SHHH. Come closer. I have a secret to tell you.

There’s a village tucked away into the foothills of Morocco’s Rif Mountains that is entirely painted blue and white. Narrow alleyways, elaborate doors, and steep stairs wind through this charming hamlet and the entire scene looks like something out of Hans Christian Anderson’s imagination. Or, for the musical theater crowd, it feels like we’ve stumbled upon a Moroccan version of Brigadoon, the mystical village that appears one day every hundred years. Its inhabitants even speak a different language (Spanish, instead of French and Arabic spoken in the rest of Morocco) which adds to the feeling that we’re not in Kansas anymore.

This place is called Chefchaouen and, to be honest, it’s hardly a secret. But it’s so tiny and charming and ours for the time being that it feels like we’ve discovered something special.

Here’s our first view from the main road:

This blue and white door greets us along the main road… a peek of what’s to come.

We stay at Hotel Madrid, which is as enchanting as you’d expect the accommodation in a fairy tale to be. It’s the next best thing to a castle.

We’re greeted with the sweet elixir of this place — Moroccan mint tea.

The rooms are fit for princesses and maidens and any other such royal characters that might pop in. (Don’t worry, I’m almost done with this metaphor.)

We set out to explore on foot.

Our guide Mohamed leads us up a winding path along the river.

Hi Mohamed!

A look back at the part of town we just came from:

Local boys take a break from a soccer game.

Even the Moroccan doors are more magical in Chefchaouen.

A waterfall cascades through the village — locals do laundry and kids cool off in the water.

Freshly laundered rugs lay out drying in the sun.

Boys play a spirited game on these steps:

We make our way to the top of the village and enjoy sweeping views looking back over the rooftops.

I love these girls.

We return to the village walls; they embrace us back into the fairy tale. Here’s a few final snapshots as we wind our way down to the main square of the medina.

I’ll be back tomorrow with the Chefchaeoun sequel — our dinner on the charming main square and early morning hike.

Thanks to Nomadic Tours for discounting my tour in exchange for photography and blogging. Opinions are my own.