Summary: An early morning wake up call gave us an opportunity to walk the streets of the blue city of Chefchaouen before the throngs of tourist buses arrived for the day. We took a short hike up above the City to the fortified walls, then made our way through the blue Medina to see a 15th century Kasbah. After that, our driver headed towards the City of Fes, stopping at the ancient city of Volubilis. Built in the 3rd Century BC, this UNESCO World Heritage site was one of the oldest places we've ever visited.
[This blog is part of a 10-days in Morocco Trip].
Morning Walk. On this day, we woke up early enough to take a walk through the town of Chefchaouen before the tourist buses arrived. By visiting the town in the evening, the night before, and walking around early the next day, we actually missed the large crowds altogether. This does require spending one night in the town, which has limited accommodations, but it resulted in quiet, empty streets.
The first thing we did was to take a walk to a lookout above the town. If you look on the photo above, you can see a wall that is situated above the City. If you walk into town via the main entrance, the trail is just to the right. You can't really miss it because there are steps that start right away.
Once you reach the wall, there are great views of Chefchaouen below.
From the top, there's a separate trail that takes you back down to the main shopping are of town. Notice how empty it was in the early morning? Some of the shops were just opening up so we purchased a little painting while we were out.
Cats of Chefchaouen. We can't imagine there's a single rodent in this town because street cats live here in abundance! Many of the stores leave small bowls of water an cat food out front of their shops. In the first photo below, this trio was enjoying the early morning sun.
In the central part of the old Medina district, sits a 15th century Kasbah. The grounds have been converted into a museum, with courtyard gardens, and stone towers that are accessible to visitors.
Next, we met back up with our driver and headed out to make the long drive to Fes, stopping part way through the drive for lunch and to visit another UNESCO World Heritage site.
Volubilis. Founded in 3rd Century BC, this ancient City is one of the oldest we have ever visited. Formerly an important Berber outpost of the Roman Empire, Volubilis was a typical example of the impressive urban planning that went into these towns at the time. An advanced network of channels, fed by an aqueduct, kept houses supplied with water while draining sewage and waste away to the river. Within the houses, beautiful tile mosaics lined dinning rooms and bedrooms, each custom made to the owner's tastes.
Our tour guide - which are available at very reasonable rates - took us through the history of the City for an approximately 30 minute tour. It's definitely worth the extra charge so you can appreciate what you're looking at while walking through the ruins.
The Arch of Caracalla is the most distinct structure remaining on the grounds. Commissioned by the City's governor, Marcus Aurelius Sebastenus, in the year 217, to honor emperor Caracalla and his mother Julia Domna. However, before the Arch was completed, both had been murdered (!)
Drive to Fes. After Volubilis, we spent the balance of the day completing the 4+ hour drive to Fes where we checked into our next hotel, this time staying for two nights.
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