El Jadida is a port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, located 106 km south of the city of Casablanca in the region of Doukkala-Abda and the province of El Jadida. It has a population of 194,934 (2014 census). From the sea, El Jadida's old city has a very "un-Moorish" appearance; it has massive Portuguese walls of hewn stone.
The Portuguese Fortified City of Mazagan was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, on the basis of its status as an "outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures" and as an "early example of the realisation of the Renaissance ideals integrated with Portuguese construction technology". According to UNESCO, the most important buildings from the Portuguese period are the cistern, and the Manueline Church of the Assumption.
Portuguese cistern
Built in 1514, this former warehouse (possibly an armory) was converted into a cistern in the sixteenth century. The underground chamber, measuring 34 meters by 34 meters, was constructed with five rows of five stone pillars. The cistern is famous especially for the thin layer of water that covers the floor, and which creates fine and exciting reflections from the little light there is and the spartan shapes of the columns and the roof. Its visual qualities are such that several movies have been filmed within the cavernous space, of which Orson Welles' Othello is the best known internationally.
Mazagan Beach resort
Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort launched in 2009 with a celeb-studded party featuring Naomi Campbell, Yasmin Le Bon and Gerard Butler, as well as rose-proffering monkeys. Things have calmed down somewhat since, but this multi-million pound resort is a "real Moroccan palace" (The Express), and was named Africa's Leading MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) Hotel in 2014 at the World Travel Awards.
Pullman Golf Royal
The Pullman Mazagan Royal Golf & Spa is a five-star hotel in El Jadida where you can get away from it all and enjoy some peace and quiet and a superb 18-hole golf course. The hotel was entirely renovated in 2012 and is a great place to rest, relax and play some golf.
Sidi Bouzid
Sidi Bouzid is a seaside resort 5 km from the city of El Jadida, it consists of secondary residences of a set of bungalows, a holiday club, restaurants and open-air theater. Its beach, much appreciated in summer by holidaymakers, is considered as one of the most beautiful beaches of Morocco, it has an infrastructure of reception and is characterized by its fine sand and its clear and limpid water, the visitors come there every year and the number continues to grow over the seasons.
El Oualidia
Oualidia is a coastal village in Morocco situated between El Jadida and Safi. It is located beside a protected natural lagoon and has been called Morocco's "oyster capital," a reference to the significant role shellfish harvesting plays in the local economy.