Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen's blue-painted medina tumbles down a hillside in the Rif Mountains with a relaxed pace and aesthetic coherence unlike anywhere else in Morocco. The Andalusian refugees who founded the city in the 15th century painted it white; the blue came later. The surrounding Rif Mountains offer good hiking and the city has a tolerant, slow-paced character that contrasts with Marrakech's intensity. Social media has significantly increased visitor numbers, but the medina is large enough to absorb them except at the most photogenic spots.