El Jadida
Formerly known as Mazagan until the turn of the 19th century, El Jadida is an Atlantic port city 90km southwest of Casablanca. It is a stylish and beautiful town, famous for its old Portuguese Citadel, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main attraction is the Manueline style Portuguese cistern, an impressive underground water reservoir, which was the chiaroscuro decor and shooting location of the 1950’s Orson Wells’ Othello film.
The beach here is very popular with overseas and Moroccan tourists alike, especially in the summer when the bars and restaurants are buzzing. For those who like water sport, the ocean here is quite lively and offers the perfect conditions for windsurfing, kitesurfing, surfing or bodyboarding, but for the others who are in search of idleness, El Jadida main beach, also called Deauville beach, is the perfect place for sunbathing, long walks on its vast shore or camel and horseback riding.
Sidi Bouzid is 5km south of El Jadida and is annually ranked among the prestigious “Blue Flag” beaches for its high quality and high environmental standards. Additionally, the beach provides an international standard point break for surfers, with its regular, fast and powerful wave being ranked among the top ten in the world. When the wind conditions are right, the beach also becomes popular with kite and windsurfers alike.
Oualidia
Nearly 80km south of El Jadida is the lagoon area of Oualidia, a very picturesque resort which is famous for its Japanese oysters. Morocco’s first oyster farm was launched here in 1957 and nowadays it harvests some two hundred tonnes a year.
However, it is also a very popular beach resort and is excellent for surfing and windsurfing which is very safe as the ocean swell comes through a small gap in the lagoon, creating even waves for beginners to learn. On the other side of the lagoon, experienced surfers can take advantage of the strong conditions of the Atlantic Ocean, especially at the famous spot “Les Tomates” located near the tomatoes farm (15km south).
The area is also teeming with bird life, the area is an oasis for flamingos, herons and storks. There are several restaurants on the beachfront, famous for serving some of the best seafood in the area.
Safi
About 150km north of Marrakech is the port town of Safi. It is not one of Morocco’s better known tourist areas, but it is certainly worth a visit, not just for the beach life, the area is also famous for being inhabited for more than 300,000 years by Homo sapiens of lower palaeolithic, in Jbel Irhoud (80km southeast of the city) and of course its ceramics. Safi has a pottery quarter, which boasts some of the oldest pottery kilns in Morocco, where local crafts people create ceramics using the same methods that have been used for centuries. The National Ceramics Museum is also in Safi and houses some of the finest examples of Safi pottery in Morocco.
Perhaps one of the best-known buildings in Safi is the Kechla, which is an old Portuguese fortress – it is not open to the public but there are plenty of guides to show visitors around the outside and point out the stunning views over Safi. The Medina is also worth a visit and is full of winding alleyways and colourful street art.
The beaches at Safi are a big draw to visitors with Lalla Fatna probably the most famous beach of the city. Some say that Safi’s beaches have the most beautiful waves on the planet, benefitting from the powerful winds of the Atlantic coast. The wave at Safi even has a name; ‘Garden’, which is the most powerful roller of Morocco, at Ras Lefaa Point. It’s a tube of several hundred meters and several well- known surfers have been able to travel it for at least 15 seconds. For less accomplished surfers or those who want to brush up on their technique there are several surf schools at Safi.
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