Casablanca

Morocco's economic capital, with the seafront Hassan II Mosque, Art Deco districts and an Atlantic corniche.

Casablanca (Dar el Beida in Arabic, meaning 'white house') lies on the Atlantic coast of west-central Morocco. It is the country's largest city and economic capital, with a metropolitan population of over 4 million. Though made famous by the film of the same name, the city is a modern metropolis planned during the 20th-century French protectorate, and its centre is filled with Art Deco and neo-Moorish architecture.

Main areas to explore: the seafront Hassan II Mosque, whose interior can be visited on a guided tour; to its north, the Old Medina, the Sqala bastion and Rick's Café sit side by side; downtown, Mohammed V Square, Boulevard Mohammed V and the Central Market are perfect for an architecture walk and fresh oysters; to the southeast, the Habous Quarter (New Medina) is the place for shopping and the bronze gates of the Royal Palace; and in the west, the Corniche and the Sidi Abderrahmane shrine are great for sunset. You can also take a day trip by train to the World Heritage Portuguese City of El Jadida.

Mohammed V International Airport is Morocco's main gateway, with direct trains to the city in about 40 minutes; high-speed trains reach Tangier in about 2 hours, and Marrakech in about 2.5–3 hours. The climate is mild, most comfortable in Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct; winters are rainy but not cold. Allow 1–2 days, getting around by tram and the red petit taxis (metered).

Top sights

• Hassan II Mosque – A grand mosque built partly over the Atlantic, with a minaret about 210 metres tall. It is one of the few Moroccan mosques whose interior n…
• Rick's Café – A piano bar restaurant recreated from the set of the film Casablanca, with white arcades, brass chandeliers and a piano playing “As Time Go…
• Quartier Habous – A “new medina” planned by the French in the 1930s, with white walls, arcades and tidy, quiet lanes; a good place to buy handicrafts and Mor…
• Old Medina of Casablanca – A walled old quarter by the port, with narrow alleys of daily markets and homes; more lived-in than the old city of Marrakech.
• Sqala Bastion – An 18th-century coastal fort with old cannons still on its walls; its interior has been converted into a green courtyard restaurant, the mo…
• La Corniche, Ain Diab – A seaside boulevard along the Atlantic on the city's west side, lined with beaches, beach clubs, restaurants and bars; the favorite evening…
• Marabout of Sidi Abderrahmane – A cluster of white saint's tomb buildings on a rocky islet off Ain Diab beach. At low tide you can walk out to the island, and the waves cr…
• Mohammed V Square – The administrative heart of the city, a square surrounded by courthouses, the provincial government building, the post office and other col…
• Art Deco Downtown & Boulevard Mohammed V – A corridor of Art Deco buildings from the 1920s and 1930s, where facades such as the Lincoln Hotel and the Rialto Cinema earn Casablanca th…
• Sacré-Cœur Cathedral – A white concrete cathedral completed in 1930, blending Gothic and Art Deco styles and echoing the shape of Moroccan minarets. It now serves…
• Notre-Dame de Lourdes Church – A 1950s modernist concrete church with a giant colored-glass wall inspired by Moroccan carpet patterns, glowing in vivid colors.
• Museum of Moroccan Judaism – The only Jewish museum in the Arab world, showcasing two thousand years of religious objects, clothing and daily life in Morocco's Jewish c…
• Mahkama du Pacha – A palatial courthouse in the Habous quarter, its more than 60 halls decorated with cedarwood carvings, plaster reliefs and colorful mosaics…
• Royal Palace of Casablanca – A royal palace next to the Habous quarter. The interior is closed to visitors, but its carved bronze gates and guard gatehouses are classic…
• Arab League Park – The largest city park in the center, with a palm-lined avenue and fountain gardens refreshed after renovation, and cafés lining its edges.
• Marché Central – A colonial-era market from 1917 where flower stalls, seafood vendors and small eateries gather. Buy oysters or sea urchins, then have a nea…
• El Hank Lighthouse – A white lighthouse about 51 meters tall, completed in 1919 and standing on a headland west of the Hassan II Mosque, with views over the wav…
• Abderrahman Slaoui Foundation Museum – A private collection housed in an Art Deco villa, showing Moroccan jewelry, Orientalist posters and glassware, with a café on the roof.
• Villa des Arts – A contemporary art gallery in a 1934 Art Deco villa that often hosts exhibitions by Moroccan and African artists. Admission is free.
• Portuguese City of Mazagan (El Jadida) – A UNESCO World Heritage Portuguese fortress town about 100 km southwest of Casablanca. Its 16th-century underground cistern, where light an…

Where to eat

• La Sqala – A courtyard restaurant set within an old fortress by the Old Medina walls, famous for its Moroccan breakfasts and tagin…
• Rick's Café – A piano bar and restaurant inspired by the movie "Casablanca", where the experience is even more famous than the food.
• Taverne du Dauphin – A family-run seafood restaurant founded in the 1950s, located near the port, with a menu that changes according to the…
• Pâtisserie Bennis Habous – A century-old family pastry shop in the Habous district, famous for its gazelle horns, offering takeaway only.

Itineraries

• Classic Imperial Cities & Sahara Loop – Head north from Casablanca to the Blue City and Fes, then cross the desert and gorges to Marrakech.
• Morocco Rail Journey: North to South – Skip the car rental and private drivers; connect Tangier to Marrakech via high-speed and standard trains