Casablanca

Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and its economic center. It is not the city from the movie; that was shot in Hollywood. What you do find is a huge mosque by the sea that makes you go quiet for a moment, wide avenues with art deco buildings from the 1920s and 1930s, and a city where Moroccans work, study and go out. It is a working city more than a romantic one. Many tours of the north start or end here.

The mosque and the center

The Hassan II Mosque is the reason to stop in Casablanca. It was built between 1987 and 1993, partly over the ocean, with a 210-meter minaret and room for 105,000 worshippers. It is one of the few mosques in Morocco that non-Muslims may see from the inside, on a guided tour at set times. The interior has cedar wood, marble, zellige and a roof that opens. It shows what Moroccan craftspeople can do when money is no object. Allow an hour, plus the walk across the square next to it.

The center around Place Mohammed V and Boulevard Mohammed V is full of French colonial architecture. There are art deco and neo-Moorish buildings, some restored, many run-down. An hour's walk with a guide who knows the stories is worth it.

The Habous quarter (Nouvelle Médina) is a medina the French built in the 1930s: clean and orderly, with bookshops, olive markets and a good pastry shop. It is an easy place to shop.

The Corniche is the boulevard along the ocean, with beach clubs, restaurants and families out for a stroll in the evening. It is a nice spot for a sunset.

What to skip

Rick's Café is a replica of the café in the movie, built in 2004 by an American woman. The food is fine, the atmosphere is that of a theme park. The Morocco Mall is a shopping mall with an aquarium, and only an idea when it rains. The old medina by the port is messy and nothing special.

As a woman in a city of millions

Casablanca is a big city, and you notice it. There is more bustle and traffic, and you get more attention from men on the street than in Rabat, though less than in Fes. In the center and on the Corniche you walk around during the day without problems. In the evening you take a taxi, as you would in Paris or Naples. Dress is modern; women in Casablanca wear what they want. For the mosque you need long sleeves and long pants or a skirt, and a scarf is welcome. More tips are in safety for women.

Travel time and getting around the city

From Marrakesh it is a drive of two and a half to three hours, or two and a half hours by train. Rabat is an hour away. Half a day is enough for the mosque and the center. Only stay the night if your flight calls for it.

Casablanca works all year. The coastal climate is mild, with the occasional rain shower in winter. In the city, red petit taxis run on the meter and a tram crosses the center. From Casa Voyageurs station, trains leave for Rabat, Fes and Tangier. How all of that works is in getting around.

Start or end of the tour

On the imperial cities tour Casablanca is usually the start. You fly into Casablanca, Soukayna picks you up, you see the mosque and drive on to Rabat. It also works the other way around, as a finish from Fes and Marrakesh to the airport. That way you don't have to return to your starting point and you don't lose a day. Which order works best depends on your flights.