Towards the end of this day, we arrive in a place of fantasy, a magical Arabian Knights storybook town in the Rif Mountains of northwest Morocco. This is Chefchaouen, also known as the “blue city.” Many buildings here are washed in every imaginable shade of blue: cerulean, azure, cobalt, sapphire, indigo and cyan, and my eyes are dazzled as the colors change with the sun’s light and shadow. The contrast of a green plant, a yellow woven blanket, an orange tabby cat, or a crumbling terracotta wall against this background of blue, are stunning!
The town was founded in 1471 by Moorish exiles from Spain, and the blue-glazed buildings are a tradition that came from the Jews who sought refuge in this mountainous retreat during the Spanish Reconquista in medieval times.
We drive to the center of the medina, then porters help us carry our luggage through serpentine lanes, up the hill to our guest house, the Riad Lina. We ring the bell at a nondescript doorway, and enter into a lovely retreat that will be our home for 3 nights. There’s a tranquil indoor pool and three floors of rooms, each different, each decorated in indigo and white with colorful Moroccan rugs on bare white floors. The rooftop terraces feature several sitting areas where we are served our breakfasts, with views of the entire town spread out below us.
This is one of those times when pictures are worth more than words. Welcome to the Blue City of Wonder!
The town was founded in 1471 by Moorish exiles from Spain, and the blue-glazed buildings are a tradition that came from the Jews who sought refuge in this mountainous retreat during the Spanish Reconquista in medieval times.
We drive to the center of the medina, then porters help us carry our luggage through serpentine lanes, up the hill to our guest house, the Riad Lina. We ring the bell at a nondescript doorway, and enter into a lovely retreat that will be our home for 3 nights. There’s a tranquil indoor pool and three floors of rooms, each different, each decorated in indigo and white with colorful Moroccan rugs on bare white floors. The rooftop terraces feature several sitting areas where we are served our breakfasts, with views of the entire town spread out below us.
This is one of those times when pictures are worth more than words. Welcome to the Blue City of Wonder!
