Casablanca is one of the most beautiful cities in Northern Africa. This Moroccan city of contrast has a rich history that is full of events. Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco and has some economic advantages over other regions of the country. The history of Anfa (former name of Casablanca) goes deep in ages. It was founded by Berbers in the VIIth century BC and saw a lot of historical events that were full of battles, conquests, and peaceful creation. Most of those periods left important marks on both the city's architecture and lifestyle. If you are planning to visit Casablanca and Morocco, reserve some time to see its magnificent landmarks and enjoy the hidden part of the city’s life. Here are the top 10 things to do in Casablanca.
1. Casablanca City Tour
Visitors who come to Morocco and Casablanca for the first time should try a 5-hour tour that covers the most popular tourist places. While it may seem too short, the tour will guide you through the best locations in Casablanca.
The city was built on the remnants of old settlements in 1912, during the French period of Moroccan history. Casablanca boasts wide roads, a lot of architectural solutions, and many bars and restaurants where visitors can taste local cuisine. The program of the tour includes a lot of things to see:
Hassan II Mosque
This is a magnificent building of 210 meters high, which is one of the most grandiose mosques in Morocco and in all of the Muslim world. The buildings’ tops rising above the ocean are worth visiting first when you come to Casablanca. The mosque is famous for being one of the largest on the planet, as it can accept up to 100,000 visitors simultaneously.
The Hassan II Mosque was built to commemorate the anniversary of King Hasan II. It is worth mentioning that the building was designed by French architect M. Pinseau and completed in 1993. The interior of the mosque includes tilework, marble, Venetian stained glass, etc. Plenty of great and interesting things are awaiting visitors outside the mosque.
La Corniche
La Corniche suburb is a popular place for both visitors and inhabitants of Casablanca. This district is located close to the Hassan II Mosque. By getting there, you will enjoy the scenic promenade along the seaside. However, this is not the only thing that attracts visitors to Casablanca.
La Corniche is the place where the mausoleum of Sidi Abderrahman is located. The majority of local residents consider this person a saint. Therefore, when visiting the mausoleum and the shrine, make sure that you have appropriate clothing. La Corniche is a good way for visitors to see many things related to this place.
Mohammed V Square
Another place to visit in Casablanca during the 5-hour tour is the Square of Mohammed V. This is the central place in the new town. This is one of the most beautiful squares in Casablanca and was built in the name of a former sultan.
If you walk some 300 meters from Mohammed V Square, you will enjoy another picturesque place of Casablanca, a part where you can relax and feel the coolness of the trees. If you travel to Morocco with children, they will enjoy a special playground. Adults have an opportunity to admire water lilies.
2. Visit the "Rich" Part of Casablanca
Ain Diab is a spot where you can find rich inhabitants of Casablanca relaxing on the beach. This luxury seaside is located close to the downtown of Casablanca and is considered the best place in Morocco.
Visitors should reserve a couple of days to stay here. While the place may seem a bit crowded and buzzy, you will find a lot of fun there. For those who want to spend a small holiday in this part of Casablanca, there are plenty of modern top-class and not so modern hotels and apartments to book. Make sure that you visit Ain Diab in the summer, as while the beaches are crowded, the water is warm enough.
It should be mentioned that daytime activities in this part of Casablanca are limited to sunbathing and swimming. However, once the sun goes down, visitors and local inhabitants take part in a real action in the best clubs of the seaside. Bear in mind that, while staying in a country with strict rules and traditions (Morocco is one of them), you may have problems trying to find top alcohol and you can’t do a lot of things that you find normal in other countries.
3. Chefchaouen Blue Tour
While Chefchaouen is not part of Casablanca and has no relation to it at all, it is included in the list of top things to do in Casablanca as you can’t exclude it from your program when you are in Morocco. The city amazes with its architecture, as most of the buildings are painted white and blue.
Apart from sightseeing, the blue city offers some other top things to admire and taste, including local goat cheese, which is considered to be the best cheese in the area. The half-day tour to Chefchaouen starts in Casablanca, and after a short trip, you will be able to admire magnificent architecture and participate in various workshops, organized by local craftsmen.
4. Taking a Tramway Tour Across Casablanca
Those visitors who are not short on time can start exploring the city of Casablanca using one of the most popular local transports. Tramway tour will take you to the most interesting spots of the large city of Morocco with its 48 stops along the way. The trip starts at Sidi Moumen, on the east side of Casablanca. The government of the Moroccan city plans to develop the network and open new lines in Casablanca.
Trams are very comfortable, as they are low, with tinted windows and air conditioning inside. They are the best choice for tourists who want to make a trip through the city of Casablanca. In addition, the tram is a relatively cheap means of transport and you can see a lot of things from the inside.
5. Bab Marrakech Market
Visitors can spend hours and even days admiring the local architecture and the beautiful views of the seaside. However, if you want to take a break and change activities, it is worth going to the Bab Marrakech market in Casablanca.
While the local market is not as big as those of Marrakech, you will find a lot of good things there to buy. If you are looking for the best Moroccan goods and products at a reasonable price, you should definitely make a stop there.
Moreover, Bab Marrakech is not only about shopping in Casablanca. It is also about learning more about local traditions and culture. In particular, the door, or the main gate of Marrakech, is a historical monument. It reminds visitors of the old city, which suffered a lot from the earthquake that took place in 1775.
Bab Marrakech is considered one of the historical symbols and top places to visit in Casablanca and Morocco. However, nowadays, this is also a symbol of the Old City market, with a lot of traditional goods and materials you can find inside.
6. Admire the City of Casablanca from One of the Two Twin Towers
Twin Center is one of the best and most beautiful landmarks of modern architecture in Casablanca. Those buildings are the gateway to a lot of shopping centers and commercial districts. Those who come to Morocco should definitely visit the Twin Center for both aesthetic and practical purposes as they can buy a lot of great things there.
This center comprises two identical skyscrapers, which have prosaic names: the West Tower and the East Tower. Both buildings that you should definitely visit when you are in one of the best cities in Morocco have 28 levels and reflect the high-tech image of modern Casablanca. Apart from a variety of shops and offices, Casablanca Twin Center offers a five-star hotel on its premises, so you can even stay there during your trip to Morocco.
Both buildings are located in the Maarif district of the city. If you decide to visit this place, you will find a restaurant, which is the best spot to admire the entire city of Casablanca. The restaurant is situated on the 27th floor.
7. Visit Local Cathedral
While Morocco is a Muslim country, visitors will find some monuments related to Catholicism as Morocco was a French colony for some time. L’Eglise Sacre Coeur is one of those landmarks in Casablanca where tourists can learn more about the history of this Moroccan city and admire the architectural style, which combines art-deco and neo-gothic traits.
The cathedral was built in 1930, but it underwent reconstruction in 1956. Nowadays, the building includes five naves, which is unusual for cathedrals, as their European analogues contain only three naves in general.
One of the purposes of building a cathedral of such a huge size was to demonstrate the supremacy of Christianity. Even today, visitors are impressed by what they see in Casablanca. It should be mentioned that the cathedral of this Moroccan city lost its religious function after 1956, when Morocco received independence from France.
8. Learn More about Casablanca and Morocco with Magic Lamp Tours
Going through most tourist areas is a good idea, but what if you step off the beaten track? Those tourists who want to see the hidden part of Moroccan life and dive into the history of Casablanca and Morocco in general, can do it once they visit this large economic center of the country.
One of the advantages of visiting some small and large undiscovered places in Casablanca is that this is the best opportunity to find out more about what has been hidden under the sand for ages. Moreover, visitors will have a chance to see both Casablancas: the city of luxury and the rich outskirts still holding some secrets of Berber legacy.
Apart from visiting the main landmarks, built by French architects, there are plenty of things to admire in Casablanca and this part of Morocco. For instance, visitors will be able to explore the old fishing village of Essaouira and even enjoy a beautiful river in the mountains. What is even more important, you will hear a lot of stories and legends that local inhabitants have passed on to each other for ages.
9. Old and New Medina
Casablanca attracts tourists mostly for its architecture and the opportunity to admire the landmarks of today and the past. By visiting this Moroccan city, tourists have a unique opportunity to discover both old and new cities.
New Medina was built by French architects in 1923. This is a marketplace that is located in Habous, not far from the Casablanca center. It should be mentioned that New Medina is one of those living museums that you will find in this part of Morocco and is the best place to visit if you have enough time to spend there. Here you will find a lot of charming places, souvenir stores, artisanal shops, etc. New Medina is a kind of mecca for all visitors who come to Casablanca.
After you have enough impressions of New Medina, it is time to dive into the past of this Moroccan city and explore the history of Casablanca and this part of Morocco in general. By going there, you will see life as it is, with small kids running down streets and sellers offering all types of goods in the form of souvenirs or even jewelry. If you are looking for more impressions, you should spend some time in the Berber Mosque, which is one of those landmarks allowing you to take a look into the past of Casablanca.
10. A Tour Across Morocco
Those visitors who have more than a week to spend in Morocco should definitely try one of the best tours across the country. The nine-day private motorcycle tour will allow you to go outside the stone jungle and head directly to the unknown.
Don’t worry about safety, as you will be guided by professionals throughout the whole itinerary. The tour starts in Casablanca, from where you will reach Mohammedia and spend some time in a four-star hotel. Before the journey starts, you will be briefed about the itinerary and the vehicles. During the tour you will cover hundreds of miles (kilometers) to visit the most picturesque top places in Morocco.
You will ride through the passes of High Atlas enjoying snow caps, and oases that can be found on the border of Ziz and Tafilalt Plain. You will also be able to enjoy the famous Moroccan desert that will give you an insight into the life of Berbers that they led for ages. One of the best places to visit is the M’Goun UNESCO Global Geopark, where scientists still find the remnants of dinosaurs and other huge mammals that ever lived on our planet.
Epilogue
Looking forward to visiting Morocco and Casablanca? There are plenty of things to do there, and only a small part of them is described in this article. By going to Morocco, you will discover the history and the daily routine of one of the most beautiful and mysterious places on Earth. From the newest buildings to old towns and a desert, there are tons of things that you can see in this country.
