Once known as Mazagan, the fortified city of El Jadida was built on the shores of the Atlantic and founded in 1513 by the Portuguese. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is a small, delightful coastal town with several 12 feet-thick bastions – L’Ange, Saint Sebastian, Saint Antoine and Saint Esprit.
Within its city walls are the former Portuguese residences, with pilasters and wrought iron balconies, and the minaret and mosque standing next to the deconsecrated Church of Our Lady of Assumption, built in the pentagonal watchtower.
During a stroll around the ramparts and from each of the 5 bastions, you’ll have magnificent views across the town and sea gate, the moat and the clustered houses.
You will be amazed by an interior visit of the cistern, an underground reservoir. This immense square hall is supported by 25 columns and lit only by a circular opening in the roof.
Built originally as an arsenal, in the 16th century the Portuguese transformed it into a cistern. There is a mark on the wall that records the water level at that time; a setting often used by film-makers, in particular Orson Wells for his ‘Othello’.
You’ll make a short visit of the Medina on foot and stop for a refreshment before returning to Casablanca.
Essential information
This excursion will operate by coach and on foot. There is approximately 45 minutes of total walking included on this tour with steps and uneven ground to negotiate at the cistern and the ramparts. The order of the sights may vary.