Most instagrammable places in Chefchaouen – The Blue Pearl of Morocco

Ever since I had Instagram, I knew I wanted to visit Chefchaouen – The Blue Pearl of Morocco and enjoy its most instagrammable places that I have seen all over social media.

And, oh boy, how it so DIDN’T DISAPPOINT! I have never seen a place THAT blue. 💙

I am truly not surprised that Chefchaouen became an Instagram heaven. Like, where else can you find a town so blue, so cute and so beautifully decorated, that even though there’s literally nothing to do there (apart from visiting 1-2 sights), people still spend at least a day in Chefchaouen!?

Are you ready to fall in love with this magical city? I am bringing you here the most instagrammable spots in Chefchaouen with a map of Chefchaouen’s most beautiful places, so it’s easier for you to find them.

Disclaimer: some places have been found by just wandering around Chefchaouen’s small streets and may not be included on the map. My advice: just walk, get lost in its blue streets and I’m sure you’ll find many hidden gems and take beautiful pictures of Chefchaouen. 😊

Planning a trip to Morocco? Steal my 1 week in Morocco Itinerary.

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Most instagrammable places in Chefchaouen

Callejon El Asri

This is the most famous street in Chefchaouen. If you spent some time scrolling on Instagram (even Pinterest), you have seen this street with the flower pots and the famous stairs 100%.

Because it is a super popular place, you can expect a lot of people around this place. Rest assured, people are politely queuing in order to get that photo, so you’ll just have to be a little bit patient and wait in line. If you want to avoid it, then come here early in the morning. I took this photo in the middle of the day, around 3 pm and it was fine. There was only one couple before me and then it was my turn. But maybe also because it was raining for the whole day. Either way, do not skip this place! Look how pretty. 😍

Paid Spot

Same for the Paid Spot or Paid Set. You must have seen it all over Instagram. Together with Callejon El Asri these are the most instafamous spots in Chefchaouen. 

This is my personal favourite. 😍

Honestly guys, it is THAT blue. 💙 While I do edit my photos in Adobe Lightroom, the edit is minimal because I like to keep the real life colours, it’s mainly just for adjusting light and exposure in most cases. So no, you WON’T GET DISAPPOINTED! It’s exactly how it looks!

But why is it called the Paid Spot?

Because it’s really a paid spot. I’m a genius, I know! 🤣

So, this yard is a privately owned property. The lady who lives there is charging 5 dirhams (€0.5) for taking a photo there. She was not rushing us nor she seemed impatient. I could really relax, enjoy the photo session and take multiple photos and videos there. Given the sometimes harsh conditions of living in Morocco, I found it to be a brilliant idea! Not only would you be taking an incredibly beautiful photo, but you would also support her and her family livelihood. And she found a creative way to charge us silly photographers and earn some extra income from that. Kudos!

Blue Mosque

Next one in the most instagrammable places in Chefchaouen is Blue Mosque.

Kindly note, that this is not how it’s officially called, but it is impossible to find its name on Google Maps, so I self-willingly gave it a Blue Mosque name. 😅

I have also accidentally stumbled upon it while wandering around the streets of Chaouen, but I do have map coordinates for you! 😁

I think it’s a hidden gem because I didn’t see any other blog before recommending it and it is a really photogenic beautiful building.

Calle Sidi Buchuka

It will be really easy to find this street – it was one of the first photos I have taken in Chefchaouen.

There are many beautiful corners at Calle Sidi Buchuka, but I specifically loved this corner with the colourful fence, blue steps and pots. And I loved the doors on the right. Imagine if these were your home doors! 😍 London is so boring! 😅

Mural

Same as Mosque, I don’t know if it has a name, but you’ll find it at the very end of Calle Sidi Buchuka.

Don’t think you have to pay for it. There might be some guy offering you to take a photo and you might think it’s another paid spot, but it IS NOT.

I loved it so, so much! 😍 I really admire people and their painting skills.

I bet by now you are in love with Morocco’s Blue City.. 💙

Random photo spots

I just love this photo with a cat – it looks so existential, right!?

As you can see, there are many great instagram shots you can take by just wandering around the narrow streets of Chefchaouen. 

Map of Chefchaouen most instagrammable places

You will find all the best Chefchaouen photo locations I mentioned above on this map. 😃

Short history of Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen is a small town in Northwest Morocco. It was founded as a military base in 1471, shortly after the Spanish conquest of Grenada. Most of Jewish and Muslim population from Grenada found refuge in Chefchaouen. That is why you will find many street names in Spanish and at the top of a fill, you’ll also find a Spanish Mosque. The influence from Spain, especially Andalusian style, is strongly felt here.

Chefchaouen is called The Blue Pearl or The Blue City of Morocco because of the notable blue colour of its facade. There are few supposed reasons why Chefchaouen is painted blue.

First, and the most popular one, is because it has a large Jewish community. Jewish refugees painted it blue after WW2 when a lot of them fled to Chefchaouen. Blue colour represents the sky and connects the town with heaven and God.

The other two are of more practical nature: to keep mosquitos away and to reduce heat in the summer.

Whatever the reason, I could not be more happy they decided to paint the whole city blue. Just wow. 💙

How to get there

The best way is to fly to either Tangier or Fes, as they’re the closest cities with airports to Chefchaouen. Both are about 2h drive distance from Chefchaouen.

I was flying from London Stansted to Tangier. I explained more in my Steal my 1 Week in Morocco Itinerary

Once you arrive in Morocco, the best is to rent a car and drive yourself.

I’m always using AutoEurope for renting cars because they have the most competitive prices and great customer service.

If a road trip is not your kind of trip, you can also use GetYourGuide for transfers and tours in Morocco. 

While Chefchaouen is a popular day trip, I recommend staying there at least 1 night to truly appreciate its unique architecture.

Fellow Cat lovers – Chefchaouen is a heaven for us! 😻

Where to stay in Chefchaouen

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