Is Casablanca worth a stop?

Casablanca is Morocco's biggest city and, for a lot of travellers, just the airport they land in before heading to Marrakech or Fes. That's a fair choice if time is tight — but it's a bigger, more modern city than either, with its own history, and worth a half-day if your flights allow it.

The Hassan II Mosque

This is the reason most people stop at all, and it earns it. It's one of the largest mosques in the world, with the tallest minaret anywhere — 210 metres — and it's one of the very few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors, on a guided tour. Inside there's zellige tilework, carved cedar ceilings and a glass floor over the ocean it's built beside.

The old medina and Rick's Café

Casablanca's medina is smaller and quieter than the ones in Fes or Marrakech, but it's a pleasant hour's walk, with handcrafted leather, rugs and metalwork. Nearby, Rick's Café recreates the bar from the 1942 film — it's not original, but the setting, live jazz and vintage decor make it a genuinely nice place for a drink.

Where to eat

Being a coastal city, Casablanca does seafood particularly well — grilled sardines and calamari are everywhere, and it's worth trying a seafood pastilla if you haven't had one. Away from the water, the usual tagines, couscous and harira soup are all done properly here too.

The coast

The Corniche at Ain Diab is where Casablanca goes to walk, eat and swim — a long stretch of cafés, pools and beach clubs. Further along at Dar Bouazza there are proper surf breaks and a few schools if you want a lesson.

If you have more time

Casablanca is also a reasonable base for a couple of easy day trips: El Jadida, a UNESCO-listed Portuguese port town just over an hour south, and Azemmour, a smaller riverside town with a lively artist community. Both make a good half-day out if you're not in a rush to move on.

Getting around

The city has a tram line covering the centre, the Ain Diab coast and the main train station, plus petit taxis for short hops and ride-hailing apps that work reliably.

We run several tours that start from Casablanca, including a 7-day route to Fes and Marrakech and longer trips into the desert. If you're flying into Casablanca and want a day there built into the start of your trip, let us know.