Casablanca

Introduction

Casablanca Mosque Hassan II

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Casablanca is the biggest city in Morocco with over 3 million inhabitants. It is also the commercial and trade centre of the country, and the largest port in the country.

Sights and Activities

Hassan II Mosque

The Hassan II Mosque is one of the biggest mosques in the world, after the ones in Mecca and Medina (Saudi Arabia), which generally are off limits to travellers. This might just be one of the most famous ones amongst travellers anywhere in the world. It is located just next to the Atlantic Ocean, giving it some extra charm. The minaret at 210 metres is actually the highest in the world. The architectural style has Moorish influences and has strong similarities with the Alhambra and Great Mosque, both in Cordoba. It is actually one of a few mosques in Morocco that is actually open for non-moslims, so definately worth a visit while you are touring around this Magreb country.

Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur (Catholic Cathedral)

This cathedral has a refreshing design that features many traditional Moroccan styles. In the past it was used as a school and then a culture center. Now however, whilst the exterior holds its visual appeal, the interior has succumbed to entropy.

Rialto Cinema

This beautiful Art Deco cinema palace was constructed in 1930. Catch a movie and enjoy the architecture too.

Villa des Arts

This Art Deco exhibition center houses many lovely contemporary art pieces.

Events and Festivals

• L'Boulevard Festival of Casablanca - This festival takes part every year in June. It is a urban-music festival which lasts for three days. You can see bands and musicians from Morocco, France and the USA. The music is mainly hip-hip, electro, rock, metal and fusion music.

Weather

Casablanca has a typical mediterranean climate, with warm dry summers and mild but wetter winters. Temperatures average between 24 °C and 28 °C between May and September and 17 °C to 20 °C during the other months. Nights are around 20 °C in summer, dropping to 8 °C in January. June to September is almost completely dry, while December is the wettest month with around 75 mm of rain.

Getting There

By Plane

Mohammed V International Airport (IATA: CMN, ICAO: GMMN), located 30 kilometres southeast of Casablanca, is the busiest airport in Morocco. Royal Air Maroc, the flag carrier, is based at this airport and has destinations in major cities of Africa, Europe, Asia and North America. Main cities served are Paris, Algiers, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels, Marseille, Frankfurt, Doha, Jeddah, Riyadh, Lisbon, Tunis and Istanbul. Domestic destinations include Al Hoceima, Errachidia, Essaouira, Marrakech, Nador, Oujda, Tangier, Tan Tan, Fez and Ouarzazate.

To/from the airport

• Car: Mohammed V airport can be reached via the A7 Casa-Berchid motorway via Bouskoura. From Rabat you can use the A3 and then the A5. Rental cars and taxis are both widely available at the airport.
• Rail: The train station is situated at level -1 in the arrivals area of Terminal 1. Trains depart from the airport to Casablanca every hour.
• Bus: CTM buses operate services to Casablanca Mohammed V airport from the city centre.

By Train

Casablanca is served by two rail stations run by the national rail service, the ONCF. The main long haul station is Casa-Voyageurs, from which trains run south to Marrakech or El Jadida and north to Rabat, with onward transport to Tangier or Meknes, Fes, Taza and Oujda. An airport shuttle serves Mohammed V International Airport.

The second station, Casa-Port, serves primarily commuter trains running the Casablanca - Kenitra corridor, with connections to the other station, Voyageurs.

By Bus

CTM coaches (intercity buses) and various private lines run services to main cities and towns within the country as well as several cities in the south and west of Europe.

Getting Around

By Car

Casablanca is home to many car-rental agencies, many with offices around the Ave des FAR, the airport and the Blvd Mohammed V.

• Avis - Ave des FAR - 022 12424, Mohammed V International Airport - 022 539072
• Budget - Mohammed V International Airport - 022 339157
• Hertz - Rue el-Oraibi - 022 484710, Mohammed V International airport - 022 277141

By Public Transport

• Taxi - Grand Taxis go to rabat (Dh35) and to Fez (Dh55 to Dh65) leave from Blvd Hassan Seghir, near the CTM bus station. But, the train is a lot more comfortable and convenient.

Eat

• Rik's cafe - Expensive but worth the experience if you are a fan of Casablanca (the movie that is).
• Scala - If you're looking for the ultimate Moroccan food experience this place is great for brunch. You can have Morroccan "mezze"-different small dishes and traditional Moroccan sweets. They don't serve alcohol but it is recommended to try the fresh juices (ambassador is one of the favourites). Great outdoor space, the setting is gorgeous, prices reasonable and the service excellent.
• For good seafood at a reasonable price you can try the fish restaurant inside the port of Casablanca. The decor is a bit outdated but it's definitely a must-try.
• If you are a fan of ice cream you have to try the best italian ice cream ever at Oliveri.

Sleep

Budget

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

Post Maroc is the national postal service of Morocco and has details on their website (French) regarding the sending of letters, postcards and parcels, both domestically and internationally. The postal service in Morocco is very efficient and the post offices are generally open Monday through Friday, from 8:30am to 12 noon and 2:30pm to 6:30pm. On Saturdays it is open from 8:30am to 2:00pm. Some might keep longer hours though, especially in larger tourist cities and central areas. You can post your mail at one of the post offices or otherwise in the yellow post boxes you'll find throughout the country.

External Links

• Official Website
• Official Tourism Website