Chefchaouen

Walls, steps and even the flowerpots take the same blue. It is repainted every year, so the colour never fades out.

A red earth fort holds one edge of the square with a garden inside. From its tower the blue roofs run up the hillside.

A disused mosque stands on the hill across from the town. Thirty minutes of climbing puts the whole blue spread of it in view.

Water off the mountain surfaces at the upper edge of the town. People still bring washing to that spot.

The main square sits between the mosque and the fortress. Mulberry trees make the shade and chairs are set beneath them.

Forty minutes by car and two hours up the gorge on foot reach the falls. Cold water keeps most people to wading in up to the ankle.

Water cut a natural arch that spans the gorge. The arch can be walked across and the drop below runs 25 metres.

Rif mountain wool becomes blankets and garments on a hand loom. The doors stay open, so the sound of the loom carries into the lane.

Climbing the road above town shows the ranges layered one behind another. When mist fills the valley below, the town appears to sit above cloud.

Goats graze the slopes and their milk becomes cheese on the spot. What was made that day can be tasted and bought at the farm.

The town's oldest Friday mosque, built in the 1470s, its octagonal minaret rising at one side of Uta el Hammam square. Inside is for Muslims only. From a square café the minaret and the kasbah tower line up together.

A small square inside the medina lanes with an old public fountain at its centre. Every wall around it is blue, and one tree throws shade. Quieter than the main square, it draws photographers soon after dawn.

The oldest residential quarter after the kasbah, with neighbourhood bread ovens and small shops still in its lanes. Weaving and leather stalls are plentiful. Calmer than the souvenir streets, its steps are where local children play.

The old south-west gate of the medina, the usual way in on foot from the modern town. The cemetery path outside climbs to the viewpoint on the hotel hill above town. The first souvenir shops cluster just inside.

The peak behind town; the round trip to the summit is a hard full-day hike. Just 30 minutes up, a midway viewpoint lays the blue town at your feet. The upper trail passes cannabis fields, so hire someone from town to lead.

The national park's visitor centre below the town, with displays on the Rif fir forests, wildlife and trails. Entry is free. Planning Akchour or a mountain trek? Ask here for maps and trail conditions.

A fishing village and long sand beach reached by following the mountain road down from Chefchaouen to the Mediterranean. Shared taxis run there, so it works as a day trip. Summer fills it with Moroccan holidaymakers; other seasons are quiet.