Chefchaouen, Mountain city in Rif Mountains, Morocco
Streets and buildings display blue-painted facades set against the Rif Mountains at an elevation of 1850 feet (564 meters) above sea level, with narrow alleyways throughout the old quarter.
Ali ibn Rachid established a fortress in 1471 to defend against Portuguese invasions. Following Spanish conquest in 1920, the settlement developed through contributions from Sephardic Jews and Andalusian refugees.
The medina contains over twenty mosques, eleven zaouias, and seventeen mausoleums, earning the settlement its designation as a Holy City with religious importance for Morocco.
Visitors can explore narrow medina streets through guided tours departing daily from Uta el-Hammam square in the center. The best visiting period runs from April through October for comfortable weather conditions.
Artisans produce specific goat cheese varieties and wool garments using techniques preserved through generations, continuing regional manufacturing traditions that predate modern industrial methods by several hundred years.
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