The blue city mystery

A visitor to Chefchaouen, Morocco will immediately notice one thing.

The entire city is blue, including the blue houses, blue roofs, blue walls, blue steps, narrow blue streets, and even blue flower pots.

Chefchaouen, also known as Chaouen, is a city in Northern Morocco and is referred to as the Blue Pearl of Morocco due to its numerous blue architectural structures and small alleyways.

Why is this place completely blue?

I asked other residents of Chefchaouen why they thought the city was blue, and they responded as follows.

Some claim that the color blue represents the sky (or heaven), while others claim it serves as a mosquito deterrent, keeps people cool, resembles water, looks lovely, and draws tourists.

These explanations didn’t make it any clearer to me why this city was blue.

Why is Morocco’s renowned “blue town” blue?

You must go to history for the solution.

Chefchaouen, also known as Chaouen, was constructed in the early 1500s but wasn’t painted blue until the 1900s.

As the Second World War got underway, Jews began to arrive in Morocco in huge numbers.

According to Jewish tradition, blue symbolizes the sky, which conjures up images of God and heaven.

Jewish communities have a long practice of painting things blue.

The town still maintains the city’s signature blue color today to protect the history, culture, and tradition of its residents.

Whether or whether this is the correct response, you will undoubtedly run into things as you explore the world that you are unsure of or that appear unusual.

But if you pause to consider why, you can learn a local mystery, like the reason why an entire city is painted blue.

From any of the major Moroccan cities, you can get to Chefchaouen.

The most frequented and quickest route is a two-hour ride across the breathtaking Rif Mountains from Tangier to Chefchaouen.

In addition, it is possible to go to Chefchaouen from the major cities of Fez, Casablanca, or Marrakech. The travel times from each city to Chefchaouen are 3–4 hours from Fez, 5–6 hours from Casablanca, and 6–8 hours from Marrakech.

Making the trip to Chefchaouen is worthwhile no matter how you go, and for the next time you have the chance to go, here are 5 of my favorite highlights that you can’t miss :

. exploring the blue town’s winding streets.

. Locate a restaurant and order a dish from there (I recommend Tagine or Couscous).

. visiting God’s Bridge and the stunning Akchour Waterfalls on a day trip.

. Choosing to stay in a local Riad and taste the mouth-watering mint tea.

. visiting one of the several artisan stores to buy a textile, some spices, or regional goods to bring home.

Here are some of my favorite small group trips that will take you to explore the Blue City of Chefchaouen when you’re ready to visit Morocco, in particular.