Chefchaouen Medina Souk

The shopping lanes of the Medina of Chefchaouen are the Souk, a compact market area that spreads out from Place Outa el-Hammam and climbs Chefchaouen’s hillside through blue-washed alleys. What visitors find here is the working commercial quarter of Chefchaouen. The town was founded in 1471 as a fortified refuge, and trade has always been part of its life, since farmers and herders from the surrounding Rif Mountains come down to sell produce and buy supplies.

Shoppers will find the goods that the region is known for. Woollen blankets and shawls woven on traditional looms are the best-known purchase, and the striped fouta cloths and hooded garments reflect the dress of the mountain communities. Rural women from the Jebala tribes are sometimes seen in wide straw hats with woollen pompoms, a style that survives in the hills. Leather slippers, metalwork, woodwork, baskets and ceramics are sold alongside, and shops with goat cheese, olives, spices and honey offer edible gifts. In the lanes you may also meet craftsmen at work, weaving or cutting leather in small open-fronted workshops.

For many visitors the colour of the walls is part of the scene. Many explanations are given for the blue, including a link to Jewish refugees who settled here, the idea that the paint keeps insects away and the simple appeal of the colour, and local people maintain it with regular whitewashing. Together with the cobbled lanes and steps, it makes the souk one of the most photogenic in Morocco, though shopkeepers appreciate a purchase or at least a polite word before a camera comes out.

Bargaining is part of the experience, but the pace is gentler than in the big imperial cities. Ask the price, compare similar items in a few shops, and do not hurry. Handmade goods vary widely in quality, so check stitching and wool. Mornings are busiest with local shoppers, and by late afternoon the lanes grow calm. Walking is the only way to get around, and comfortable shoes help on the slopes.

The souk fits naturally into a day in the medina. From here it is a short walk to the Kasbah, the Grand Mosque and Place Outa el-Hammam, and a longer one to the Ras el-Maa spring on the edge of town. It suits shoppers, photographers and anyone who likes to see how a small mountain town trades.