Casablanca: The Classics
I realize my other Casablanca itinerary focuses on the deep-dive local experience, but I also know that for many, you can’t come to the “White City” without seeing the icons. This version of the perfect day is for those who want the traditional tourist stops and a bit of upscale flair, while still putting in the work to see the city on foot.
In fact, if you are able-bodied and want to avoid stepping foot into the red taxis, I’ll keep you within an area four kilometers squared. You’ll have lost weight and had the perfect day when it’s all over..
Like my Casablanca – Join the Party perfect day, this day also starts with a trendy breakfast at Marina Juice along the coast. It is a massive, vibrant cafe where you can enjoy a classic Moroccan breakfast or go for something more continental like American pancakes or an omelet. Before you leave, visits the two cafe parrots, and order a juice or smoothie to-go/”au porte” to stay cool and hydrated.
Once you are fueled up, it is time for the big one: the Hassan II Mosque. You’ll take a 15 minute walk along the ocean boardwalk. It’s a photographer’s dream with the waves crashing to your left, building-sized murals speckling the neighbourhood to the left, and the stunning minaret of Hassan II rising higher and higher into the sky as you approach.
Your visit to Hassan II could be as simple as exploring the exterior by yourself. The grandeur of the complex architecture and craftsmanship might satisfy you. However, if you’d like to get inside, non-Muslims will need to book a guided tour. If you want to have a very special morning, book an experience in the hammams which are underneath the mosque complex! A traditional Moroccan hammam has a separate men’s and women’s side. Moroccans have a special black soap that has a gluey consistency. It is applied all over your body and scrubbed off. Then you get to relax in the heated pools and enjoy the bliss before emerging back to your day as a coastal foot soldier. Remember to drink a lot of water after the hammam.
Keep up the pace with another 15 minute walk to the newest shopping mall in Casablanca, Marina Shopping. Yes, a mall. (You can walk along the busy city road or along the coastal path.) Normally, I would be anti-mall shopping, but there are three huge malls in Casablanca that offer a unique experience because they are all directly on the ocean, offering incredible views while you shop: Marina Shopping, Anfa Mall, and Morocco Mall. They are truly beautiful malls, and Casablanca can be hot! Especially after visiting Hassan II, you will appreciate a light lunch with air conditioning and an ocean view in any of the mall’s upscale restaurants. I am not talking about the food court – Marina Shopping mall has multiple restaurants and upscale cafes on the ocean side. And for the actual shopping, many of the stores feature luxury Moroccan brands, fashion and Moroccan specialty foods. And let’s be honest; if you are tired of haggling for your souvenirs, a luxury shopping mall solves that problem.
I hope your shopping bags aren’t too heavy because you still have to walk to dinner and then get drinks afterwards.
As the sun begins to set, the day shifts from busy exploration to refined relaxation. For dinner, we are going for an upscale fish dinner along the coast at La Sqala. It’s an institution overlooking the Atlantic. Founded in 2002 and located behind the ramparts of the old medina in a fortified bastion of the 17th century, the Moorish restaurant-café is open every day of the week. After you’ve had a traditional meal in this incredible setting, you are going out for drinks next door at Rick’s Cafe. I assume you are familiar with the film noir classic Casablanca, main character Rick and his cafe? Well, this cafe is only 20 years old and not the actual location in the film, but it does feature jazz piano every night just like in the film and is a super-classy setting for evening drinks and dessert.
Note: You might be tempted to take an evening stroll through the medina because you’ve been right next to it for a major part of this day, but you need to make a choice: Let’s flashback to when you just emerged from Hassan II hammam. You can either go to Marina Shopping mall or the Old Medina. If you are hardcore and insist on visiting both, walk to the Old Medina first and poke around there for a bit. It isn’t the most pleasant Medina because it’s quite small, has many beggars posing as guides that are hard to shake off, and doesn’t have great shopping. It’s not like the incredible medinas of Fez or Marrakesh. It has a few artisans that are still doing what they’ve been doing for a hundred years, but overall it is defunct as a traditional working medina and prays off of tourists who don’t know any better.
Above all, it wouldn’t be the best idea to walk through the old medina with a bunch of shopping bags from Marina Shopping mall. The target on your back would just be too big. Therefore, I recommend that you save the medina for a different day or better yet – a different city with a truly remarkable medina such as Fez or Marrakech or Chefchoen.
This version of Casablanca might be more “tourist-chic” than my other guides, but it still follows the roadmap of working hard for a day that is balanced, beautiful, and full of great food and experiences.
