The Corniche and El Hank Lighthouse, Casablanca

On Saturday, Richard and I took a nice, long walk along the Boulevard de la Corniche.  We strolled from the Anfa Mall to the El Hank Lighthouse, enjoying the beautiful seaside views along the way. 

The Anfa area is fairly well developed with stores, restaurants and a mall, but as we walked north, only old, rundown, ruined buildings and walls remain.  

I read that this area used to house a large salt-water pool, and beach clubs with imported white sand and swimming pools.  There are still clubs, but they aren't as nice as they used to be.  But, while the buildings have declined,  the scenery remains outstanding.

As we walked, the terrain became more and more rocky, eventually turning to cliffs.  According to an article I read, the roughness of the terrain, the strong currents and high humidity have discouraged much development here.  There are rocks and dark sand, which also might not be appealing for potential resorts.  However, the views are outstanding and I would think people would build here just for them.

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We eventually ended up at The El Hank Lighthouse (Pointe d'el-HankLight).  The lighthouse was built in 1919 to help sailors avoid the shoreline.  It stands 161 feet tall and the light can be seen from 30 nautical miles away.  The round masonry tower is currently painted white, but it used to have elaborate, colored designs on it. You can actually walk up the 260 steps in the lighthouse, but we decided to save that for another day (maybe).

Here's what the lighthouse used to look like (a Google image); colorful with a nice wall around it.

I wish they had kept the colors

Here's what it looks like today; white, crumbling wall, getting run-down.

The ship-like structure below is located near the lighthouse.  When Richard and I walked near it, we realized it was not a boat, but rather a building constructed right on the shoreline.  We think it might be a boat-shaped house, but we're not sure.  We saw no signs of life there.

The whole area around the lighthouse kind of looks like a war zone, with walls that remind me of an old fort.  There is a shanty town (bidonville) located near the lighthouse.  It is surrounded by a protective wall and only the poorest live in this part of town. Richard and I were speculating about ownership; who knows.

Bidonville - shanty town

Beyond the bidonville are large, white apartments, originally built for the working-class Jewish community.  The impressive villas inhabited by the rich are located some distance from the coast, away from the bidonville and the apartments, and even the beautiful ocean views.

I think the Corniche has a lot of potential, and it's a shame it has not been kept up better.  I still enjoyed walked the shoreline, listening to the waves crashing on the rocks, and feeling the wind on my face.