Casablanca is Morocco’s largest city and its commercial and industrial capital — a different city from the Marrakech of popular imagination, more modern and cosmopolitan, oriented toward the Atlantic rather than the Sahara. The Hassan II Mosque — the third largest mosque in the world, built over the ocean on a promontory with a laser pointing toward Mecca from its 210-meter minaret — is one of the most extraordinary buildings of the 20th century. Casablanca is also, for VV Sailors, an accessible and genuinely extraordinary introduction to North African culture.
The Hassan II Mosque
The Hassan II Mosque is the dominant reason to visit Casablanca and one of the finest pieces of architecture built anywhere in the world in the past 50 years. Completed in 1993 to mark the 60th birthday of King Hassan II, it stands on a promontory over the Atlantic Ocean with the glass floor of the prayer hall allowing worshippers to see the sea below. The mosque is one of the few in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors — guided tours run several times daily. Allow 90 minutes.
Old Medina and Central Market
Casablanca’s Old Medina is smaller and less labyrinthine than Fez or Marrakech’s medinas, making it more accessible for a port day visit. The Central Market (Marche Central) near the Old Medina sells exceptional fresh seafood and is one of the best markets in Morocco. La Sqala restaurant in a restored 18th century bastion serves traditional Moroccan food in a garden setting that is extraordinarily beautiful.
Rick’s Cafe
Rick’s Cafe is a recreation of the fictional bar from Casablanca (1942) that was built in 2004 in a 1930s riad near the Old Medina — explicitly not a historical site but an excellent cocktail bar with good food and the kind of atmosphere that the film’s art department would have approved. Yes, someone plays the piano. Yes, of course they play it.
Insider Tips from Joel and Erin
- The Hassan II Mosque tour is the priority. Book a guided tour in advance. The architectural scale and craftsmanship — Moroccan artisans worked for years on the hand-carved stucco, zellige tilework, and carved cedar ceilings — is extraordinary.
- Dress modestly for the mosque. Shoulders and knees covered are required. Headscarves for women are respectful but not mandatory for non-Muslim visitors on the guided tour.
- The seafood at the Central Market is extraordinary. Fresh Atlantic seafood at exceptional value. The grilled fish stands adjacent to the market are some of the best street food in Morocco.
Ready to Sail to Casablanca?
Joel and Erin are certified First Mates. Casablanca is one of the most distinctive and culturally surprising port days in the VV European and Atlantic network.
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