El Jadida: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
In 1514 the Portuguese built a fort on this beach, and in 1541 they turned it into a star-shaped fortress that held out for more than two centuries. When they left in 1769 the town stood almost empty and was called al-Mahdouma, "the ruined one"; it came back to life in the 19th century, largely through Jewish merchants who moved inside the walls. This walk goes through the land gate, past the church and the mosque, and up onto two of the bastions. About an hour and a half on flat lanes; some sections may be closed for restoration.
A short history of El Jadida
The Portuguese built a fortress here called Mazagan in 1514, and between 1541 and 1542 they built a star-shaped fort, one of the first of its kind outside Europe. Mazagan was Portugal's last stronghold in Morocco until 1769, when the Portuguese abandoned it after a siege by Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah. In the 19th century a large Jewish community lived inside the walls, and the fortress quarter was then called the mellah. Inside the fortress is a vaulted underground cistern, where Orson Welles filmed scenes for his 1952 'Othello'. In 2004 the Portuguese City was declared a World Heritage Site.
The ten best sights in El Jadida
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1Portuguese City (Mazagan)
The walled Portuguese town on the sea, a UNESCO site; park outside and walk in
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2Portuguese Cistern
Closed for restoration since 2021; check whether it has reopened before you plan around it
3Church of the AssumptionThe Portuguese parish church by the cistern; no longer a place of worship
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4Angel Bastion
The eastern bastion over the harbour; the best view of the walls and the fishing boats
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5St Sebastian Bastion
The northern bastion, at the end of the old Jewish streets of the walled town
6Théâtre AfifiA 1926 colonial-era hall, now the municipal theatre; check the poster for the week
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7Tit Ribat
Remains of a medieval Sufi fortress-monastery in Moulay Abdallah, 12 km south
8Azemmour KasbahThe old walled town on the Oum Er-Rbia, 20 minutes north; the mellah lies past the kasbah
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9Sidi Bouafi Lighthouse
The tall lighthouse on the west side of town, a landmark on the way to Sidi Bouzid
10Deauville BeachThe town beach along the corniche; locals walk it at sunset
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in El Jadida →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in El Jadida:
Free walking tours in El Jadida
Inside the walls of Mazagan
In 1514 the Portuguese built a fort on this beach, and in 1541 they turned it into a star-shaped fortress that held out for more than two centuries. When they left in 1769 the town stood almost empty and was called al-Mahdouma, "the ruined one"; it came back to life in the 19th century, largely through Jewish merchants who moved inside the walls. This walk goes through the land gate, past the church and the mosque, and up onto two of the bastions. About an hour and a half on flat lanes; some sections may be closed for restoration.
- Porta da Terra · The land gate is the only way in from the town. The bastion that guarded it, the Governor's Bastion, is the one in ruins: the Portuguese blew it up themselves as they left in 1769.
- Portuguese Cistern · It was built as an armoury and turned into a cistern in 1541, when the town expected a siege. The thin layer of water on its floor mirrors the columns, and Orson Welles filmed scenes of Othello here.
- Church of the Assumption · The parish church of the Portuguese town, begun when the fortress was enlarged in 1541. UNESCO counts it with the cistern as the two most important buildings left from the Portuguese years.
- Grande Mosquée · Sultan Abd al-Rahman ordered the mosque built in the first half of the 19th century, when the town was being resettled. Its minaret stands on the base of an old Portuguese tower, so the church and the mosque face each other across the lane.
- Angel Bastion · The fortress has four standing bastions — the Angel to the east, St Sebastian to the north, St Antoine to the west and the Holy Ghost to the south. From the Angel you look down on the harbour the Portuguese ships once used.
- St Sebastian Bastion · In the 19th century the walled town became the Jewish quarter of El Jadida. From the bastions you can pick out a Star of David on an abandoned synagogue, a building that began as a Portuguese court house.
The French town and the sea
When the French arrived in the early 20th century they built a new town outside the walls, with a post office, gardens and a theatre. Several of those buildings were added to Morocco's national heritage list in 2022. This walk goes from the garden by the walls through the colonial centre to the beach and ends at the lighthouse. About two hours, flat all the way; finish at sunset.
- Place Abdelkarim El Khattabi · This was the town's first modern public garden, laid out as Place Gallieni on what was an empty lot before 1916. It was listed as national heritage in 2022.
- Marché Central · The covered market is where the town still does its daily shopping, and it is the easiest place to see the Doukkala plain's produce in one place before a long drive.
- Théâtre Afifi · Built in 1926 as a festival hall with 458 seats and about ten boxes, it became the municipal theatre in 1930. It now carries the name of the actor Saïd Afifi.
- Parc Mohammed V · Laid out around 1930 as Parc Lyautey on 35,000 square metres between the beach and the town hall. Look for the dragon tree among the palms and eucalyptus.
- Deauville Beach · The beach runs right below Parc Mohammed V, so the 1930s town was planned to face it. In summer it fills with Moroccan families on holiday, and the sand is wide at low tide.
- Sidi Bouafi Lighthouse · The lighthouse began working in 1916, after construction started in 1914. It stands inland in a residential quarter, so you meet it at the end of a street rather than on a cliff.
Saints, a river and a forest
The Doukkala coast is a land of holy men: Sufi saints in the south, and in Azemmour both a Muslim patron saint and a Jewish one, Rabbi Abraham Moul Niss, whose tomb Muslims visit too. This drive runs south to the ribat of Tit, back along the beaches and north to Azemmour on the Oum Er-Rbia. About 60 km in all, a half day; Azemmour is best in the late afternoon light.
- Tit Ribat · A ribat was a fortified retreat where Sufis prayed and guarded the coast. This one, Tit-n-Fitr, was founded by the father of the saint Moulay Abdallah Amghar, who later led it in the Almoravid era.
- Moulay Abdallah Amghar shrine · Every August the saint's moussem fills the plain with tents and about two thousand riders for the tbourida, the charge of horsemen firing their muskets together. UNESCO listed tbourida as Moroccan intangible heritage in 2021.
- Sidi Bouzid · Sidi Bouzid is a separate small town in the commune of Moulay Abdallah, but for El Jadida it is simply the beach. Its seafront has fish restaurants, and it is far quieter outside July and August.
- Haouzia Beach · Behind the sand runs a forest of eucalyptus and pine. The waves draw surfers and kitesurfers, and the forest gives the only real shade on this coast.
- Azemmour Kasbah · The Portuguese took Azemmour in 1513 without a fight; Ferdinand Magellan, then a soldier, lost his horse in skirmishes outside the walls. They gave the town up in 1541 because the court in Lisbon could no longer pay for it. Past the kasbah lies the mellah, where the tomb of Rabbi Abraham Moul Niss draws pilgrims on Lag BaOmer.
- Oum Er-Rbia riverside · The medina walls rise straight from the bank of the Oum Er-Rbia, one of Morocco's great rivers. From this town came Estevanico, enslaved and taken to America, who in the 1530s was one of only four survivors of a Spanish expedition across the continent.
Getting to El Jadida and getting around
- Gare d'El Jadida · About 3 km south of the centre; take a petit taxi. Trains to Casablanca take about an hour and a half
- Gare Routière d'El Jadida · The CTM office is inside; buses run to Marrakech, Essaouira and Agadir
- Azemmour Station · On the same line to Casablanca; handy if someone joins in Azemmour
Cheap eats in El Jadida
El Jadida eats from the harbour: sardines, sole and squid, fried in small shops or grilled near the port. The Doukkala plain behind the town is one of Morocco's granaries, so bread, olives and vegetables are cheap and good. In summer the town fills with Moroccan holidaymakers and prices stay those of a local resort, not an international one.
- Tchikito · Mixed fried fish plate that changes with the catch, about 40-70 dirhams
- Restaurant du Port · Grilled fish above the harbour, about 80-150 dirhams; one of the few places in town that serves alcohol
- Le Lokal · Fresh juice and breakfast on a roof terrace inside the walls, about 30-60 dirhams
- Dar Atay · A pot of mint tea in the Portuguese City, about 10-20 dirhams
- Snack Bismillah · Sandwiches and quick plates by the walls, about 20-40 dirhams
- Café Oued Oum Rabii · Mint tea by the river in Azemmour, about 8-15 dirhams
Museums in El Jadida
- Portuguese Cistern · Closed for restoration since 2021; ask locally whether it has reopened
- Church of the Assumption · Begun in 1541; it faces the mosque across the lane
- Théâtre Afifi · A 1926 hall with boxes, renovated in recent years
- Porta da Terra · The land gate into the Portuguese City, beside the ruined Governor's Bastion
- Angel Bastion · Walk up for the view of the harbour and the walls
Nature and day trips near El Jadida
- Haouzia Beach · Long beach with a eucalyptus and pine forest behind it; surf and kitesurf
- Sidi Bouzid · Beach village with fish restaurants, 5 km south-west
- Deauville Beach · The town beach on the corniche; busy in summer
- Parc Mohammed V · Shady 1930s park between the beach and the centre
- Sidi Bouafi Lighthouse · A 1916 lighthouse in a residential street; see it at dusk when the lamp comes on
Holy places in El Jadida
- Azemmour Kasbah and mellah · Ask in the medina for the tomb of Rabbi Abraham Moul Niss; modest dress
- St Sebastian Bastion · From the northern bastion look for the Star of David on the old synagogue
- Grande Mosquée · The 19th-century mosque of the Portuguese City; view from outside
- Moulay Abdallah Amghar shrine · The saint's tomb at Moulay Abdallah; in August the moussem and tbourida
- Tit Ribat · Ruins of the medieval Sufi ribat next to the shrine
Where to eat in El Jadida
- La Portugaise · Tagines and fish inside the walls; reviews are mixed, look at the plates at the next table
- Restaurant du Port · Fish dinner over the harbour lights
- Tchikito · Fried fish late into the evening, near the walls
- Le Requin Bleu · Seafood on the beachfront in Sidi Bouzid
- Bab Al Madina · Café and restaurant at the medina gate in Azemmour
- Le Tamaris · Restaurant in the town centre near the theatre
Frequently asked questions about El Jadida
What is there to see in El Jadida?
The top sights in El Jadida are Portuguese City (Mazagan), Portuguese Cistern and Church of the Assumption. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in El Jadida?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of El Jadida without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in El Jadida?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in El Jadida, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Inside the walls of Mazagan.
How do you get to El Jadida and get around?
The main ways are Gare d'El Jadida, Gare Routière d'El Jadida and Azemmour Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in El Jadida, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in El Jadida that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in El Jadida for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.