Casablanca-Settat, Atlantic coast · Morocco
Morocco's biggest city and its economic engine, home to one of the largest mosques in the world, an Art Deco downtown and a modern, cosmopolitan pulse.
Photo: FuriousYogi · CC BY-SA 4.0
Casablanca is a big, busy, modern city with more than three million people in the city and many more in the metropolitan area. It grew fast under French rule in the early 20th century, when planners laid out wide boulevards and built Art Deco apartment blocks, cinemas and civic buildings that still make up much of the downtown. Today it is the commercial capital of Morocco and its main port.
It is not a conventional tourist city, and many travellers only pass through the airport. But the Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993, is a spectacular building, with a minaret of around 210 metres, a retractable roof, and a section built out over the Atlantic. It is one of the few working mosques in Morocco that non-Muslims can enter on a guided tour.
The rest of the city rewards a day or two of exploring: the Art Deco streets of the centre, the Habous quarter with its 1920s neo-Moorish architecture, the Corniche along the ocean, and a lively food scene ranging from fish grills to modern Moroccan cooking. The film Casablanca (1942) was shot in Hollywood, but its spirit is celebrated at Rick's Café, opened in 2004.
Why visit
Casablanca shows modern Morocco, and it is worth a day if you are passing through.
The Hassan II Mosque is one of the largest in the world, with astonishing craftsmanship in its carved wood, marble and tile.
The downtown is full of 1920s and 1930s buildings, which have been increasingly restored.
A quiet neo-Moorish district of arcades, bookshops and pastry shops.
Cafés, galleries, restaurants and shops show a side of the country that the imperial cities do not.
Casablanca's airport and rail links connect to Rabat, Marrakech and Fes.
Main attractions
A day covers the major sights, and an extra day allows a slower pace.
The great mosque, built partly over the sea between 1986 and 1993, with a 210-metre minaret and space for about 25,000 worshippers inside and many more in the courtyard. Guided tours take non-Muslim visitors inside.
Tip Book a tour in advance and check the visiting times.
The seaside promenade of Ain Diab, with cafés, beach clubs and restaurants facing the ocean.
Tip A pleasant place for a sunset.
A 1920s neo-Moorish quarter built by the French, with arches, souks, a royal palace and the Mahakma du Pacha.
Tip Buy pastries and dates in the shops.
Buildings around Place Mohammed V, the Marché Central and the boulevards, including the former Sacré-Cœur cathedral, now a cultural venue.
Tip Walk with a map of Art Deco buildings.
A museum in the Oasis district about the history of Jews in Morocco, one of the few of its kind in the Arab world.
Tip Check opening times.
A small, lively walled quarter next to the port, less polished than Marrakech.
Tip Go in daylight, and watch your belongings.
Things to do
Casablanca is best taken as a series of short, varied outings.
See the prayer hall, the ablution rooms and the hammam underneath.
Tip Dress modestly.
A stroll along the ocean promenade past cafés and beach clubs.
Tip Go in the late afternoon.
Old cafés in the centre have been restored and are a good place to watch the city.
Tip Try a café crème and a pastry.
Simple seafood restaurants near the port serve the day's catch.
Tip Choose a busy place.
Local crafts, books and food sold in a calm quarter.
Tip A good place to buy gifts without hassle.
A restaurant modelled on the film, with a piano bar.
Tip Book for dinner.
Local food
Casablanca has the best variety of food in Morocco, from street stalls to fine dining.
Sardines, calamari, prawns and sea bass, grilled or fried near the port.
Where to try it Restaurants near the port and the Corniche.
Classic dishes in family restaurants.
Where to try it Restaurants across the city.
French and Moroccan pastries in bakeries.
Where to try it The Habous quarter.
Strong coffee, fresh orange juice and pastries in cafés.
Where to try it Cafés downtown.
Sandwiches, fried fish and snails.
Where to try it Markets and the old medina.
Accommodation
Casablanca has a good range of hotels, chiefly in the centre and along the coast.
Transport
Casablanca is Morocco's main air and rail hub.
Casablanca is large, and taxis and the tram are the best ways to cover it.
When to go
Casablanca has a mild Atlantic climate, with humid summers and cool, wet winters.
Mild and sunny.
Warm and humid, cooler than the interior.
Warm and pleasant.
Cool and rainy.
Worth planning around: Winter rain if you plan a coastal walk.
Itinerary
A quick tour of the main sights, easily added to a stopover.
The essential sights.
Travel tips
A few tips help for a short visit.
FAQ
For one day, yes. The Hassan II Mosque alone is worth seeing, and the Art Deco downtown is interesting.
Yes, on guided tours at set times. Dress modestly.
No, it was filmed in Hollywood. Rick's Café is a modern restaurant inspired by the film.
About 240 km, by train in about 2 hours 40 minutes.
Generally yes, with the usual big-city precautions.
One day is enough, and two if you want a slower pace.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with Casablanca, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Atlantic coast, Morocco
Morocco's capital: a UNESCO-listed city with the Hassan Tower, the Mohammed V Mausoleum, the Kasbah of the Udayas, the Chellah ruins and a relaxed medina.
Don't miss The Kasbah of the Udayas, with its blue-and-white lanes and Andalusian garden above the Bouregreg river.
Explore Destination — RabatMarrakech-Safi, central Morocco, Morocco
The most visited city in Morocco: a walled medina of souks, madrasas and palaces, the great square of Jemaa el-Fnaa, the Majorelle Garden and a hundred riads.
Don't miss Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk, when the storytellers, musicians and food stalls take over the square.
Explore Destination — MarrakechMarrakech-Safi, Atlantic coast, Morocco
A whitewashed fortress town on the Atlantic, with a UNESCO-listed medina, a working port, long beaches and a relaxed, breezy atmosphere.
Don't miss Grilled fish straight from the boats at the harbour stalls, with gulls wheeling above the blue fishing fleet.
Explore Destination — EssaouiraRead next
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