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Places to Visit in El Jadida, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Places to Visit in El Jadida, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

El Jadida is a tourist favor city situated on the Atlantic coastline of Morocco, around 100 km southwest of the country’s largest city, Casablanca and 190 km north of the tourists’ paradise, the city of Marrakech. El Jadida coordinates with 33°14′ N latitude and 8°30′ W longitude. El Jadida is one of the prominent tourist attractions of Morocco, mainly noted for the Portuguese Fortified City of Mazagan, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The economy of El Jadida is centered on tourism and agricultural activities. El Jadida has also a great hand in producing almonds, maize, chickpeas, wool, hides and pools.

History of El Jadida:

The history of El Jadida begins with its occupation by the Portuguese in the year 1502, who ruled the region until 1769 when they abandoned and left the region, then El Jadida had name of Mazagan. Following the departure of Portuguese, Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah took care of the reconstruction of Mazagan and changed the name to its current name, El Jadida, which means ‘the New’.

How to reach El Jadida?

There is no airport in El Jadida, so international tourists are needed to reach the Mohammed V International Airport (near Casablanca) first and then they can take bus or taxi or pre-booked private transfer to get El Jadida. This airport is situated around 115 km away from the centre of El Jadida.

El Jadida is linked to the city of Casablanca by train and the bus connection of El Jadida extends to Rabat, Agadir, Casablanca and many other Moroccan cities.

Culture, Food and Shopping in El Jadida:

El Jadida is home to a municipal theatre, where regular exhibitions take place showcasing the city’s history and culture.

Shops are abundant in El Jadida and some prominent restaurants in the city are listed below:

Patisserie le Regal
Restaurant Al Bahri
Cafe Restaurant l’Alligator
Mazagan Ice Cream

What to do in El Jadida?

Golfing
Exploring beaches
Portuguese city tour

Tourist Attractions in El Jadida:

The Portuguese Fortified City of Mazagan:

The Portuguese Fortified City of Mazagan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated in the year 2004. The most buildings in the site feature the blend of Portuguese and Moroccan architectures, of which the most famous ones are the Manueline Church of the Assumption and cistern.

The 5 star resort complex of Mazagan:

The 5 star resort complex of Mazagan is situated few kilometers away from El Jadida, attracting tourists from the Persian Gulf and Europe, apart from locals.

Golf courses in El Jadida:

El Jadida houses two excellent golf courses, of which one was designed by Gary Player and another is located close to Pullman Hotel, called Royal Golf El Jadida. Both of these feature 18-holes.

Portuguese Cistern:

The Portuguese Cistern in El Jadida was originally constructed in 1514, used as a warehouse and it had been changed into cistern in the 16th century. The cistern is mainly noted for the thin layer of water covering the floor of the cistern.

List of other places of interest in El Jadida includes:

The Municipal Theater of El Jadida
The Old Port
The Canons and the Fortress
El Jadida Market
Sidi Bouzid Beach
Haouzia Beach
Deauville Plage
Chapel of St Sebastian
Garden Mohamed V
Church of the Assumption
Parc Hassan II
Galerie 104
Moulay Abdellah Amghar
Mosquee de la Cite Portugaise
Phare de Sidi Mesbah

Best time to visit El Jadida:

Throughout the year is best, especially the months of April, May, September and October are best to visit El Jadida in Morocco.

Accommodation options in El Jadida:

Apart from housing several star rated hotels, El Jadida houses many campsites that are located at the northeast end of the town, offering all basic facilities. Mazagan Beach Resort is the prime luxurious accommodation option in El Jadida, featuring 500 rooms and suites. List of the major hotels in El Jadida include:

Ibis Budget El Jadida
Pullman Mazagan Royal Golf & Spa
Mazagan Beach Resort
Hotel Jawharat El Jadida
Ibis El Jadida
Hotel Bordeaux
Art Suites El Jadida
Dar Al Manar
Dar Del Mare
Riad Soleil d’Orient
Hotel Royal
El Morabitine Hotel
Hotel Florence Sidi Bouzid
L’Iglesia El Jadida
Dar El Jadida

Dakhla Tourist Places to Visit in Dakhla, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Dakhla Tourist Places to Visit in Dakhla, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Dakhla is a city in Western Sahara coming under the control of Morocco, functioning as the administrative centre of Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira region of Morocco. It is situated between 23°43′ N latitude and 15°57′ W longitude, around 1600 km southwest of Casablanca, the largest city of Morocco and 1400 km southwest of the city of Marrakech in Morocco. Dakhla experiences a mild arid climate with an average of 40 millimeter precipitation per year. January is the coldest month in Dakhla, while September is the warmest month. Fishing and tourism are the pillars of the Dakhla’s economy and the water sports activities like kite-surfing, windsurfing and surf casting are very much popular in Dakhla.

History of Dakhla:

Berbers were perhaps the original settlers of Dakhla and Dakhla saw some growth during the Spanish colonial period. It became the capital of the province of Río de Oro, promoted by Spanish authorities. Most famous historic structures in Dakhla date from the Spanish colonial era, of which the most recognized ones are the Catholic Church and the military fortress.

How to reach Dakhla?

Dakhla hosts an airport, is served by CanaryFly with scheduled flights from Gran Canaria and by Royal Air Maroc from Agadir and Casablanca.

CTM, Supratours and Satas are the major bus operators connecting Dakhla to Casablanca, Agadir and Marrakech. Petits taxis are the convenient local travel options to get around Dakhla.

Food and Shopping in Dakhla:

Dakhla is one of the famous places in Morocco to bag traditional handicraft products, products are cheaper but most shops in the city don’t accept credit cards, so keep some local currency.

Some famous hotels in Dakhla are as follows:

Cafe Restaurant Samarkand
Chez N’TIFI
Villa Dakhla
La Maison Du The Dakhla

What to do in Dakhla?

Kite surfing
Wind surfing
Surf casting

What to see in Dakhla?

Beaches in Dakhla:

Beaches are the first preference of tourists coming to the Dakhla from the different regions of Europe and Africa. There are many excellent beaches in Dakhla offering memorable kite-surfing, windsurfing and surf casting activities.

Dakhla Airport:

The Dakhla Airport is a modern and well constructed airport, situated around 3 km away from the centre of Dakhla. Other than its nice construction, the airport is also known for its facilities like medical post, prayer room and its pleasant surrounding environment.

Spanish establishment in Dakhla:

Dakhla houses many Spanish colonial buildings, constructed during the colonial rule. The most famous structures among are military fortress and Catholic Church.

Mosque in Dakhla:

Dakhla is the site of many large mosques with historic importance, of which most date from the early 20^th century. All the mosques are not allowed to non-Muslim visitors but some.

List of other places of interest in and around Dakhla include:

Windfish Pro-Center
Centre Artisanal
Laayoune Off Road
Beaches in Agadir
Museum Municipal du Patrimoine Amazigh
Mohammed V Mosqu
Valley of the Birds
Souk El Had
Musee Municipal de Agadir
La Medina d’Agadir
Imouzzer Ida Ou Tanane
The Souss-Massa National Park
Mosque Loubnan in Agadir
Musée de Talborjt “La Casbah”
The garden of Ibn Zaidoun

Ideal time to visit Dakhla:

Probably from May to September is the best time to visit Dakhla in Morocco.

Where to stay in Dakhla?

Being a beach city, Dakhla houses many tourist favor accommodation centres like hotels, vacation rentals, BB and inns, with different upgraded amenities like spa, sauna, fitness room, TV and Wi-Fi. The major hotels in Dakhla include:

Hotel Erraha
Hotel Sahara Regency
Bab al Bahar Hotel et Spa
Hotel Calipau Sahara
Hotel Buenavista
Hotel al Wahda
Hotel Oued Eddahab
Hotel Doumes
Auberge des Nomades du Sahara
Rio Oro
Palais Touareg
Club Dakhla Laguna
Dakhla Spirit Lagoon Camp
Lagon Bleu Dakhla
Ocean Vagabond

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Chaouen (Chefchaouen), Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Chaouen (Chefchaouen), Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Chefchaouen, also called Chaouen, is a city situated in the province of the same name in the northwestern part of Morocco, around 330 km northeast of the country’s largest city, Casablanca. A typical feature of Chefchaouen is its blue shaded buildings, which are common all around the city and are also famous among visitors. Due to its position in the Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen draws thousands of nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts throughout the year from all around the world, mainly from Spain. Chefchaouen has also become popular for its traditional shopping, especially for woven blankets. Chefchaouen is geographically positioned between 35°10′17″ N latitude and 5°16′11″ W longitude.

History of Chefchaouen:

Chefchaouen originated as a fortress, founded by Moulay Ali Ben Moussa Ben Rached El Alami in the year 1471, to protect the region from the Portuguese invasion. Like the most parts of Morocco, Chefchaouen also came under the Spanish rule in 1920 and remained until the independence of Morocco in the year 1956.

How to reach Chefchaouen?

The Sania Ramel Airport is the closest airport to Chefchaouen, situated around 65 km north of the heart of the Chefchaouen. This airport receives scheduled flights from Amsterdam, Al Hoceima and Casablanca and seasonal flights from Liège.

Chefchaouen has a good connectivity by bus to all the major cities of Morocco, including Tetouan, Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Ceuta and Meknes.

Other than buses, the city of Chefchaouen is also well served by taxis, rental cars and minibuses.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Chefchaouen:

Like the rest of Morocco, Muslims dominates the population of Chefchaouen and the city also houses some Christian population.

Wool garments, woven blankets and goat cheese are the purchasable items in Chefchaouen. Here is the list of some nice food corners in Chefchaouen:

Restaurant Tissemlal o Casa Hassan
La Lampe Magique
Restaurant Al Moukhtar
Restaurant Morisco

Things to do in Chefchaouen:

Visiting medina
Shopping
Day tours

Tourist Attractions in Chefchaouen:

Blue buildings in Chefchaouen:

Chefchaouen is a city famous among visitors for its blue shaded buildings, which can be seen all around the city. Blue shaded buildings include houses, hotels, administrative offices and shops.

Kef Toghobeit Cave:

The Kef Toghobeit Cave is the Africa’s one of the deepest caves, measuring a depth of 700 metres and length of 4 kms. It is located few kilometers away from Chefchaouen, can be reached by a rental car.

Mosques:

Holding a larger proportion of Muslim population, Chefchaouen houses a large number of mosques with nice construction, of which most have historical significance.

Ras el Maa:

Ras el Maa is waterfalls, situated towards the east of the Chefchaouen medina. Other than enjoying beauties of waterfalls, visitors can also have mouthwatering traditional delicacies at café close to the waterfall.

Other places of interest in and around Chefchaouen include:

Kasbah
Chefchaouen Old City
Local Berbere Artisanal
Kasbah Museum
Medina
Cascades d’Akchour
American Legation
Dalia Beach
Cinema Rif
Tangier Casbah
Medina of Tangier
Puerto de Assilah
Musee d’Archeologie a Tetouan
Terrasse des Paresseux
Paradise Beach

Ideal time to visit Chefchaouen:

The best time to visit Chefchaouen is from August to October when the weather supportive for outdoor activities.

Accommodation options in Chefchaouen:

There are several modernized hotels in Chefchaouen providing top class hospitality services for visitors with a wide range of modern and traditional facilities. The prominent hotels in Chefchaouen are as follows:

Dar Gabriel
Lina Ryad & Spa
Dar Echchaouen
Auberge Dardara
Dar Meziana Hotel
Hotel Riad Casa Hassan Restaurante
Riad Nerja
Dar Hannan Hotel Riad
Pension La Castellana
Hotel Al Kalaa
Hotel Parador
Hotel Alkalaa
Hotel Bab el Ain
Hotel Dar Mounir
Casa Perleta

Tourist Places to Visit in Casablanca, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Tourist Places to Visit in Casablanca, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Casablanca is the largest city of the Northwest African country, Morocco. It is located on the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean in the western part of the nation at 33°32′ N 7°35′ W. Casablanca is the economic capital of Morocco holding the country’s major port (the largest port of North Africa) and group of industries, situated around 90 km southwest of the country’s administrative capital, Rabat. The city of Casablanca covers an area of 386 sq. km, while its population crosses 4,150,000. Casablanca holds dozens of tourist attractions including iconic mosques, churches, parks and charming beaches.

History of Casablanca:

Berbers were the first settlers and founder of Casablanca, in the 7th century BC. Later it came under the Phoenician reign and thereafter under the Roman rule, who mainly used it as a port. Once it was completely destroyed by an earthquake in the middle of the 18^th century. Casablanca came to the limelight again with its reconstruction, made by Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah with the aid of Spaniards between 1756 and 1790.

Getting Casablanca:

Casablanca holds the most important airport of Morocco that was named the Mohammed V International Airport, located around 30 km south of the downtown Casablanca. The airport handles flights from and to several global destinations including New York, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dubai and Frankfurt.

The railway network of Morocco is not extended, so Casablanca is linked by train to only few Moroccan cities, including the national capital, Rabat. But by bus, Casablanca connects nook and corner of the country.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Casablanca:

The Museum of Moroccan Judaism and Musee Abderrahman Slaoui are the two prominent cultural houses of Casablanca showcasing the features of local culture, including many famous personalities, with a great collection of objects.

Shopping at Morocco Mall would be a memorable experience for visitors. Some tourist favor midrange restaurants in Morocco Casablanca include:

Taverne du Dauphin
Al Mounia
Le Kobe D’Or
La Sqala

What to do in Casablanca?

Surfing
Shopping
Turkish Bath

Tourist Attractions in Casablanca:

The King Hassan II Mosque:

The King Hassan II Mosque is situated at Blvd Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah in Casablanca. It holds a dignity of the Morocco’s largest and world’s third largest mosque, while its minaret is the tallest in the world. It is allowed for non-Muslims. Worth a visit.

Casablanca Cathedral:

The Casablanca Cathedral is a historic cathedral, located in the vicinity of the park, called Parc de la Ligue Arabe. It features a striking Mauresque architecture and is open for tourists. It is currently famous as a cultural centre instead of cathedral.

Casablanca Technopark:

The Casablanca Technopark is a grand IT centre complex, opened in October 2001. It is the first industrial park of Morocco, situated around 9 km away from the heart of the city centre.

Stade Mohamed V:

The Stade Mohamed V is a landmark stadium, situated at Maarif in Casablanca. It is a wide athletic complex, having capacity of 67,000 spectators. It was inaugurated on March 6, 1955.

Morocco Mall:

Being the 2^nd largest shopping center in Africa, the Morocco Mall is one of the identities of Casablanca. An architect Davide Padoa belonging to the Design International Company was the designer of this symbolic structure.

List of other places of interest in Casablanca includes:

Musee Abderrahman Slaoui
Museum of Moroccan Judaism
Old Medina of Casablanca
L’Eglise du Sacre-Coeur
Notre Dame de Lourdes
Playas Ain Diab y La Corniche
Phare d’el Hank
City Hall of Casablanca
Place des Nations Unies
Surf Globe School
Square of Mohammed V
Royal Palace of Casablanca
AQUAPARC de casablanca

Best time to visit Casablanca:

Casablanca experiences a mild Mediterranean climate with an average annual rainfall of 427 millimeters. The months of April, May, September and October will be ideal to visit Casablanca.

Accommodation options in Casablanca:

Casablanca is a global city, home to dozens of star rated hotels with superior amenities, providing utmost comfort to visitors to make their tour memorable. Some such recognized top end hotels in Casablanca are listed below: