In my last post, I visited the beautiful blue city of Chefchaouen. After a few hours of wandering the streets, I thought it would be good to find a better vantage point to get my bearings in this new city. Like many of the old medieval cities of Morocco, Chefchaouen is made up of a maze of small brick alleys, with high walls and many secluded little corners. It is easy to get lost in this place, and I find the best way to get the lay of the land is to find some high ground. In this case, my search for high ground will take me up to the old Spanish Mosque, in the mountains overlooking the city. I am also told that this is a good location to view the sunset, so we will see about that as well.
I begin my journey in the medina, which is what they call the old part of the city, where most of the ancient buildings, walls, and gates can be found. I first walk through the Outa el Hammam square, and head towards Bab El Ansar, the name for the eastern gate.
On the way, I pass the old Kasbah, which was used as a fortification to defend the city throughout its long history. It is now open to visitors as a museum.
The gate is not far from this spot, but first, you will need to pass through a few tight alleys.
Once you have passed through the small gate, you will walk another 5 minutes or so until you reach the Ras El Maa waterfall. This small waterfall is in a nice shaded area, and I can see a few women cleaning their clothes in the water just downstream. The sound of the rushing water, a soft breeze, and the smell of perfume in the air is a welcomed change from the stagnant air of the cramped alleys in the city just behind.
When you cross the small bridge, you will pass a few vendors selling snacks and drinks. This is a lively area, with groups of locals chatting and kids playing near the water. You will follow the trail as it begins to zig-zag up the side of the hill. There is not much shade as you walk along the sun-touched mountain, and it feels much warmer than the cool, shaded city streets just below. The stone path is fairly narrow, with areas where rocks have fallen. It is clear that this area experiences some landslides, but the path is clear enough for me to make my way up in about 20 minutes with little effort.
When you get to the top, the area opens up to a level area where people congregate to take rest and pictures. The old Spanish Mosque is quite small, and nothing really worth writing home about, but the view of the city is truly spectacular.
If you are visiting Chefchaouen, I highly recommend doing this easy little hike because it is not very long, and the views during sunset are well worth it.
I hope you enjoyed my post. All photos were taken by me unless otherwise sourced.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider checking out my other article where I explore the beautiful blue alleys of Chefchaouen, which you can read here.