Casablanca City Guide Morocco

Introducing Casablanca

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco located on the Atlantic side of the Ocean in the northeast region. It is bordered to the east by Algeria and Mauritania to the south; its the most liberal and progressive of Morocco’s cities and the economic heart with location coordinates of 33 degrees 32 degree north, 7 degrees 35 degree west. Estimated population of the residents is a over 3,299,400.

Casablanca is a dream city boasting as a tourist hub. It is a beautiful medley of the modern era with almost all the things to see lying in the north. If you are planning a tour to Morocco you will be happy to know that there is a variety to enjoy in Casablanca. Attractions range from fine beaches, the Museum of Moroccan Judaism, Hassan II Mosque, Square of Mohammed V, the Port of Casablanca (largest man-made port in the world) to Parc de la Ligue Arabe (largest park in Casablanca). All these spice up a vacation travel to the city.

History

Casablanca was founded by the Portuguese as Casa Branca. It wasn’t a significant town until the French arrived at the beginning of the 20th century. They started to develop the axis Rabat (their capital) – Casablanca at high speed, which gave Casa its position as the economic powerhouse of Morocco. The old cities of Marrakesh and Fes gradually lost their status and many of the merchant families understood that the real money was to be made on the coast hence their move to Casablanca which speeded up the process.

When to go

Casablanca is still one of the most active tourist destinations in Morocco because of its warm and humid year-round climate. It experiences warm Mediterranean conditions all year round with warm summer temperature averaging in 70s plus. Spring is cool with temperatures ranging between 60 and 70; the winter temperatures usually keep around 60s.

Casablanca can be visited throughout the year but the best time to visit is during the summer months of June to August when the weather in Morocco is hot, sunny and rain-free and schools are on vacation. Visiting at the start of summer or spring can also be pleasurable because of the wonderful weather and lesser crowds.

Where to stay

Casablanca offers a wide range of hotel accommodation for her visitors of varying comfort, elegance and convenience. The hotels are internationally classified and they include 5-star Le Meridien Royal Mansour Hotel, 4-star Ramada Les Almohades Hotel, 4-star Riad Salam Hotel Casablanca, 3-star Ibis Moussafir hotel and Hotel Idou+ Anfa. Most of these hotels have business centers for the expediency of the visitor.

Getting There and Away

i) By road – There is a well maintained road system that runs from Tangier to El Jadida, passing through Casablanca and Rabat. The minimum driving age in Casablanca is 21. There are CTM coaches (intercity buses) that run services to most notable stopover stages in the town. Several run from the Gare Routière on Rue Léon l’Africain in downtown Casablanca.

ii) By Air – Mohammed V International Airport is the busiest gateway to Morocco with connections to Europe. Royal Air Maroc flies to New York JFK, many cities in Europe, and has connecting flights to numerous African countries including Nigeria, Tunisia, Senegal, and others.

iii) By train – Casablanca train system serves Fes, Marrakech and Tangier with stopovers in between. The trains are comfortable, the stations easy to navigate, and boards display the time of departure/arrival.

Majority of travelers leaving Morocco from Casablanca use Mohammed V International Airport (also accessible by train.) Leaving Casablanca for other Moroccan cities is usually by rail and the main train station is at Casa Voyageur. Grand taxis are the best way to exit the city for smaller outlying villages. No ferry services are available in Casablanca.