Casablanca

Casablanca is a vast, sprawling, modern city with more than 3 million inhabitants. However, due to the limited range of attractions in the city, its main interest for travellers lies in the vast Hassan II mosque and the international airport, which offers a port of entry for trips to Rabat, Meknes, Fez and the north.

The City

Casablanca is the 6^th largest city in Africa, with the second most significant airport for visitors to Morocco (after Marrakech), a huge port and an abundance of commercial and industrial activity. The image immortalised in the legendary film “Casablanca” (shot in 1942 in Hollywood, not Casablanca) has long gone, and has been replaced by an energetic modern city.

Due to the limited range of attractions in the city for visitors, and because the city centre is not easily accessible from the airport (located 50 minutes' drive south east of the city), most travellers move on to places with more to captivate them such as the city of Rabat (about an hour’s journey), the coastal lagoon at the village of Oualidia, the city of Marrakech (both over 2 hours) or the Imperial cities of Meknes (3 hours) or Fez (about 4 hours). Casa is linked to Marrakech, Meknes, Fez and Tangier by an excellent train service.

Things to do or see

The principal attraction in Casablanca is the Hassan II Mosque, designed by Michel Pinseau and completed in 1993 on land reclaimed from the Atlantic. Its scale is breathtaking, boasting the world’s tallest minaret (210m tall), and able to accommodate more than 100,000 worshipers; it is built over the ocean, hence the novelty of viewing it via a huge glass floor.  It is open to (respectfully dressed) non-Muslims, one of only 2 mosques in Morocco where this privilege exists.

Other local points of interest are:

• The fine Art Deco architecture of the Ville Nouvelle (the New Town) designed by Henri Prost centred around Place Mohammed V
• The Old Medina which lacks the charm of many others in the country, though its walls and clock tower have been restored in recent years, and the cafes and people watching in the medina are worth a trip for visitors to the city 
• Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur, the Catholic Cathedral designed with European and Moroccan influences is on the edge of the Parc de la Lingue Arabe, the largest public park in the city
• The beach area of the Corniche
• The Port with the imposing El Hank lighthouse (45m tall) marking its western entry

Due to the sprawling nature of the city, we do not recommend Casa as a central base from which to explore the surrounding areas or to have day trips and outings.

Climate

The coast is often breezy in summer and therefore feels several degrees cooler than inland. It has a similar climate to Rabat, but it is hotter and more affected by pollution due to the heavy traffic and industrial activity.

Accommodation Quicklinks

• Hotel Maamoura