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Hotel Class: 
5 Stars - 75 Opinions
Mazagan, El Jadida, 24000, Morocco
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of people enjoy staying here
75 Opinions
El Jadida, which was originally known as Mazagan, was entirely built by the Portuguese in the 1600s when they built a fort here at the edge of the rich grain country of the district known as the Doukkala. It is today largely an administrative center and summer beach resort.
Known to us as Mazagan in the times when this port city used to be a Portuguese settlement, the town of El Jadida is a pleasant stop while touring the North African Atlantic coast. There are still a few remains of the colonial time, like the city fortifications and the Portuguese cistern, plus a few atmospheric streets in the walled city.
Avoid the horrid Jorf Lasfar port and its industrial complex in the outskirts of the city )one of the main gateways for the Moroccan phosphate export trade) and concentrate in the old part of the city.
El Jadida is a port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco just south of Casablanca. The 500 year old medina of El Jadida with its impressive fortifications, called Cite Portugaise, makes for a great day of exploring. Previously known as Mazagan before seized in 1502 by the Portuguese El Jadida was made into a bustling port city. Now the old medina is more of a sleepy well worn village. There are a few sites worth seeing that the portuguese built like, the church of the assumption, the five sided lighthouse now the minaret of the grand mosque, and the impressive Portuguese Cistern, a vast subterranean vault that has a thin film of water which reflects the columns and vaulted ceiling with spectacular effect. The cistern was used with dramatic results in Orson Welle’s Othello. The Sea Gate is one of the town’s most unique features through which ships unloaded their cargo from the protected harbor. The ramparts are some of the most impressive in Morocco and give the visitor great views of the city and its harbor. An interesting stop is the communal bakery located within the massive ramparts. Locals can bring their dough here to be baked for a price listed on the wall.
See the video at Cite Portugaise and El Jadida
The medina had a large jewish community that was moved here from Azemmour to handle trade and commerce. The synagogue still stands. The ramparts also afford great views of the harbor and the afternoon castle diving by brave children.
The Portuguese fortification of Mazagan, now part of the city of El Jadida, 90-km southwest of Casablanca, was built as a fortified colony on the Atlantic coast in the early 16th century. It was taken over by the Moroccans in 1769. The fortification with its bastions and ramparts is an early example of Renaissance military design. The surviving Portuguese buildings include the cistern and the Church of the Assumption, built in the Manueline style of late Gothic architecture. The Portuguese City of Mazagan - one of the early settlements of the Portuguese explorers in West Africa on the route to India - is an outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures, well reflected in architecture, technology, and town planning.
Grand Taxi stop
Bab Al Baher
The star of David and the islamic Cresecent
Houzia Beach
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