Luxury hotels in Casablanca

Casablanca guide

The Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca's landmark on the sea

One of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims, with a minaret above the Atlantic.

The Hassan II Mosque, built partly over the Atlantic and completed in 1993, has one of the tallest minarets in the world and is the most cited sight in Casablanca. Guided tours, the only way for non-Muslims to see the prayer hall, run several times a day outside prayer times.

Afterwards, walk the art deco streets of the city centre, have lunch by the ocean on the Corniche of Ain Diab and, of course, a drink at a piano bar inspired by the film. Casablanca is also the main gateway to Morocco, with fast trains to Rabat and Marrakech.

Art deco Casablanca and the Corniche

Casablanca has one of the richest collections of art deco and early modern architecture in the world, and a guided walk through the city centre, around the Boulevard Mohammed V and the Place Mohammed V, is one of its most cited experiences after the Hassan II Mosque.

The Habous quarter, built in the 1930s in neo-Moorish style, has souks of books and pastries, and the Corniche at Aïn Diab is lined with beach clubs and seafood restaurants. Rick's Café recreates the atmosphere of the famous film.

Essaouira and El Jadida from Casablanca

El Jadida, about ninety minutes south of Casablanca, has a Portuguese fortified city, a UNESCO site, whose underground cistern, with light falling through a hole in the vaulted ceiling, is one of the most cited sights on the Atlantic coast.

Essaouira, further south, is a windswept port with a UNESCO medina, blue fishing boats and art galleries, a favourite of musicians and kitesurfers. Rabat, the capital, is only an hour north of Casablanca by high-speed train.