OUALIDIA , 78km from El Jadida, is a stunningly picturesque little resort - a fishing port and lagoon beach, flanked by a kasbah and a royal villa. The kasbah is seventeenth century, built by the Saadian Sultan El Oualid (after whom the village is named) as a counterweight and alternative to El Jadida, then held by the Portuguese. Until Sultan Sidi Mohammed took El Jadida, the extensive lagoon made an excellent harbour and, as late as 1875, a French geographer thought that "by a little dredging the place would again become the safest shipping station on the whole Moroccan seaboard". The royal villa , which now stands empty, was built by Mohammed V, who celebrated many birthdays and other family events here.

 

Today, most Moroccans know Oualidia for its Japanese oysters ; Morocco's first oyster farm was launched here in 1957 and nowadays it harvests some 200 tons a year, most of which are sold locally. But the town really deserves to be better known as a resort: its beach is excellent for surfing and windsurfing, the atmosphere is relaxed, and swimming is safe and easy.