Casablanca

Casablanca for me has always been something mystical, magical, absolutely fantastic. I kept this image until the very moment when I saw the city through a cab window on my way out of the airport. To my great disappointment Casablanca didn’t have a single drop of that European bourgeoisness, praised in the movie with the same name, or a wide excursion program, promised by travel agencies, or even cleanliness, neatness and the title of “The most European city in North Africa”. Thanks to Casablanca, as in Egypt, I realized that North Africa is not ready for tourists who love comfort and cleanliness, and probably won’t be for the next 100 years.

Casablanca turned out to be a very motley, strange, foul-smelling city with an almost total lack of comfortable sidewalks and any greenery. I have never been to the slums of Casablanca, only seen from a cab, so it is difficult to imagine what smells reign there, if even the main streets of the city do not smell of anise and lavender like in the whole Mediterranean.

So, Casablanca is a terribly colorful city, with its disadvantages, which even in the format of life in a 5-star hotel still feels like a third world country. The very one where it’s not safe to travel alone, hold a camera in front of everyone, or even smile.

And even more frightening in Casablanca is the mood of the population. People behave irregularly and unpredictably, both in the streets and on the roads. For the European tourist, there is an almost pre-war mood and an atmosphere of total hopelessness.

And if for all this Casablanca is the most modern and European city in Africa, it is difficult to imagine what is happening in the center or in the south of the continent, on the streets, so ordinary in appearance, which turn out to be just dangerous.

It is also worth recalling that this review has nothing to do with the concepts of “culture shock” or “acclimatization. Casablanca is indeed a dirty, unkempt, rude, rude city, and there is no way to prepare for this, nor to accept it afterwards. In addition, there is a “honeymoon” phase in the very concept of “culture shock,” when a new city seems interesting and promising. In Casablanca, on the other hand, an avalanche of uncertainty and physical discomfort comes over you immediately because of the smells in every street, which simply cannot be ignored.

If you want to compare Casablanca mentally with any other resort, Antalya or Nice, after the trip you will realize that it is simply impossible. These are two completely opposite worlds, European and Arab, they are so far apart that they even seem to exist on different planets.

Another inconvenience is that Morocco as a resort is oriented to the French and the Spanish, and few people here speak good English.

A short video about Casablanca

How to get there

To Casablanca, Morocco from Russia you can get in different ways, but the plane was and still is the fastest and most convenient. So, we have a few options in front of us:

by plane with a connection in Europe (from 130 EUR);
by direct flight from Sheremetyevo by Royal Air Maroc (from 200 EUR);
by ferry from Spain via Algeciras – Tangier (30 EUR + bus).

Plane

The easiest way to Casablanca is to fly from Moscow with a connection in one of the European cities – Istanbul, Lisbon, Milan or Madrid. There are also direct flights from Sheremetyevo by Royal Air Maroc, but they are usually more expensive than flights with a connection. Casablanca has its own airport Casablanca Airport (CMN) – Mohammed V.

Possible connecting flights from Moscow

From Moscow at any time of the year, from Vnukovo airport via Istanbul there are the most comfortable flights to Casablanca by Turkish Airllines. The cost is from 150 to 250 USD. Travel time is from 11 hours.
White Airways Portugal has another convenient route from Domodedovo starting at 200 USD with a connection in Lisbon. Travel time is from 10 hours.
You can fly from Domodedovo with Royal Air Macroc + Air Italy with a connection in Milan, starting at 200 USD and travel time from 9 hours.
You can also fly Iberia and Royal Maroc from Domodedovo via Madrid. Travel time will start at 16 hours.

Connecting flights from Saint-Petersburg

There are some relatively convenient flights from St. Petersburg as well. Here are some options:

Turkish Airlines from Pulkovo via Istanbul, cost – from 300 USD. Travel time is from 11 hours.
Iberia through Madrid – starting from 200 USD from Pulkovo. Travel time is from 11 hours.
Royal Air Maroc and Aeroflot via Moscow (Sheremetyevo) from Pulkovo, from 300 USD, travel time – from 8 hours.
By Air France with connection in Paris, from 300 USD from Pulkovo. Travel time: from 10 hours.

Click here to compare prices.

How to get to the center from Casablanca airport

The airport is located 30 km from the city center, travel time from here is about 30-40 minutes. To get to the city center from Casablanca airport, it is better to take a cab. Cabs cost about 20-40 EUR. The cab stand is located at ground level of the airport (level of arrival area). The driver can accept dollars or euros, but you should consider that not at a rate convenient for you. At the airport you can also exchange money at the average city rate, without fear of undervalued rates. Exchange offices are open here around the clock, accepting USD and EUR. Keep in mind that many things in Casablanca, including train travel, are paid strictly in dirhams.

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Important: You should not take dirhams out of the country without a certificate that you received them when exchanging any other foreign currency during this trip. When you want to exchange them back (if left at the end of the trip), be sure to present a receipt that you originally exchanged them from dollars or euros.

You can take the train to the central station Gare des Voyageurs (Casa Voyageurs), the cost is from 5 EUR per person. Boarding is on the underground level of the airport under number -1. Cashier can be found in terminals number 1 and 2. Trains run from 6 am to 12 am at intervals of about an hour. There are car rental firms here at the airport, and you can compare prices from different rental companies here. To get to the center of the city you can take the A7 Casa-Berchid via Bouskoura, and then take the A5, R315.

By car

Car traffic absolutely anywhere in Morocco is a real war, a contest, a fight or, better to say, madness. It is extremely undesirable to rent a car and drive around this country on your own if you have never been a driver in Morocco or, for example, Egypt before. Especially since you can only get to Casablanca via Europe, which is about 6000 km away and can’t be considered an adventure at all.

By ferry

Even though Casablanca is a port city, it is not easy to get here by ferry even from Spain. Thus the ferry runs 35 hours from Barcelona and can’t boast any kind of service, so it can’t be taken seriously. There is no ferry passenger service to Casablanca from Russia. However it is easy to get to Casablanca’s neighboring city Tangier by ferry from Spain; the trip takes only 35 minutes and costs not more than 30 EUR per person (called Algeciras – Tangier).

When is the season. When is the best time to go

In summer Casablanca is only for swimming in the pool or in the sea, but does not allow you to actively participate in the excursion program. Casablanca is best visited in May or October when it is not too hot, but the sea is warm. In winter Casablanca is not the best place to visit as the sea is not warm enough, on average about 17 degrees.

Casablanca in summer

In summer, the temperature is kept within 27 degrees during the day. This season is the best for holidays with children. The water temperature is about 21-22 degrees Celsius. At this time of year, Casablanca has the most tourists, the beaches are occupied by both locals and Europeans.

Casablanca in Autumn

September and October are practically summer months, while November is no longer as welcoming to tourists. Plus beware of November as the rainiest month of the year. The best way to travel to Morocco in the fall is not so hot, the water is warm, and there are fewer tourists than in summer.

Casablanca in spring

In spring the average daytime air temperature is +21°C, the water temperature is about 16 degrees in March (cool), 18 degrees in April (very cool), 19.5 degrees (slightly cool) in May. Spring is bad for holidays in Casablanca, except for the last two weeks of May.

Casablanca in Winter

In winter the average temperature is about 19 degrees during the day and the water temperature of 17 degrees is not suitable for swimming. This season is in no way suitable for a tourist trip to Casablanca.

Casablanca – weather by month

Districts. Where to live

Most Europeans who live in Casablanca come here for work. Mainly middle-aged men who even if their business trip takes several months or a year, prefer to stay in a good hotel with service and a swimming pool, and not in an apartment where everything will be constantly breaking down (this is Morocco!). Plus then you will be fined for all the breakages that have already been at the furniture and appliances. By the way, so every new tenant is fined for the same failure.

So if you have decided to stay in Casablanca I advise you to find a hotel with a good rating (more than 8 points on Bookings). So you have to pay about 100-200 EUR per room per night to get safety and tranquility worthy of your vacation. Hotels with a rating of less than 7 points are frankly bad, in remote areas, with terrible service and condition of the furniture.

So, if you decide to stay in Casablanca for a month or even two, I advise you to choose a good hotel in a good area, not an apartment. An apartment will not get much cheaper, because the conditions that you can get for 700 EUR you will not like, and a monthly rent of 2500 EUR for an apartment for such a short period is already almost a room in a five-star hotel.

Thus, all the myths that everything is cheap in Casablanca are dispelled in an instant. Cheap here are terrible ghetto apartments without furniture, with cockroaches and leaks on the walls, where the street smells bad, and the supermarket is a 2-4 km walk in the heat and exclusively in the residential areas. The average level is also not at all European class. With a rental price of 400-700 euros per apartment, you will not get a European standard of living here. Only villas and apartments from 1300 EUR can give you peace of mind, as in Italy or Turkey, otherwise you just “slip” into the third world level of life.

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Hotels can be booked on the Bucketing. Do not forget to compare prices here and make sure that they are the best for you. If you still want to rent an apartment, you can find a suitable option here.

It is about the same with other goods in Casablanca. They end up being priced at the same level as ordinary ones, not cheaper at all, because the cheap counterparts are made from strange materials and are of poor quality.

Popular neighborhoods in Casablanca to live in:

The Habous Quarter (or New Medina) was built in the 1930s and may well win the title of the cleanest in the city. There are many touristy streets here, and this is the area that attracts all tourists. This is where Notre Dame de Lourdes Cathedral, the mosque of Sultan Moulay Youssef bin Hassan, the Royal Palace and the palace of Mahakma do Pasha, as well as the administration and the court are located. Nearby are markets – pottery, olive, fish and meat, an interesting textile and spice market. There are plenty of stores offering fabric, leather, silk, and jewelry for tourists, as well as cafes and restaurants. To get to Haboos from the center you can take bus number 40 and 4 from Paris boulevard. Rental prices in Habous are quite low, but simply because of the high age of the buildings. Here you can easily find an apartment for 400-600 EUR per month without furniture. I would not recommend renting here, the next neighborhood has much wider streets, more greenery and modern buildings.
The most prestigious area to live in Casablanca is Anfa . It has squares and palm alleys, views of the sea, the beach and the seaport. Anfa is an upland neighborhood with few hotels but plenty of villas to rent for short and long term stays. This area is suitable for permanent residence in Casablanca and is ideal for Europeans. The cost of an apartment of international class with furniture is about 1000-1600 EUR (70 square meters with new renovation). I strongly advise to rent an apartment in this area, you get modern large windows, views of palm trees and lawns, new renovation.
The most hotels in the area of Corniche, which is located between the two beaches. There are options for renting rooms in hotels, as well as apartments for all tastes and pockets. The neighbourhood of Corniche is modern enough and unlike the districts of the center to the south or east, it is more suitable for tourist vacations. Because of this, it’s hard to find reasonably-priced long-term housing in the area, except during the tourist season. However, variants for 1200 EUR for a nice, modern apartment are always present on the market.

The central area is located to the south of the seaport and occupies a fairly large piece of land, which begins from the port and stretches up to the highway A3. This is the largest district of Casablanca, it also includes the district of Hobus and is not suitable for foreigners. Mostly local people live here, there are offices, the area to the south and east is surrounded by ghettos and rather unpleasant alleys and slums. And to the south of the highway A3 is dangerous for the foreigners. The central area has a variety of housing, ranging from studios for 100 EUR per month, which no European could live in, to the elite penthouses at a price of 1500 EUR per month.
Another district – Maarif – is sandwiched between the center and Anfa and is represented by many single-type buildings of 6-10 floors painted in white. This area is quite convenient to live in if you are interested in the transport accessibility of any of the districts of Casablanca. There are many hotels close to the beaches and the port in Maarif, which will be convenient for those who want to combine beach and sightseeing holidays. This area is quite modern, unlike most hotels in Casablanca. The cost of renting an apartment without furniture for a long period of about 500-700 EUR (70-100 square meters), the cost of luxury apartments – about 1000-1500 EUR (150-200 square meters, with furniture).

Map of popular areas outside the city (Zenata, Buznika and Mohammedia):

An interesting place for a holiday, or rather a neighboring town 20 km east of Casablanca, called Mohammedia and boasts four beaches, a golf court, a concentration of expensive hotels. The local elite love to vacation here, and the beaches are much cleaner than in Casablanca itself. Room in a good hotel in Mohammedia costs about 100 EUR, but it’s much better to rent an apartment (70-90 square meters) for about 50-100 EUR with a capacity of 4-8 people. This is basically a family-friendly Moroccan resort.
Surfers’ spot Zenata with the beach of the same name is located between Casablanca and Mohammedia town. It has the highest waves, but lacks the necessary infrastructure for the standard tourist life. So, you can get here by bus or by car on the R322. The area is partly industrial, so you should not expect any amenities, except for high waves. However, for a high enough price here you can rent a villa right on the beach. The cost of such a villa – about 2000 EUR per month (in high season), cheap apartments are usually not available here.
Buznika is a great area for holidays for those who want to visit the chic bright red beach. The cost of hotels here is average, as in Mohammedia, renting a house or a large apartment – from 100-200 EUR per day.

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What are the prices for holidays

Casablanca is quite an expensive resort in terms of going to restaurants and bars, clubs and cafes. It was created primarily for the French, and therefore it is difficult to find something of European level without a very high price. Budget vacation involves merging with the culture – dinners in local small cafes with Moroccan cuisine and an apartment or hotel in an area with a very dense Arabian building.

KASABLANKA

Dynamic and international Casablanca (which means “white house”) is the economic capital and the largest city and port in Morocco with a population of 3.3 million. Casablanca is known for high real estate prices, traffic jams and a vibrant nightlife. Despite this, the city is not devoid of historical sites and its special atmosphere. The old Casablanca, with its Art Deco and neo-Moorish buildings, was built during the French protectorate and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its enormous Hassan II mosque, built in the 1990s, is one of the main attractions of Morocco.

Why go to Casablanca?

Casablanca’s climate is pleasant at any time of the year. From April to mid-October, the Atlantic coast has warm, sunny weather with almost no precipitation, and daytime temperatures range from +24 to +30 degrees. During this time you can swim in the ocean, and the beach and promenade are always crowded. From October to March, the temperature drops to +12-18 degrees, and at night it can drop to +10, and it may rain uninterruptedly. Going to Casablanca at this time of year, it is better to bring a light jacket, an umbrella and closed shoes.

When is the best time to go to Casablanca?

Casablanca has a pleasant climate at any time of year. From April to mid-October the Atlantic coast has warm sunny weather with almost no rainfall, and daytime temperatures range from +24 to +30 degrees. During this time you can swim in the ocean, and the beach and promenade are always crowded. From October to March, the temperature drops to +12-18 degrees, and at night it can drop to +10, and it may rain uninterruptedly. Going to Casablanca at this time of year, it is better to bring a light jacket, umbrella and closed shoes.

Most tourists allocate a maximum of half a day for a quick tour of Casablanca. During this time, you can visit the Mosque of Hassan the Second and take a tour of the city center. However if you really want to feel and understand the atmosphere of Casablanca it is worth to stay here at least for a couple of days and visit the places where the locals go: to do sports on the beach and dip in the ocean, have breakfast in a street cafe and watch passers-by, walk through bustling markets and art galleries, eat Friday couscous at a local eatery, go to a bar with live music or a DJ. And only then you will realize how much Casablanca and its people differ from other Moroccan cities!

Casablanca sights

Most tourists allocate a maximum of half a day to a quick tour of Casablanca. During this time, you can visit the Mosque of Hassan the Second and take a sightseeing tour of the city center. However if you really want to feel and understand the atmosphere of Casablanca it is worth to stay here at least for a couple of days and visit the places where the locals go: to do sports on the beach and dip in the ocean, have breakfast in a street cafe and watch passers-by, walk through bustling markets and art galleries, eat Friday couscous at a local eatery, go to a bar with live music or a DJ. Only then will you realize how different Casablanca and its people are from other cities in Morocco!

10 Ways to have fun in the economic capital of Morocco

What things to do in Casablanca?

10 Ways to have fun in the economic capital of Morocco

The best time to discover the historic center of Casablanca is on a Sunday morning when the streets are pleasantly quiet. Walk through the old town with its colonial architecture and admire the beautiful buildings, combining Moorish style with European Art Deco. Many of them are badly neglected, but this only adds to their special charm. Have a cup of nous nous with a croissant at a sidewalk café and soak up the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the city.

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The SbaghaBagha street art festival was born in Casablanca in 2013. Since then, dozens of colorful murals performed by the best artists from Morocco and around the world have adorned the walls of the city. The subjects tell the story of the city through its typical characters: teenagers, old women, street vendors, immigrants from black Africa. Now the open-air street art gallery has become one of the reasons to visit Casablanca.

The Casablanca promenade stretching 10 km is an ideal place for a morning or evening jog. If you walk the whole distance you can see the imposing Hassan II mosque, the endless ocean beach, Africa’s biggest mall, the island of witches, poor neighborhoods painted with bright graffiti and lots of bars, restaurants, cafes and beach clubs. Along the way, you can work out on outdoor trainers, juice up on avocados, and soak your feet in the ocean. The boardwalk has recently been completely landscaped, so it’s a pleasure to walk along the promenade.

The central market in the old colonial quarter of Casablanca is a place not to be missed by any foodie. If the prospect of dining in a street restaurant at plastic tables makes you uncomfortable, you must come here to eat with your eyes the variety of marine life to be found in Morocco: shrimps, crabs, lobsters and lobsters, oysters and other clams, cuttlefish and scallops, octopus and squid, all kinds of marine fish from the banal dorads and sea bass to the huge sharks and tuna. Buy what you need at the market and let one of the local restaurants do the cooking for you. It’s best to arrive before 2 p.m.

In the heart of the Ain Diab neighborhood on Casablanca’s waterfront is a city within a city, a parallel world that lives its own life. On Friday and Saturday nights it is impossible to walk or drive through because of the huge number of cars and people excited by the fun. The air is buzzing with car horns and loud music. This is the main nightlife center of Morocco. Unlike the nightclubs in Marrakech, the nightlife here is mostly local and the atmosphere is very democratic. The venues offer a program and music to suit all tastes, from Arabic music orchestra and belly dancing to Brazilian samba and Afrobeat.

Before Casablanca launched its first streetcar in 2012, getting around the city was a nightmare. The launch of the streetcar opened a new era in the city’s transportation infrastructure. French streetcars did not take root easily in the African megalopolis with its chaotic traffic and caused numerous accidents. Today the entire city can be traversed by one of two streetcar lines for only half a euro. The quiet, modern streetcars that run through the historic center could well replace the red tourist bus.

The colossal 6,000-square-meter hammam under the Hassan the Second mosque has long played a purely decorative role and could only be seen during guided tours. In 2019, it was finally opened to the public. According to the project, the hammam can accommodate up to 1,400 people. The interiors are decorated with marble, Moroccan mosaics and fountains. Men’s and women’s hammams consist of 3 communicating hammams with different temperatures and equipped with a heated pool. It is possible to order a traditional Moroccan ritual hammam with scrub and massage and thalassotherapy procedures. Prices in the hammam are moderate: admission costs only 5 euros.

Meat market in Habousse is one of the few places in Morocco, where you can try the meat of the camel. Meat shops here are combined with grill restaurants, which for mere pennies will prepare for you camel meat cutlets or kebabs from a piece of meat of your choice. If you’re not ready for culinary experiments, you can also have delicious lamb ribs or beef kefta here.

Unlike other Moroccan cities, Casablanca boasts several high-rise buildings that offer stunning panoramic views of the city. The most famous of these is the Casablanca Twin Center, one of whose towers houses Sky Bar 28. Here you can enjoy a cocktail and the sunset over the city from the highest point on the 28th floor. The bar has seen better days and now its interior is hopelessly outdated, so for a more lively and modern atmosphere you can go to the terrace of the Moevenpick Hotel on the 16th floor or to the Caprice Sky Bar of the Radisson Hotel on the 14th floor.

Morocco Mall, opened in 2011. – the largest mall in Africa with a total area of about 200,000 square meters. It is located at the end of the Corniche promenade The mall has a huge number of Moroccan and international brands, a zone of luxury boutiques, a “Moroccan medina” area with traditional souvenirs, the Marjane hypermarket, a huge cylindrical aquarium and a restaurant courtyard. Every half hour after 1 p.m. you can watch a show of musical fountains near the mall, which are the third largest in the world.

Street Art in Casablanca

Tourists usually visit Casablanca for a drive and do not stay more than 1 night. For those who come to this city for work or do not like to change hotels every night, we offer the best ideas for excursions from Casablanca for half a day or a day.

Excursions from Casablanca

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How to get to Casablanca

By air

There are direct Royal Air Maroc flights from Moscow to Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca (the main international airport of the country) which take 6 hours, from 400 Euros roundtrip. A little cheaper are flights with a connection to Europe by Air France, Alitalia, Iberia, TAP Portugal, Lufthansa. Moroccan low-cost carrier Air Arabia flies between Casablanca and a number of European cities.

The airport is located 30 km from the city. There are 3 ways to get from Casablanca Airport to the city center :

1) BY TRAIN. The train from the airport to the Casablanca Central Station leaves every hour; the journey time is about 45 minutes and the ticket price is Dh50. However, this is not the most comfortable option, because the trains are often stuffy, cramped and not very clean.

2) BY “GRAND CAB”. This is a type of cab in Morocco, which can take passengers outside the city limits. It is a mini-van or an old Mercedes sedan, which can accommodate up to 6 passengers. The official cost of a grand cab from the airport to the city center – 300 dirhams/28 Euros, but cab drivers usually ask more from tourists. Aggressive behavior of cab drivers and even fights for passengers are not uncommon!

3) TRANSFER BY TOURIST CAR. This is the most comfortable way. A polite driver will meet you at the arrivals hall with a sign, take you to the car and help you get your luggage. In a comfortable air-conditioned car mineral water and WiFi will be waiting for you. The price starts from 60 Euros for a car with 5-6 passengers.

By train

The train is a convenient means of getting around Morocco for independent travelers who do not drive. The railroad connects Casablanca with major cities such as Fez (4 hours, from 127 dirhams), Meknes (3 hours 10 minutes, from 105 dirhams), Tangier (high-speed train Al Boraq – 2 hours 10 minutes, from 206 dirham), Rabat (1 hour, from 40 dirhams), Marrakech (2 hours 40 minutes, from 121 dh). Ticket prices vary slightly depending on departure time, day of the week and return conditions. It makes sense to take a ticket in first class (for a surcharge of about 30%), which is much more spacious and has better air conditioning. Trains to Rabat leave from two main stations: Casa Port (every 30 min.) and Casa Voyageurs (according to long distance train schedule), trains to Meknes, Fez, Tangier, Marrakech – from Casa Voyageurs station.

To view the schedule and price of train tickets to Morocco and to buy a ticket online, visit the Moroccan Railways website: www.oncf-voyages.ma (in French).

By bus

Bus routes connect Casablanca to cities that are not served by rail. The best bus companies in Morocco are CTM (look at the schedule and buy tickets at www.ctm.ma) and a subsidiary of the Moroccan railroads Supratours (look at the schedule and buy tickets at www.oncf-voyages.ma).

The most relevant route for tourists is Casablanca-Chefchaouen. To get from Casablanca to Chefchaouen (or vice versa) you can take a direct CTM bus (from 6h, Dh120). The buses leave from the CTM station at Avenue FAR in the heart of Old Casablanca.

By car

A good toll highway connects Casablanca to Fès (3h), Rabat (1h), Tangier (3.5h), Marrakech (2.5h).

Where to stay in Casablanca

Casablanca Hotels

In Casablanca you will not find fabulous riads like in Marrakech or Fez. Casablanca hotels are designed mainly for business travelers, and their accommodation rates are the highest in the country. Hotels Ibis 3*, Onomo City Center 4*, Barcelo 4*, Barcelo Anfa 5*, Radisson 5*, Moevenpick 5*, Hyatt 5* and Sofitel 5* offer quality accommodation meeting all international standards.

The best five-star hotel in Casablanca is the Four Seasons 5*, located on the Corniche promenade. It is a great place for walking, shopping and meeting the sunset over the ocean. The hotel has only one drawback: it does not have a license to sell alcohol, but customers are allowed to drink their alcohol in the rooms.

Following it is Sofitel La Tour Blanche 5* with its stylish design and stunning panoramic views of the city from the rooms. The hotel is located in Old Casablanca near Casa Port station. It is a convenient starting point for strolling through the city’s colonial quarter and medina, but the area does not look very attractive in the evening.

Fans of small, cozy hotels will love the boutique hotel Le Doge 5* of the International Association of Relais&Chateaux. The building of this villa, built in the 1930s, is located in a quiet place in the heart of the Art-Deco quarter. Each of the 16 rooms is individually designed in Art Deco style and the rooftop lounge bar offers beautiful views of the city.

The nicest place to walk in Casablanca is the Corniche promenade in Ain Diab. If you plan to walk around the city after your tour and meet the sunset on the beach, book a hotel on the promenade. Unfortunately, there’s not much choice: it’s either Le Lido 4* and Val d’Anfa 4*, or the luxurious Four Seasons 5*.

One of the best budget accommodation options in Casablanca is the Aparthotel Melliber, located near the Mosque of Hassan the Second. Its rooms are much more spacious and comfortable than the Ibis, and the location is more tourist-friendly.