El Jadida has one of the more surprising old quarters in Morocco: a Portuguese fortress town, built in the early sixteenth century and called Mazagan, which became a walled enclave on the Atlantic coast. When the Portuguese left in 1769, the town was renamed El Jadida, the new one. The fortified old town, with its bastions, ramparts and cistern, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cistern, a vaulted underground chamber with a shallow pool reflecting light from a single opening, was used as a set in Orson Welles's film Othello. El Jadida is a city of about 150,000, and Azemmour, another old Portuguese town, lies a few kilometres up the coast.
For a rider arriving along the Atlantic coast road, it is a pleasant place to end. The route runs from Casablanca or Oualidia through fields, salt marshes and small fishing villages, with wide views over the ocean. The road surface is generally good on main routes, but trucks, donkey carts, scooters and pedestrians can appear anywhere, and drivers overtake with confidence. In the afternoon, the coastal wind rises, and summer mist, called the marine layer, can hide the sun until midday.
The ramparts are the place to walk at sunset, when the light turns golden and the fishing boats come in. The beaches nearby are wide and popular with Moroccans in summer. To the south, the lagoon at Oualidia is famous for its oysters, which you can eat at simple stalls beside the water. The seafood in El Jadida is excellent too: grilled sardines, fried calamari and tagines of fish, with mint tea to follow.
Practical matters are easy. The city has fuel stations on the approach roads, banks, hotels and cafes. Parking within the old town is limited, so leave the bike near the entrance in a guarded spot. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, as summer is hot and humid on the coast. Be firm but polite when bargaining in the souk, and enjoy the unhurried rhythm of a town that has kept its character.