We finally made it to the “Blue City”, Chefchaouen. This is the place you have seen all over your social feeds – the city where everything is painted in varying shades of blue. According to our six-year-old, it almost kind of looks like smurf village. I must admit that being there for three days and two nights, exploring the blue-walled maze-like medina, it does seem magical in a way, too. What made it an even more magical experience for us was our stay at Lina Ryad & Spa.
Located in the middle of Chefchaouen, Lina Ryad & Spa is a beautiful 3-story riad with a modern façade and beautiful décor in varying shades of deep blue, representative of the “Blue City”. They say the best things are hard to find, but in the case of Lina Ryad, it was hard getting to. Although not easy to find at the beginning as it is located deep within the labyrinth of the medina, once you learn your way around, you will come to find that the main square, where all of the restaurants are, is just two minutes away.
The first floor of Lina Ryad is where reception, the lounge, and dining area are located, as well as the kitchen. The lounge/dining area is decorated with deep blue velvet seats, and the lighting adds a nice touch.
More traditional riads have a courtyard as the centerpiece; however, Lina Ryad & Spa has a pool. Each room, as you go up have a gorgeous view of the pool below.
The pool must be reserved in advance for one-hour time slots for private use which was just perfect for us, especially since we had our six-year-old daughter with us. Of course, our little swimmer had to use the pool several times over while there.
The Rooms at Lina Ryad & Spa
Each of our rooms, which was more like a mini suite was clean, well-kept, and roomy. Roomier than other riads where we have stayed. All rooms are equipped with a safe, mini refrigerator, hairdryer, TV, free Wi-Fi, bathrobes, and slippers. The double beds were comfy. We also had a living area with a sofa, which we could have easily used for our daughter to sleep, but she had her own room one level below ours with her grandma.
The Food at Lina Ryad & Spa
Our first night at Lina Ryad & Spa, we dined in. I had a seafood pastilla, which is a sweet and savory pie made of phyllo dough. My mother-n-law had traditional Moroccan soup, while my husband and daughter shared chicken skewers and fries.
The breakfast served at the riad was good. It consisted of fresh-squeezed orange juice, traditional Moroccan pastries, coffee and tea, and eggs made to order.
What we enjoyed most at Lina Ryad
The Views! Walk up to the top so that you can enjoy some of the best views of the Blue City with the Rif Mountains as the backdrop. It looked incredible when the sun was setting. Unfortunately, with me being a late riser, I did not get to experience the sunrise while there, but my husband said it was nothing short of amazing. Sometimes my husband, daughter and I would just chill up there on the terrace and talk or read a book, look for constellations, and we’ve eaten breakfast there.
If you ever have a chance to visit Chefchaouen, Lina Ryad and Spa is the place to stay if you are looking for a luxurious place to stay after wandering through the gorgeous blue alleyways of Chefchaouen. You will not regret staying here because the views alone are worth the visit.
Check out reviews of Lina Ryad & Spa on Tripadvisor.com.
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