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Shopping Guide
8 Best Shopping Spots in Chefchaouen
Rif Mountain weavings, fresh goat cheese, artisan soap, and handmade crafts in Morocco's Blue City.
Shopping Essentials
Signature craft: Rif woven blankets
Best food buy: Fresh goat cheese (jben)
Best market day: Monday souk
Best value: Upper medina workshops
1
Main Medina Souk
General Market 10–1,000 MAD Weavings, leather, ceramics, souvenirs
Chefchaouen's medina souk runs along the spine of the blue city — a single main street with side lanes branching into workshops and smaller shops. The souk is compact (you can walk end to end in 15 minutes), manageable, and refreshingly low-pressure compared to Marrakech or Fes. The shops sell a mix of Rif Mountain crafts and general Moroccan souvenirs. The medina's blue walls create a unique shopping backdrop — every doorway, every display, every turn is photogenic. Textiles dominate: hand-woven Rif blankets in red, white, and brown stripes (200–800 MAD), wool ponchos (jilaba rifiya, 200–500 MAD), and cotton scarves (30–80 MAD). Leather goods are simpler and cheaper than Marrakech: bags (80–300 MAD), belts (40–100 MAD), babouches (50–120 MAD). Blue-painted crafts: ceramic plates, lanterns, and decorative objects in the signature Chefchaouen blue. The souk is busiest mid-morning and late afternoon — early morning and lunchtime are quieter. Shopkeepers here are genuine artisans or family businesses rather than professional sellers — conversations about their craft are welcome and common. Prices start lower than in other Moroccan cities and bargaining is relaxed — expect to pay 60–75% of the asking price. The blue medina setting makes shopping here a unique visual experience — bring your camera.
Insider tip: Walk the upper medina streets (toward the kasbah and the Spanish Mosque) for the best textile shops — the lower, more accessible shops near Place Outa el-Hammam are more touristy, while the upper shops sell to locals at local prices
2
Rif Weaving Workshops
Textiles & Weaving 100–2,000 MAD Hand-woven blankets, kilims, rugs
Chefchaouen's most distinctive craft — the hand-woven textiles of the Rif Mountains have patterns, colors, and techniques found nowhere else in Morocco. Rif weavings use a vertical loom (as opposed to the horizontal loom of the Middle and High Atlas) and produce fabrics with distinctive red-and-white or red-and-brown striped patterns. The wool comes from local sheep and goats, often hand-spun and naturally dyed. Several workshops in the upper medina (near the kasbah) allow visitors to watch weavers at work — the looms fill narrow rooms and the rhythmic clacking of the shuttle is the soundtrack of the neighborhood. Products: floor blankets (mendil, 200–800 MAD), wall hangings (300–1,500 MAD), pillowcases (50–150 MAD), and larger rugs (500–2,000 MAD). The weaving tradition is primarily women's work — buying from the workshops supports female artisans directly. Quality check: hand-woven pieces have slightly irregular edges and varying thread density (machine-woven are perfectly uniform). Natural dyes produce muted, warm tones; synthetic dyes are brighter and more uniform. The best pieces have tight, even weaving with no gaps. These textiles are lightweight and easy to pack — one of the most practical souvenirs in Morocco. The Kasbah Museum (entry 10 MAD) has a textile collection that helps you understand the tradition before buying.
Insider tip: Ask to visit a weaving workshop in the residential upper medina — the women weavers will show you the process from raw wool to finished blanket, and buying directly supports their income without a middleman's markup
3
Monday Souk (Outside Walls)
Regional Market 5–500 MAD Local produce, spices, goat cheese, crafts
Chefchaouen's weekly market — a large open-air souk outside the medina walls where Rif Mountain farmers, herders, and artisans converge every Monday to trade. This is the most authentic market experience in northern Morocco — families travel from surrounding villages by donkey, shared taxi, and on foot, bringing produce, livestock, weavings, and household goods. The market is divided into sections: produce (seasonal vegetables, fruits, olives, nuts), livestock (goats, sheep, chickens), spices and herbs, textiles and clothing, and household goods. The goat cheese section is the highlight: Rif jben (fresh goat cheese) is sold by women from the surrounding villages — white, creamy rounds wrapped in cloth, tangy and fresh (10–30 MAD per round). This cheese is virtually impossible to find outside the Rif. Honey from mountain wildflowers (50–100 MAD per jar) is another local specialty. The spice sellers offer Rif herbs: dried oregano (zaatar), thyme, and mountain honey. Weavings sold at the Monday souk are often cheaper than in the medina shops — you're buying from the maker. The atmosphere is energetic, social, and completely ungeared to tourists. Bring cash (no card machines) and a bag for purchases. The market operates from 7am to 3pm, peaking at 10am–noon. Located on the road below the medina — a 10-minute walk downhill from Place Outa el-Hammam.
Insider tip: Arrive at 8am before the tourist groups — the cheese sellers set up early, the selection is freshest, and you can taste multiple varieties of jben before choosing. By 11am the best cheese rounds are gone
4
Goat Cheese Sellers (Jben)
Local Food 10–30 MAD per round Fresh goat cheese, honey, preserves
Chefchaouen's most delicious and unique product — fresh goat cheese (jben) made in the Rif Mountains from the milk of local goats that graze on wild herbs. Jben is Chefchaouen's culinary identity: a soft, fresh, tangy cheese similar to a cross between chèvre and ricotta. It's eaten on bread for breakfast, crumbled over salads, and served with olive oil and mint. The cheese is sold throughout the medina: women sit on doorsteps with rounds of jben wrapped in cloth, and market stalls stack the white discs on trays. Each maker's cheese tastes slightly different — the flavor reflects the herbs the goats eat (thyme, oregano, wild rosemary) and the age of the cheese (same-day is mild; 2–3 day old is tangier). Price: 10–30 MAD per round (about 200–300 grams). The cheese doesn't travel well in hot weather — eat it within 24 hours or buy vacuum-sealed rounds from the more established shops (these last 3–5 days). Pair it with local honey (50–80 MAD per jar) and fresh bread from the neighborhood ferrane (bakery, 1.5 MAD per loaf). The combination of jben, honey, and warm bread — eaten on a terrace overlooking the blue medina — is one of Morocco's great food experiences. For a full cheese experience, ask your riad to arrange a visit to a goat farm in the surrounding hills (100–200 MAD per person, half day).
Insider tip: Buy jben from the women sellers near the Ras el-Maa waterfall in the late morning — the cheese is freshest (made that morning), the setting is beautiful, and you can eat it immediately on bread from the bakery next door
5
Leather Workshops (Eastern Medina)
Leather Craft 50–500 MAD Bags, babouches, belts, wallets
Chefchaouen has its own small tanneries in the eastern medina — far less famous (and far less tourist-accessible) than the Fes or Marrakech tanneries, but producing quality leather at significantly lower prices. The tanneries are small-scale, family-operated, and use both traditional vegetable tanning and modern methods. The surrounding workshops sell directly: leather bags (80–300 MAD — half the Marrakech price), babouche slippers (50–120 MAD), belts (40–100 MAD), wallets (30–80 MAD), and simple jackets (300–800 MAD). The leather is softer and lighter than Fes leather — the goat hides are smaller and produce a finer grain. The craftsmen work in doorways and small workshops — you can watch cutting, stitching, and finishing. Custom work is possible: describe what you want, choose a leather color, and pick it up the next day (same price or 20% more). The leather quarter is off the tourist path — ask for "derb el-jild" (leather lane) in the eastern medina. Few tourists venture here, so prices are genuine and bargaining is minimal. Quality varies: check stitching (hand-stitched is uneven but strong), leather thickness (thin leather tears easily), and dye evenness. The best shops are those where you can see the craftsman making the product — it ensures you're buying local rather than imported goods.
Insider tip: Ask for "jild el-maaz" (goat leather) rather than cow leather — Chefchaouen's goat leather is softer, lighter, and has a finer grain than the cow leather used in mass-produced goods, and it ages beautifully
6
Handmade Soap & Cosmetics
Beauty & Wellness 15–100 MAD Goat milk soap, herbal cosmetics, oils
Chefchaouen has a growing reputation for artisan soaps and natural cosmetics — the combination of local goat milk, mountain herbs, and olive oil creates products that are genuinely unique to this region. Goat milk soap (savon au lait de chèvre) is the signature product: handmade bars using fresh goat milk from Rif herds, cold-processed with olive oil, and scented with local herbs (lavender, rosemary, thyme, mint). Price: 15–40 MAD per bar. The soap is gentle, moisturizing, and has a subtle herbal scent. Several small producers have shops in the medina — the best are on the side streets away from the main souk. Other products: olive oil soap (savon à l'huile d'olive, 20–30 MAD), herbal infusion oils (50–100 MAD per bottle), rose water (30–60 MAD), dried herbs for tea (Rif mint, verbena, sage, oregano — 10–30 MAD per bag), and beeswax lip balm (15–25 MAD). The herb shops also sell dried mountain herbs for cooking and tea: Rif zaatar (wild oregano, 15–25 MAD per bag) is particularly prized — it's more aromatic and complex than the zaatar found elsewhere in Morocco. Black soap beldi (20–40 MAD per jar) and ghassoul clay (20–30 MAD) are available but these are sourced from elsewhere in Morocco, not locally produced. Buy the goat milk soap and herbs — these are the genuine Chefchaouen products.
Insider tip: Look for soap makers who display their production date — fresh cold-processed soap continues to harden and improve for 4–6 weeks after making, so a bar dated 3–4 weeks ago is at peak quality for immediate use
7
Place Outa el-Hammam Shops
Tourist Boutiques 20–500 MAD Souvenirs, blue-painted items, postcards
The main square of Chefchaouen — a tree-shaded plaza dominated by the 15th-century kasbah and the Grand Mosque, ringed by cafés and souvenir shops. Place Outa el-Hammam is the social heart of the Blue City and the natural starting point for any shopping expedition. The shops around the square sell tourist-oriented goods: blue-painted ceramics (plates 30–100 MAD, bowls 20–50 MAD, tagines 50–150 MAD), miniature blue doors and windows (20–80 MAD), postcards and prints of the blue medina (5–20 MAD), woven straw bags and hats (30–100 MAD), Chefchaouen-branded t-shirts (50–100 MAD), and packaged spices and herbs. Prices are the highest in the medina (you're paying for location), but the convenience and selection make it a reasonable last-stop for gifts. The cafés around the square are perfect for shopping breaks: order a mint tea (10–15 MAD) on the terrace and watch the medina life. The kasbah (entry 10 MAD) houses a small museum with regional textiles and photography — worth a quick visit for craft context. The square connects to the main souk (downhill) and to the blue residential lanes (uphill). In the evening, the square fills with families, musicians, and the scent of grilling meat from the surrounding restaurants. For better prices and more authentic crafts, walk uphill from the square into the residential medina — the tourist premium drops sharply within 100 meters.
Insider tip: Skip the souvenir shops on the square for generic blue ceramics — the hand-painted blue plates sold in the small workshops on the lanes above the square are the same price but higher quality, because the painters sell direct
8
Traditional Clothing & Hats
Fashion & Accessories 20–600 MAD Djellabas, ponchos, straw hats
The Rif region has its own distinctive clothing tradition — Chefchaouen is the best place to buy traditional Riffi garments that are unavailable elsewhere in Morocco. The jilaba rifiya (Rif djellaba) is different from the djellabas worn in other regions: made from hand-woven wool in natural brown, grey, or white stripes, with a wide hood and simple construction. These are working garments — warm, durable, and genuinely worn by local men. Price: 200–600 MAD depending on wool quality and weaving. The mendil (large rectangular wool cloth) serves as a blanket, shawl, and carrying wrap — the most versatile and packable piece of Rif clothing (100–400 MAD). The taraza (woven straw hat with a wide brim) is the signature Chefchaouen accessory: a conical or flat-brimmed sun hat woven from palm fiber and sometimes decorated with colored pom-poms. Price: 20–50 MAD — one of the most affordable and distinctive souvenirs in Morocco. Wool ponchos in Rif patterns (200–400 MAD) make excellent travel blankets or throws. The clothing shops are scattered through the medina — the largest are on the main souk street. For the most authentic (and cheapest) garments, visit the Monday souk outside the walls where villagers sell their own weavings. Sizes are general (one-size-fits-most for djellabas) — try before buying. The natural wool has a faint lanolin smell that fades after washing.
Insider tip: Buy a taraza (straw hat) on your first morning — it's only 20–30 MAD, protects you from the sun while exploring the medina, and makes you look less like a tourist wandering the blue lanes
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Frequently Asked Questions
What should I buy in Chefchaouen?
Chefchaouen's signature buys: hand-woven Rif blankets and rugs (distinctive red and white striped patterns unique to this region, 200–1,500 MAD), goat cheese (jben — fresh, tangy, and unavailable outside the Rif, 10–30 MAD per round), handmade leather goods (Chefchaouen has its own small tanneries), wool ponchos and djellabas (200–600 MAD), handmade soap (goat milk soap is a local specialty, 20–40 MAD), blue-painted crafts and ceramics, and traditional straw hats (taraza, 20–50 MAD). Shopping here is more relaxed and 30–50% cheaper than Marrakech.
Is Chefchaouen cheaper for shopping than Marrakech?
Yes, significantly. Chefchaouen is smaller, less touristic, and the medina shopkeepers are among the most relaxed in Morocco. Starting prices are lower and bargaining is gentler. A woven Rif blanket that would cost 1,000+ MAD in a Marrakech shop can be found for 300–600 MAD in Chefchaouen. Leather goods are 30–50% cheaper. The atmosphere is friendlier — shop owners are more likely to offer tea and conversation than aggressive sales tactics. The only exception: blue-painted tourist souvenirs (fridge magnets, painted plates) are similarly priced everywhere.
Where are the best shops in Chefchaouen?
The main souk runs along the central medina spine from Place Outa el-Hammam downhill. For weavings and textiles, the best shops are on the upper streets (toward the kasbah). For leather, try the small tanneries in the eastern medina. The Monday souk (outside the medina walls) is a regional market where Rif farmers and artisans sell directly — the best prices and most authentic experience. For goat cheese (jben), buy from the women selling rounds on cloths near the main square or at the Monday souk.