🇲🇦 Atlantic Morocco
El Jadida Beaches
Pine-forest dunes and Atlantic surf — sweeping sandy shores beside a UNESCO World Heritage Portuguese fortified city, just 100km south of Casablanca.
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Beach
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Pine Dunes
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UNESCO Heritage
Pine-forest dunes and Atlantic surf — sweeping sandy shores beside a UNESCO World Heritage Portuguese fortified city, just 100km south of Casablanca.
El Jadida (formerly Mazagan) is one of Morocco's most historically significant coastal towns — its Portuguese-era ramparts and underground cistern are UNESCO-listed and draw visitors year-round. The town's beach, Haouzia, lies just south of the city and is backed by an unusual landscape of planted Aleppo pine forests that partially stabilise the dunes and provide shade. The Atlantic here is powerful and cold (15–18°C), making swimming suitable in summer only; the rest of the year the beach is beloved by walkers, horse-riders, and those seeking dramatic wave scenery. El Jadida is increasingly popular with Moroccan domestic tourists seeking an alternative to Casablanca's crowded Corniche.
El Jadida is 100km south of Casablanca along the N1 — a scenic Atlantic coast drive. CTM and Supratours buses connect daily from Casa-Port. Taxis from the medina to Haouzia Beach take around 10 minutes. No local train to the beach; trains stop at El Jadida station in town.
July–September for beach swimming (sea temp 17–20°C). Spring and autumn are ideal for walks along the pine-backed dunes and visiting the Portuguese Cistern without summer crowds. El Jadida is quieter than Casablanca year-round.
Don't miss the 16th-century Portuguese Cistern in El Jadida's medina — the reflected columns create one of Morocco's most atmospheric spaces and it was famously filmed by Orson Welles in Othello. Horse-riding along the beach can be arranged through local guides.
