El Hank Lighthouse (Phare d'El Hank)

The El Hank Lighthouse, known in French as the Phare d'El Hank, stands on the El Hank headland along Boulevard de la Corniche in Casablanca, Morocco. Built in 1916 during the French protectorate, the white tower rises roughly 50 metres above a rocky promontory and is one of the tallest lighthouses in Africa, with a beam that has guided ships along the Atlantic coast for more than a century. The tower is operated as a working navigational aid and is not open to the public, so a visit is about viewing it from outside and enjoying the setting. Visitors walk along the Corniche to the headland, where the lighthouse stands alongside a neighbouring cemetery and the sea, with waves breaking over the rocks below. The best vantage points are the road and viewpoint at the foot of the tower, from where the white structure stands out against the sky, and the nearby rocks for sunset photography. A stop usually lasts 20 to 30 minutes. Sunset is the most atmospheric time, with the sun setting over the Atlantic and the beam beginning to turn, and the area is usually quiet in the morning. Weekend evenings bring more people because of the proximity to the beach clubs and restaurants of Ain Diab. The viewpoint is free and accessible at any time, though visitors should be careful on the rocks near the water and avoid walking there in rough seas. A petit taxi from downtown costs about MAD 25-35. The lighthouse can be combined with a walk or ride along the Corniche toward Ain Diab and Morocco Mall.