Ras El Ma

Ras El Ma, which translates to "head of the water," is the cold mountain spring that marks the northeastern edge of the Chefchaouen medina. It is here that fresh water gushes directly from the Rif Mountains, tumbling over a series of low, mossy rock ledges into a shallow river. This spring serves as the town's primary water source, and its presence was the literal cornerstone that made the founding of Chefchaouen possible in fourteen seventy-one.