# Summary

The author recounts a memorable visit to El Jadida, Morocco, marked by historical exploration, comfortable accommodations, and cultural experiences.

# Abstract

The visit to El Jadida was chosen for its historical significance, including a Portuguese Star Fort and an Underground Cistern. The author and their companion stayed in a charming guest house within the old city, where they were welcomed by hospitable hosts and their dog. They narrowly avoided a tourist trap when offered overpriced mint tea and jewelry after initially being told the tea was complimentary. Key highlights included a visit to the serene underground cistern, an art exhibition guarded by a sleeping attendant, a walk atop the star fort walls, and a satisfying meal at a local restaurant. The trip concluded with a relaxing evening on the rooftop terrace of their accommodation.

# Opinions

- The author was fascinated by the historical sites in El Jadida, particularly the Star Fort and the Underground Cistern.
- The hospitality of their hosts, Abdou and his family, was appreciated, adding to the positive experience at the Maison d'Hôtes de Cité Portugaise.
- The author felt deceived when the café owner attempted to charge for the mint tea that was initially presented as free.
- The underground cistern was a place of admiration for the author, who enjoyed the reflected views and the accompanying art exhibition.
- Walking the city walls provided a sense of historical connection and offered numerous photo opportunities.
- The meal at the nearby restaurant was enjoyed, especially the traditional Moroccan harira soup and the desserts.
- The author found the rooftop terrace of their guest house to be a delightful spot, imagining its appeal in the summer months.
- The author expressed a preference for El Jadida over Casablanca, highlighting a sense of safety and tranquility.

TRAVEL|MOROCCO

El Jadida…Salam aleykoum

Peace be upon you… and it was

Soccer on the beach at El Jadida Photo by Stacey Mulcahy

I chose El Jadida as our first stop for two reasons — firstly, it was the site of a Portuguese Star Fort — I’ve been fascinated by them since visiting the star forts in Elvas, Portugal. And secondly, it was the site of an old Underground Cistern — I’ve been fascinated by cisterns since visiting the huge one in Istanbul, Turkey.

Our accommodation was in the old city (Cité Portugaise) which we found quite easily, but didn’t know how to get into, so we parked on the Esplanade and watched several groups of kids playing soccer on the beach. Stacey drove as close as she could to the city walls, left me in the car, and went to find our accommodation. Luckily, it was very close, so we carried our backpacks to the Maison d’Hôtes de Cité Portugaise.

We have a ground floor room! Very impressed! Our hosts Abdou and his wife and their dog Whisky greeted us. Abdou then deposited me at the café next door while he showed Stacey where to park the car. The carpark was guarded by an old man who slept on a mattress in a tiny shed. Heavens only knows what he would have done if someone tried to steal the car!

Our seaside-themed room $22 pp pn Photo by author

Almost conned!

The café owner offered me a glass of mint tea but I explained I had no money, and he said it’s free because you are guests of Abdou. It was lovely fresh mint tea with no sugar. I drank the tea and when Stacey returned, he offered to show her some bijoux (jewels).

He spread an assortment of silver bangles, necklaces, and assorted paraphernalia over the table. Neither Stacey nor I showed much interest until he showed us some “copper” bracelets. The price came down from 600 dirhams each to 180 for two, which, if they are real copper, isn’t too bad. But then he tried to charge 20 dirhams for the mint tea, which he had told me was free. We felt conned. Slightly miffed, we headed off to the Cistern just across the road. I love underground cisterns, and this was no exception.

The underground cistern

The well in the centre was open to the sky, and the reflection could be seen in the water surrounding the well. Stacey showed me how to focus my iPhone camera to get a better picture so I hope my photos improve. My photo didn’t work so I’ve used Stacey’s. To complete the visit, we walked around an interesting art exhibition in the foyer, guarded by an old man sound asleep on a chair. I didn’t try to steal a painting but I did like one very much so I captured it on camera.

Guarding the paintings Photo by Stacey Mulcahy

The art exhibition in part of the cistern Photo by Stacey Mulcahy

The Portuguese Star Fort

One of the cannon atop the walls of the start fort. Photo by author

One bucket list item down, one to go. So we climbed up onto the old city walls where several cannon were still in place. The walls were a variation of the star forts I had visited in Elvas (which makes sense because they were built by the Portuguese as defences against the Spanish); these were built to protect the city from the Moroccans and possibly the French. After walking halfway around the whole city wall, with lots of stops for photo-taking, we headed back down to our lovely seaside-themed room.

One of the many photos I took on top of the city walls Photo by author

Dinner at last!

We hadn’t eaten since breakfast in Casablanca so we headed out for an early dinner at a nearby restaurant. Stacey had harira soup, a Moroccan specialty, I had a big plate of fish and chips, and crème caramel for dessert. Stacey had orange à la canelle Marocaine, both of which were delicious. We also found out that mint tea is 8 dirhams, not 20!

The tiled stairs to the rooftop Photo by Stacey Mulcahy

The rooftop area of our accommodation Photo by Stacey Mulcahy

We were both tired but made a superhuman effort to climb up to the rooftop terrace, covered in blossoming bougainvillea which we had seen from our walk around the city walls. A fantastic place to relax in summer with a bar, guitar, bongo drums and comfortable cushioned settees. Then straight to bed as we have an early start tomorrow to make it to Marrakech. I loved El Jadida. It was great to escape the insanity of Casablanca to spend a night here. I felt safe here.