Our time in Casablanca couldn’t have been more different from our experience in Marrakesh. For starters, we opted out of staying in Casablanca’s medina – in fact, we didn’t even visit it! It was the only city in Morocco where we didn’t spend a least a day wandering through the labyrinth inside old town walls.
Instead, we stayed at the Four Seasons. Located on the Corniche, it was about a ten-minute drive to the Hassan II Mosque. Experiencing the city’s modern coastal charm felt like a refreshing shift from the hectic atmosphere we’d found inside Marrakesh’s medina.
The Four Seasons was a lovely balance to our riad experience in Marrakesh. The room had less personality, but the shower pressure and tub were divine. We didn’t use the pool, but I did take advantage of the gym a few times. The breakfast was hands-down the best we had in Morocco and I will forever crave their dark hot chocolate. And, of course, both stays had spectacular customer service.
The only downside was that we needed a car to travel around the city. We opted to use Uber, only to learn much later that Uber isn’t exactly legal in Morocco. Which is why the drivers often asked one of us to sit in the front seat (to look like we were friends out for a ride) and why they often cancelled if our pick-up/drop-off was too close to a tourist attraction.
Which meant that we took Uber whenever a walk would exceed 30 minutes or so. And we did in fact start our time in the city with a tour of the Hassan II Mosque.
The Hassan II Mosque is the third largest mosque in Africa and one of the only mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims. Its minaret stands at 200 meters, making it the tallest religious structure in the world. To visit, you need to join a guided tour, but you can spend as much time as you want in the courtyard after.
The mosque can accommodate up to 105,000 worshipers – 25,000 inside the prayer hall and an additional 80,000 in the surrounding courtyard.
I can’t say we listened particularly closely to the guide – there was too much to take in. Everywhere we looked, the craftsmanship was mesmerizing, from the intricate tile work to the soaring arches. One thing I did catch was that nearly all of the materials used to build the mosque were sourced locally in Morocco. The marble was quarried from Agadir, the granite came from Tafraoute, and the cedar wood was harvested from the middle Atlas region. The only materials imported were the white granite columns and the glass chandeliers, both sourced from Italy (guess everyone loves Italy!).
As impressive as the interior of the Hassan II Mosque is, I found myself drawn even more to its exterior. The facade is a masterpiece of Moroccan craftsmanship, blending warm sandstone hues with intricate green and turquoise zellige tile work that shimmer even on an overcast day. The carved arches and geometric patterns add depth to every surface, while the vast marble courtyard, open to the sky, makes the mosque feel both grand and serene.
Beyond its grandeur, what makes the Hassan II Mosque truly unique is its setting. Built partially over the Atlantic Ocean, it was designed to symbolize Morocco’s deep connection to both land and sea. The mosque extends over the water on a platform, with waves crashing beneath its foundation, a feat of engineering that makes it one of the only mosques in the world constructed directly over the ocean.
After exploring every nook and cranny of the courtyard, we decided to grab a meal. We headed to Holy Brunch, a restaurant dedicated to my favorite meal of the day. Our orders could not have been more opposite. I feasted on the cinnamon apple french toast, while Chandler went the healthy option and enjoyed the veggie plate.
From there, it was time to do some shopping. Earlier, I mentioned that we didn’t visit Casablanca’s medina, but that doesn’t mean no purchases were made in the city. I know a lot of people go to Morocco to buy rugs, but there was a purse I had fallen in love with in Taormina a few months prior. I had told myself it was too expensive, but I’d been pining for it ever since. When we discovered that Morocco Mall is the largest shopping center in Africa, I crossed my fingers that they’d still have the purse in stock!
Well, it turns out that the largest shopping mall in Africa doesn’t hold a candle to my hometown mall. Growing up in Minnesota, the mall was the Mall of America. I looked up their respective sizes afterward and discovered that the Mall of America is twice the size of Morocco Mall. But size isn’t always what’s most important – even though my purse was sold out in the United States, I found it at Morocco Mall!
That night, we went to NIYA for dinner. I was thrilled because NIYA is the first vegan cultural cafe in Casablanca and its always nice when we can order anything off the menu. We stuck mostly to their seasonal winter menu and the food was fantastic. The decor was lovely and we even discovered they support their local cats – sometimes even providing a place for them to sleep inside! With Chandler’s allergies, we didn’t exactly savor our meal, but we enjoyed it as we inhaled it – we’re always grateful to people who have a soft spot for street cats like we do.
On another day, we made our way to the Parc de la Ligue Arabe (Arab League Park). While Casablanca was chilly in the mornings and evenings, the weather was perfect when the sun was shining. With over 30 acres of land, the park was a beautiful place for a stroll. I don’t know what I anticipated when I pictured Morocco, but it certainly wasn’t palm trees!
At one end of the park is L’Eglise du Sacré Coeur (Church of the Sacred Heart). Constructed in 1930, it was designed by a French architect and is famous for its Art Deco style. It was in use until 1956, when Morocco gained its independence. Since then it’s been used as a cultural center, a space for art exhibitions, and even an electronic music night in 2015. Mostly, it sits empty and is open for visitors.
The stained glass windows make it an absolutely glorious location to watch the sun set from within.
The only thing I felt we missed out on in Casablanca was a visit to Rick’s Cafe. I love the 1942 black and white film Casablanca, staring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. A significant portion of the film took place in Rick’s Cafe – a fictional venue at the time. This replica opened nearly 20 years ago, and while it’s undeniably a tourist spot, I still would have loved to sit in the bar and listen to someone play As Time Goes By on the piano.
The first night we tried to go, they were already full – that was on us. It was a Friday night, and we had shown up after they had already opened. You can make reservations for the tables, but not the bar – as a seafood-heavy restaurant, there wasn’t much for us to eat anyway. We weren’t too concerned and decided to stop by at lunchtime another day, hoping for a smaller crowd.
However, on our last night, I ended up getting food poisoning and there went our plans to visit Rick’s. Instead of toasting to Casablanca, I was holed up in our hotel room, grateful we’d requested a late checkout. Still, despite the unfortunate ending, Chandler much preferred Casablanca to Marrakesh. We were still searching for our favorite Moroccan city.
Abroad With Ashley 