Things to do
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Bastion de l'Ange
Waves break below this corner bastion of the ramparts, the usual starting point for a walk along the top of the walls. From the parapet the view takes in the fishing port, the beach curving north and the white houses of the fortress below. The stone underfoot is uneven, so shoes with grip help.
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Church of the Assumption
Whitewashed walls and a square bell tower mark the church a few steps from the cistern, the main Christian building left inside the fortress. The facade and tower are the main sight. It sits on the main street of the quarter and takes only a short stop.
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Mazagan Beach Resort
Low white buildings, pools and a golf course spread along the dunes north-east of the city at this large resort, which runs its own stretch of beach and a casino. Its scale suits families and golfers, and the Portuguese fortress lies a short drive away. Booking ahead matters on summer weekends, when rooms facing the sea go first.
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Portuguese Cistern
Thin columns and vaulted arches stand in a few centimetres of water inside the underground cistern, lit by a single round opening in the ceiling. The reflection of the vaults on the water is the reason to come, and it shows best around midday when light falls straight down. Orson Welles filmed scenes for Othello here, and the ticketed visit takes under half an hour.
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Portuguese City of Mazagan
Ramparts built by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century enclose a small grid of streets, a church and an old sea gate, and the fortress is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Entry to the quarter is free, and the whole of it takes about an hour on foot. The sea gate opens straight onto the rocks and the Atlantic.
