The Moroccan town where all the buildings are painted blue

Known as Morocco’s “blue pearl” or “blue city”, the buildings in Chefchaouen are painted using a talc or chalk-based blue paint.

Chefchaouen is in the northwest of Morocco. It’s known by many Instagram and Pinterest addict as the “Blue City,” and is perched amid the dramatic landscape of the Rif Mountains.

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When one door closes, another one opens 💙😍🦋 #letsflyawayto #chefchaouen

A post shared by XK Flyaway 💙 Xavier & Katie(@xkflyaway) on Nov 25, 2018 at 11:07am PST

The women of the town had an idea to put it on the map - by painting the entire town blue, they transformed a nondescript village on the old caravan route between Fez and Tangiers into one of the most successful tourist destinations in Morocco.

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*Hue* knew there were so many cool streets in Chefchaouen? Oh yeah, everybody. 😂 This street right here is probably the most popular spot for photos in Chefchaouen. Rain or shine, people would gather around and line up to take pictures on these bright blue steps lined with colorful flower pots. Visitors are wowed by the pop of colors but of course there are local people who live on these picturesque streets. Can you imagine living on a street that garnered so much attention? . . . . . . . . . . #dametraveler #roamtheplanet #travelphotography #travelphotographer #sheexplores #sheisnotlost #globelletravels #exploringtheglobe #theculturetrip #theglobewanderer #planetdiscovery #theoutbound #travellingthroughtheworld #travelon #passionpassport #openmyworld #beautifuldestinations #bestvacations #borntotravel #worldcaptures #worldtravelbook #wonderful_places #chefchaouen #morocco #lonelyplanet #ladiesgoneglobal #tasteintravel #travelstoke #travelawesome

A post shared by Kris(@kbaykris) on Nov 26, 2018 at 1:32am PST

The blue in Chefchaouen only started 20 years ago. Traditionally, only one area of the city was painted in blue, the old Jewish area, their religion’s divine colour, representing the sea and sky after escaping persecution in Europe.

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My feed is about to become blue! I visited this pretty little town up in the mountains for 2 days and it was the highlight of my trip to Morocco. It’s famous because it’s, well, blue. It’s not really a hidden gem anymore unfortunately. Nevertheless, I really loved it and would’ve probably spent more days here if I’d had the time. Besides wandering in the blue city you can also do some hikes to waterfalls and of course... visit the weed plantations 🍃🌱

A post shared by STORIES BY THUHA ☼☽(@storiesbythuha) on Nov 26, 2018 at 12:44am PST

The walls are all painted by hand and walking through Chefchaouen one can see how high a painter can reach as the ground floor is meticulously hued, but above, it is often the original white or bare stone.