El Jadida houses one of Africa's best-preserved Portuguese fortifications. The city of Mazagan, listed as UNESCO World Heritage in 2004, is a jewel of 16th-century Manueline architecture whose underground cistern with magical water reflections inspired Orson Welles.
The Portuguese city of Mazagan, UNESCO since 2004
Mazagan — the name given to El Jadida by the Portuguese — is one of the most remarkable examples of Portuguese colonial architecture in Africa. Founded in 1513 on a rocky promontory overlooking the Atlantic, it was a strategic stronghold for controlling maritime routes between Europe and the Indies. The Portuguese builders applied their most elaborate architectural style there, the Manueline, characterised by marine ornaments (ropes, anchors, armillary spheres) sculpted in limestone.
The city is surrounded by a diamond-shaped bastioned enclosure, with four pointed bastions at the corners. These bastions allowed artillery fire to be crossed to protect the walls from all angles — a 16th-century military innovation. The Portuguese abandoned the city in 1769 after Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah's siege, blowing up the walls and powder stores before leaving. The Moroccans partially rebuilt and renamed the city El Jadida (the New).
The Portuguese cistern: water reflections and zenithal light
The underground Portuguese cistern of El Jadida is one of Morocco's most photographed sites. Built in the 16th century to store fresh water for inhabitants and garrisons, this vast vaulted room (34 × 34 m) rests on 25 columns whose reflections repeat infinitely in the few centimetres of water covering the floor. Zenithal light enters through an oculus at the centre of the vault, creating a play of light and reflections of hypnotic beauty.
It was in this cistern that Orson Welles filmed in 1952 the opening scenes of his adaptation of Othello, using the Gothic columns and reflections in the water to create a unique dreamlike atmosphere. The film received the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1952. Today, the cistern regularly hosts Andalusian music concerts and art exhibitions, taking advantage of its exceptional acoustics and mystical ambiance to create memorable cultural events.
The ramparts, the bastions and the view of the Atlantic
Walking on the ramparts of the Portuguese city is a must-do experience in El Jadida. The battlements, accessible from several points of the medina, allow a complete circuit of the enclosure in about 45 minutes, with 360° panoramic views of the modern city, the Atlantic and the coastal cliffs. At sunset, the golden light on the ochre ramparts creates scenes of great beauty.
The four bastions — San Sebastian, L'Ange, Saint-Antoine and Saint-Esprit — are particularly well preserved and each offer different perspectives of the city and the sea. The Saint-Sebastian bastion houses a small Lusitanian Gothic church, the only one of this style still intact in Morocco. The bronze and cast iron cannons displayed on the ramparts bear witness to the strategic importance of this stronghold between the 16th and 18th centuries.
The beach and the seafront of El Jadida
El Jadida has one of Morocco's longest urban beaches: 8 km of fine sand stretching along the seafront between the Portuguese city and the mouth of the Oum Rbia river. This beach, renowned for the quality of its winter waves and summer calm, is frequented by the city's residents and holidaymakers from Casablanca and Rabat who come at weekends. The lively seafront, lined with cafés and fish restaurants, is the Jadidis' favourite promenade.
El Jadida beach is particularly appreciated for its exceptional urban setting: from the sand, you can see the ramparts of the Portuguese city which seem to rise directly from the Atlantic. This view is one of the most iconic images of the Moroccan Atlantic coast. The sunset over the Portuguese city from the beach is a magical moment that alone justifies an overnight stay.
El Jadida from Casablanca or Marrakech: access and circuits
El Jadida is just 90 km south of Casablanca, accessible in 1h15 via the A5 motorway. This proximity makes it a very popular day excursion from the metropolis for history and seaside enthusiasts. From Marrakech, the journey is 200 km (2h30 by road) via the A7 motorway to Casablanca then the coast. The city also has a railway station connected to Casablanca and Rabat.
Tour Come Morocco offers private Casablanca-El Jadida-Oualidia transfers as a day circuit, covering the UNESCO city, the cistern, the ramparts and an oyster tasting at Oualidia for lunch. A 3-day circuit on the Atlantic coast from Casablanca, including El Jadida, Oualidia, Safi and Essaouira, is also available for a complete immersion in Atlantic Morocco and its historical and gastronomic treasures.
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