for prayer. I never felt unsafe in the blue city (it's also known as the peaceful city), but I will admit, there were times in Tangier when I was a little uncomfortable (although uncomfortable doesn't mean unsafe!).
Though we only spent a very short time in Chaouen (what they call it for short), it was well worth traveling to experience it first hand. The people were lovely, it was peaceful and you get a really good feel for what it's like to live like a Moroccan <3