Casablanca is Morocco’s beating economic heart: a big, modern Atlantic city of trams, office towers and seaside boulevards. Many travellers only pass through its airport, but give it a day or two and you will find elegant Art Deco streets, a breathtaking mosque built over the ocean, a gentle old quarter and some of the best seafood in the country.

What to see and do

1. Hassan II Mosque. Completed in 1993, it rises from a platform on the edge of the Atlantic, with a minaret over 200 metres tall. It is one of the very few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors, through guided tours. Check the current tour times before you go, dress modestly and plan to remove your shoes.
2. The Corniche of Aïn Diab. A long seafront promenade lined with beach clubs, cafés and restaurants. Walk it at sunset with the locals.
3. The Habous quarter. Built in the 1930s as a “new medina”, it blends traditional design with tidy streets. Browse for olives, pastries, books and brassware in a calm setting.
4. Art Deco downtown. Around Boulevard Mohammed V and the United Nations Square, look up at early 20th-century façades with carved balconies and geometric details.
5. The old Medina. Smaller and more everyday than in other cities, it sits close to the port and gives a real feel for local life.
6. Sacré-Cœur Cathedral. A white former church from the 1930s, now used as a cultural venue, mixing Art Deco and Moroccan motifs.

Eat like a local

Casablanca lives by the sea, so start with seafood. At the Marché Central, choose fresh fish, prawns or oysters from the stalls and have them cooked at the small restaurants around the market. For something classic, look for grilled fish, fried calamari and seafood pastilla. The city is also a great place for cafés and patisseries, from French-style viennoiseries to Moroccan almond sweets.

Do it like a Moroccan: local tips

• Ride the tram. Casablanca’s modern tram network links the centre, the Corniche and many neighbourhoods. It is cheap, clean and easy to use.
• Use the red petit taxis. They are everywhere. Ask for the meter, and do not be surprised if the driver picks up other passengers going the same way.
• Dress for a city. Casablanca is cosmopolitan and relaxed, but covered shoulders and knees are expected for the mosque tour.
• Plan around Friday. The mosque does not run tours during Friday prayers, so check the schedule if you visit that day.
• Make it your gateway. Spend a night here on arrival or departure, and use the fast trains to continue to Rabat, Tangier or Fes.

When to go

The ocean keeps Casablanca mild year-round, with warm but rarely scorching summers and cool, sometimes rainy winters. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant times to explore on foot.

Getting there and around

Mohammed V International Airport is about 30 km south of the city and is linked to the centre by train and taxi. Casa-Voyageurs station is the departure point for the Al Boraq high-speed train to Tangier via Rabat, as well as regular trains to Marrakech and Fes. In town, combine the tram, petit taxis and walking.