Casablanca

Casablanca is not the picture-postcard Morocco but a working metropolis of skyscrapers, traffic and Atlantic wind. Most travellers use it as a transit point (a great many flights land here), but over a couple of days the city gives you what Marrakech does not: the ocean, art deco, and the life of real Moroccans without the scenery set up for tourists.

Is it worth staying

Honestly: there are not many must-sees here, and two days is the optimum. In that time you can realistically see everything essential without rushing. If you land in the evening and fly on in the morning, one night and the mosque will do. But if you want to feel Atlantic Morocco and take a break from the market bustle of Fez, allow two full days.

What genuinely deserves your time:

• The Hassan II Mosque — the unquestioned number one. It is unusual in being open to non-Muslims (a rarity in Morocco), and the tour takes you inside. Go during the pause between prayers, when groups are admitted. From the outside it is at its best at sunset: the minaret and the ocean spray at its foot.
• The art deco quarter around Place Mohammed V and the boulevard — the legacy of the French protectorate of the 1920s and 1930s. Walk it and study the facades: this is a coherent architectural layer that no other city in the country has.
• The old medina — compact, shabby, but alive and without pushy touts. It is good precisely for the contrast: five minutes from the European avenues you are in a labyrinth of lanes.
• The Corniche and Ain Diab — the seafront with its beach clubs. More for a sunset and dinner with an ocean view than for swimming.

Rick's Cafe is a pure tourist attraction based on the film, expensive and with no historical authenticity (the cafe was built in 2004). Go only if you are a fan of the picture.

Getting there and getting around

Mohammed V airport is linked to the centre by the ONCF train — the most reliable option, taking about 40–45 minutes and costing next to nothing compared with a taxi. Trains run to Casa-Voyageurs station, from which services also leave for Rabat, Fez and Marrakech. The second, more central station is Casa-Port, closer to the medina and the harbour.

Within the city:

• The tram — convenient, clean, covering the main axes. The ticket is cheap; buy it at the station.
• Petit taxi (small, red) — city only; insist on the meter being switched on, and if the driver refuses, agree a price in advance or find another.
• Grand taxi — for trips out of town and to the airport, running fixed routes and often filling every seat.
• Distances are large: from the medina to the mosque is a realistic walk, but the Corniche means a taxi or the tram.

Where to stay

• The centre (around Place des Nations Unies and the medina) — the best choice for a short visit: Casa-Port station, the medina, the tram and most of the cafes are all nearby. It is also convenient for moving on to other cities.
• Ain Diab / the Corniche — if you want the ocean, the beach clubs and quiet nights, though you will have to travel to the sights.

Accommodation in Casablanca is cheaper than the riads of Marrakech: budget options start at around $12 a night, a decent middle range at $50–60.

Food and money

The city's trump card is Atlantic seafood. Eat it where the locals do: at the Marche Central you can buy the catch and ask for it to be cooked on the spot in one of the little restaurants alongside — fresh and noticeably cheaper than on the Corniche. Grilled fish, squid, spiny lobster, oysters: all of it is at home here.

Price markers: a simple lunch from $4, dinner for two around $18, coffee a couple of dollars. Street food (sandwiches, harira, msemen) saves the day at lunchtime and costs a pittance. Where to economise: avoid restaurants with an ocean view for every meal — the mark-up for the view is noticeable.

Practicalities and typical mistakes

• Do not expect postcard exoticism. People who come "for the Moroccan fairy tale" are often disappointed — go to Fez and Marrakech for that, and treat Casablanca as a modern port city.
• Check the mosque tour timetable in advance — entry is only with a guide at set hours, and on religious holidays access is restricted. Shoulders and knees covered is compulsory.
• Dress a little more modestly than at a resort: the city is businesslike and conservative, and revealing beachwear is appropriate only on the Corniche.
• When to go. The comfortable season is April to October; swimming in the ocean makes sense from June to September. Winter is damp and windy, but warm.
• Use the city as a hub. Rabat is an hour away, Marrakech three, Fez three and a half. It makes sense to fly into Casablanca, see it in two days and take the train onward, rather than travelling here specially from far away.