Discovering...
Shopping Guide
Chefchaouen Shopping Guide
Rif Mountain crafts in the Blue City: hand-woven blankets, goat leather goods, blue pottery, and Morocco's calmest souk shopping experience.
Quick Tips
Prices: 20–40% cheaper than Marrakech
Best time: Morning (cool, quiet)
Vibe: Calm, no-pressure
What to Buy in Chefchaouen
Rif Woven Blankets & Textiles
100–400 MADChefchaouen's signature craft. Hand-woven on traditional looms by Rif women, these striped blankets and throws come in vibrant colours — the blue, red, and cream stripes are iconic. Used as bed covers, wall hangings, or wraps. The quality ranges from machine-made tourist versions to genuine handwoven pieces (the handwoven ones have slight irregularities — that's the sign of authenticity). Also look for woven bags, cushion covers, and scarves.
Weaving workshops in the upper medina lanes and shops along the main souk streetTip: Hold the textile up to the light — handwoven pieces have slight irregular spacing; machine-made are perfectly even
Goat Leather Goods
50–300 MADThe Rif Mountains are goat country, and Chefchaouen has a tradition of working goat leather. Bags, belts, babouches (traditional slippers), wallets, and poufs are all available. The leather is softer and lighter than the cow leather used in Fes. The craftsmanship is simpler than Fes's famous tanneries, but the prices are much lower and the quality is good for everyday use.
Leather shops throughout the medina, especially near the Kasbah and along Rue ZayeninTip: Babouches (slippers) are the best leather buy — 50–150 MAD for a pair that would cost 200+ in Marrakech
Blue Pottery & Ceramics
20–150 MADPottery in the famous Chefchaouen blue — plates, bowls, tagine pots, and decorative tiles painted in the city's signature colour. The blue ranges from deep indigo to pale sky blue. Some pottery is locally made; some is sourced from Fes or Safi and painted blue. The locally made pieces are heavier and have more character. Look for the irregular glaze and hand-painted patterns that indicate local production.
Pottery shops along the main souk street and near Place Outa el-HammamTip: Locally made pottery has a rougher texture and uneven glaze — the perfectly smooth pieces are usually from Fes factories
Handmade Soaps & Cosmetics
15–80 MADThe Rif Mountains produce olive oil, lavender, and herbs that local artisans turn into handmade soaps, oils, and cosmetics. Olive oil soap (savon beldi), lavender sachets, argan oil, and rose water are popular buys. The women's cooperatives in and around Chefchaouen produce these products. Quality is good and prices are lower than the tourist-oriented shops in Marrakech.
Cooperatives and natural cosmetic shops in the medina, and the market near Bab el-AinTip: Savon beldi (black olive soap) is the traditional hammam product — buy it here for a fraction of the spa version price
Goat Cheese (Jben)
5–20 MADFresh goat cheese made daily by Rif herders — Chefchaouen's most distinctive food product. Sold in rounds wrapped in palm leaves at the market near Bab el-Ain. Soft, tangy, and incredibly fresh. Buy it to eat immediately with bread and olives, or wrapped in wax paper to take with you (it lasts 2–3 days without refrigeration). This is a food souvenir that's best enjoyed on the spot.
Cheese vendors at the market near Bab el-Ain and in the medina food stallsTip: Buy in the morning for the freshest cheese — the herders bring it in at dawn
Paintings & Photography
50–1,000+ MADChefchaouen's photogenic blue medina attracts artists and photographers. Small galleries and art shops sell paintings of the blue lanes, Rif landscapes, and Berber life. Photography prints of the famous blue doorways and staircases are popular souvenirs. Local artists work in watercolour, acrylic, and mixed media. The art scene is smaller than Essaouira's but growing, with several serious galleries.
Art galleries along the main medina streets and near the KasbahTip: Commission a watercolour painting of a specific blue lane — several artists will do it while you shop (200–500 MAD)
Plan it with a local expert
Travel Morocco with Serenity Morocco Tours
Crafting extraordinary journeys through Morocco's timeless landscapes. 100% private journeys, handcrafted around you.
ONMT Licensed 100% Private Tours 100% private tours since 2018
from $2,011 5 days Marrakech → Erg Chebbi
Sahara Desert Luxury Expedition
from $2,054 7 days Marrakech · Fes · Meknes · Rabat
Essential Morocco: Imperial Cities Circuit
from $5,978 14 days Full-country circuit
Sahara to Sea: Morocco Complete
More Chefchaouen Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chefchaouen famous for buying?
Chefchaouen's shopping specialties reflect its Rif Mountain location: hand-woven Rif blankets and textiles (striped wool and cotton in vibrant colours), goat leather goods (bags, belts, babouches — the mountain goats produce distinctive leather), blue-painted pottery and ceramics, handmade soaps and cosmetics (including olive oil and lavender products), and goat cheese. The medina itself — blue-washed walls, photogenic lanes — is the main attraction, and the souks are among the calmest in Morocco.
Is shopping in Chefchaouen cheap?
Yes — Chefchaouen has some of the cheapest shopping in Morocco. Starting prices are lower than Marrakech or Fes, and vendors are less aggressive. Woven blankets: 100–400 MAD. Leather babouches: 50–150 MAD. Pottery: 20–100 MAD. Goat cheese: 5–15 MAD. The medina is small enough that you can compare prices easily. Bargaining is still expected but the starting prices are already more reasonable than the big cities.
Where are the best shops in Chefchaouen?
The best shopping areas in Chefchaouen: the lanes between Place Outa el-Hammam and Bab el-Ain (the main souk area), the weavers' workshops along the upper medina lanes, the goat cheese market near Bab el-Ain, and the craft shops along the Ras el-Ma path. The medina is small — you can cover the entire shopping area in 30 minutes. The most photogenic shops are on the blue-painted lanes near the Kasbah.