Here are a few more places and things we enjoyed doing while staying in Chefchaouen, Morocco. For the rest of our adventure there, check out this post.
I highly recommend paying the 10 Dirhams ($1.20 USD) to explore the Kasbah, located off the place Outa Hammam. It has a lush garden, which I expect is especially nice in the summer months, and has a tower you can climb up that affords you an excellent view of the city. We coincidentally timed it with the call to prayer, which was very memorable.
One of our favorite dinners that we had in Chefchaouen was at Tissemlal. For a fixed price of 80 dirhams ($10 US), you could choose from soup or salad, a traditional Moroccan entree and dessert of either flan or custard. Both my chicken couscous and Pat’s vegetable tagine were delicious! The surroundings were also very nice, albeit a bit drafty, despite the small wood fire and heat lamps.
We also stopped in La Botica de la Abuela Aladdin (Aladdin’s Grandmother’s Boutique), enticed by the smells and the pretty bar soaps available for purchase. Although the prices definitely leaned towards more Western, I couldn’t resist picking out several bars of argan oil soap for family and friends.
Our first two nights, we stayed at Hotel Madrid. For 300 ($36 USD) Dirhams a night (off-season rates), we got the enjoy the luxury of beautifully-painted (ahem…gaudy) details and leopard-patterned bedding. The included buffet breakfast that we enjoyed in bed was an extra perk.
I cannot give Hotel Madrid the RunningBlonde stamp of approval however. It failed because it was extremely loud. Our first night, we were awakened at 10:30pm with the loudest banging drums that I have ever heard. It was literally the second night in a row being awakened by music in Morocco! Completely disoriented, we crept down the stairs to see what the fuss was about. There were young Moroccan women dancing and men playing the drums! So bizzare!
More Noises in the Night – Chefchaouen, Morocco from Kelly Egan on Vimeo.
When we inquired about it at breakfast, the only information we could get is that these women book the hotel every year and part of it is this request for drum music. Hmmm…. We were also woken up by our friend, the rooster at 5am again. They were right outside our window! We packed our bags after the second night and headed elsewhere.
Luckily, we found the quiet and beautiful Riad Yazid, that was the same price as Hotel Madrid and we had the place to ourselves. It was tastefully decorated and a peaceful oasis – plus we had the place to ourselves! I absolutely recommend checking it out. They have only been open a few months and don’t have an online presence, so I would just ask around at the main square.
If you find yourself in Morocco, I highly recommend making arrangements to see Chefchaouen. It’s best accessed from Tangier by bus or by renting a car (easy, cheap and safe to do in Morocco).
Our progress so far:
Other stories from our Moroccan adventure:
A Day by the Sea in Asilah, Morocco
Magical Blue-Hued Chefchaouen
You can also see what we’re up to, while we’re up to it on Instagram!
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