Things to do · Casablanca
Just an hour south of Rabat by train, Morocco's largest city and economic heart pairs Art Deco boulevards with a vast oceanfront mosque. An easy day trip from the capital, Casablanca runs from the Atlantic Corniche to the old medina. Here are twelve experiences worth your time.
12 experiences
Completed in 1993 on a promontory over the Atlantic, this is one of the largest mosques in the world, with a minaret topping 200 metres. It is one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims, accessible by guided tour outside prayer times.
Casablanca's seafront promenade in the Ain Diab district stretches along the Atlantic, lined with cafes, restaurants, pools and beach clubs. It is a favourite spot for an evening stroll with ocean breezes and sunset views.
The walled old town near the port is the city's historic core, a tangle of narrow lanes with small shops, food stalls and crafts. More modest than Fes or Marrakech, it offers an authentic, everyday slice of local life.
Built by the French in the 1920s and 1930s, this 'New Medina' blends traditional Moroccan design with colonial planning. Its arcaded streets are known for craft shops, olive and spice stalls, and some of the city's best bookshops.
The civic heart of colonial-era Casablanca is ringed by grand public buildings in Mauresque and Art Deco styles, including the courthouse and the central post office. A large fountain anchors the open plaza.
One of the largest shopping centres in Africa, located on the Corniche. Alongside international brands it features a giant cylindrical aquarium, an indoor souk and a musical fountain, making it a destination in its own right.
Inspired by the 1942 film 'Casablanca', this restaurant opened in 2004 inside a restored riad near the old medina. With its piano, arches and period styling, it recreates the movie's atmosphere over Moroccan and international dishes.
A modernist Roman Catholic church completed in 1956, celebrated for its vast stained-glass walls by artist Gabriel Loire. Daylight filtering through the abstract coloured glass fills the concrete interior with shifting colour.
Set in a restored 1934 Art Deco villa with a garden, this contemporary art museum hosts rotating exhibitions of Moroccan and international artists. Admission is free, making it an easy cultural stop in the city centre.
The main city beach lies along the Ain Diab seafront below the Corniche. Its sands and Atlantic waves draw locals for swimming, surfing and sunbathing, with beach clubs and seaside cafes close at hand.
The Marche Central on Boulevard Mohammed V is a lively covered market dating to the colonial period. Stalls overflow with fresh fish, produce, flowers and spices, and small eateries serve seafood grilled to order.
Morocco's capital sits about 90 km north and is easily reached by train in roughly an hour. Highlights include the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the Kasbah of the Udayas and the historic Chellah necropolis.
Casablanca is best known as Morocco's largest city and economic capital, for the monumental Hassan II Mosque on the Atlantic, its Art Deco and Mauresque architecture, and its association with the classic 1942 film.
Yes. The Hassan II Mosque is one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims. Visitors can enter on guided tours scheduled outside the five daily prayer times.
Yes. Casablanca offers the spectacular Hassan II Mosque, an Atlantic Corniche, distinctive colonial-era architecture and a vibrant modern city, and it makes a convenient gateway with easy rail links to Rabat and beyond.
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