Medina of Chefchaouen

My fellow photography fanatic, Diego, decided to cross not only a geographical border, but also a cultural, and religious one as well. We went in search of one of the most stunning and beautiful places we've ever heard of of. Chefchaouen. It is perched strategically on a hillside, hence its military and historical value. The place is covered by indigo walls and floors. Actually, everything is indigo! Feral cats are moved by it as authentic protagonists. A walk around the neighborhood places Andalusian recognize me as familiar to me as the Santa Cruz in Seville. The song of a local woman heard from

Our walk through Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains of Morocco, was an unforgettable and magical experience. The white houses with blue trim, the windows and turquoise railings are almost impossible to imagine. Visiting Chefchaouen was like going directly into a story, it was like jumping into something you've only read about in the bowels of a magical village full of nooks and alleys that invited me to miss. Its tranquility taught me not to hurry, to enjoy every moment, to savor with calm the famous mint tea without noticing the passage of time.

XAUEN IS BLUE. A charming little town situated in a broad valley of the Rif Mountains in northern Morocco. Its French name is Chefchaouen ("view of the summits"), but many people still like to call it by its Spanish name, which is Chefchaouen. It is known for its tranquility, its good weather, its clean air and indigo painted those little houses on the ground floor, as the higher floors are white. That is the very characteristic blue color which is meant to scare away any evil spirits, according to what some local people told us. The central square has lot of restaurants which, rather than in French, feature letters displayed in Spanish.

We reached Chaouen at noon after driving the road from Alicante with the usual setbacks on the border in Ceuta. This is a charming village situated in the Rif Mountains with its whitewashed and indigo houses. Spring had begun and there was still snow on the peaks. The best place to rest before moving on.

I took a trip to northern Morocco this summer. Walking around Chefchaouen I saw, across an alley, out of nowhere, a door with an incredible light that seemed to come from everywhere and I found a wonderful place. The colour, the magic and charm of the place is what I tried to capture in the picture below.

It was a really cool city with its own atmosphere. The only bad things is that people interrupt you a lot when you are discovering the city. It’s a small town and only the real center is all blue. Note that if you are a woman, you have something on your head to enter in the medina (that is completely normal)

When you walk through the streets of the medina, it's like travelling back in time. Its steep, narrow streets take you to the blue walls that are painted so that the sun doesn't bother the eyes. The people there are quiet and friendly. I have a pending appointment to return to Chefchaouen, it left me wanting more.