Our unhurried ascent into the Rif Mountains ensured a late arrival in Chefchaouen. The sun had long since slipped behind the ragged outline of the mighty Rif Mountains, yet the town was far from asleep. Insufferable daytime temperatures force all but the clinically insane to remain indoors while the sun is high, only to venture out either early morning or after sundown.

We threaded our way through the hordes of semi-nocturnal beings – all positively shoehorned onto the pavements of the ville nouvelle - and made our way toward the old part of town, the Medina, for we had been assured that behind those thick, impenetrable walls lay a hearty selection of budget sleeps.

When entering into the Medina, you could be forgiven for believing they had entered another world. The gateway to Chefchaouen Medina behaves more in the fashion of a portal to a bygone era than simply a boundary between new and old. The oversized shop fronts, broad walkways and tree lined boulevards disappear in an instant, giving way to something entirely different and altogether quite fascinating. From the very moment you breach the threshold, your immediate surrounding world becomes a one of a heady maze of constricted, cobblestone alleyways - on both sides, their urge for expansion perpetually checked, as has been the case for the past 500 years, by solid, unyielding walls of at least two stories. In parts, these stoic guardians rise much higher indeed; to 3, sometimes 4 stories, and possibly more. Though in such close quarter, the walls never enslave. Both the soft, rounded corners and the pale blue wash blanketing the Medina do well to provide a canny illusion of space. It’s true; the whole place seems completely open yet utterly solid and secure.

Although founded in 1471 by Moorish exiles from Spain, the feeling around the Medina is one of discovery not construction – it’s as if it had always been there. Add into the mix the hollers of traders, the hussle and bussle through the narrow thoroughfares, the smells of the spice merchants and bakeries, of pack mules and bails of herbs, and the scene is set. The whole deal is completely overwhelming.

I can see it taking a while to get to grips with Chefchaouen and its Medina, it surely holds so many secrets. And with good fortune and time on my side I hope to learn, and share, some of these secrets over the coming days.