Medina above the river
White houses and walls.
Lucyin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yaroslav Blanter — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bertramz — CC BY-SA 3.0 · رشيدة رقي — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bertrand SOUBEYRAND — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lucyin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bertramz — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lucyin — CC BY-SA 4.0
A small historic town on the left bank of the Oum Er-Rbia river near its mouth on the Atlantic, about sixteen kilometres from El Jadida. Its walled old town of white houses looks out over the river in one of the loveliest scenes on the Moroccan coast, and it is far quieter than its larger neighbour. Its name is Amazigh for the wild olive tree. Known since antiquity, it flourished as a centre of learning under the Almoravids, Almohads and Marinids. The Portuguese took it in 1513, with Ferdinand Magellan, later leader of the first voyage around the world, among their soldiers, then abandoned it in 1541. Among its sons is Estevanico, who was sold into slavery and became one of the first Africans to travel across North America in the sixteenth century. The old town is made up of the kasbah, the mellah and the medina, with narrow lanes, gates, covered passages and towers along its walls, and local artists have decorated its walls with murals. Visitors also come to the shrine of Moulay Bouchaib, the town's patron saint, honoured with a yearly moussem. Wandering the town is free, and the finest view of its walls is from the riverbank. Two kilometres to the south lies Haouzia beach, known for surfing and kitesurfing. It makes a half-day trip from El Jadida or a stop on the way from Casablanca.
White houses and walls.
Walls painted by artists.
Surf and kitesurf.
On the left bank of the Oum Er-Rbia river, about sixteen kilometres from El Jadida
It is about twenty minutes by car from El Jadida and lies on the road to Casablanca, so it makes an easy stop on the way.