How to Spend a Day in Casablanca Morocco
By: Nouha Elyazidi / Arab America Contributing Writer
Casablanca, الدار البيضاء, “the white house,” or “casa.” No matter what you call it, the beautiful coastal Casablanca is one of the most extraordinary cities in Morocco. The city serves as the cultural capital and commercial center of Morocco. It is the most populated city in the country and has so much to offer.
If you are ever planning a trip to Casablanca and want suggestions on what to see and where to visit, this guide will be of great help! Join us as we give you a beautiful itinerary for a day in Casablanca.
Upon your arrival to the city of Casablanca, you will be overwhelmed with the beautiful culture and memorable activities the city has to offer. For breakfast, I would suggest trying a traditional Moroccan breakfast, a place where you can get fresh olive oil, warm and crisp Moroccan bread, and flavorful Moroccan mint tea. For this, I would recommend trying Cafe Biance. This restaurant has a beautiful location right on the water where you can eat while looking out onto the Atlantic. They have a large selection of great traditional breakfast options that are prepared fresh and taste delicious.
After breakfast, I would advise heading over to a Moroccan souk. A trip to Morocco would be incomplete without a trip to a bazaar or a souk. These open-air markets are filled with locally produced goods, carrying everything from spices, to hair products, to dresses and gold. My favorite souk in all of Casablanca has to be el Houbous. This is an old area, with a deep history, and today it still sells handmade traditional Moroccan goods in all kinds of colors and styles.
After the souk, if you are interested in doing more shopping, Casablanca is home to the largest shopping center in North Africa, the Morocco Mall. The Morocco mall has over 350 stores and has everything from H&M to Louis Vuitton. The Morocco mall also has an indoor aquarium and a movie theater. This beautiful mall is worth browsing.
After all that shopping, you might be getting a little hungry, so for lunch, one of my favorite places in Casablanca is “Food Place.” This Italian, Japanese, and Moroccan fusion restaurant is the perfect lunch place that services pizza, salads, sandwiches, pasta, grilled food, and more. This trendy food place will not fail to disappoint! After you are full, I would recommend doing some sightseeing in Morocco.
From almost everywhere in Casablanca, the Mosque of King Hassan II is visible, for it is the largest mosque in the country. I would absolutely recommend visiting this mosque during your time in Casablanca. This mosque has beautiful Moroccan architecture which is going to amaze you.
At this point, it will most likely be getting close to sunset, and where better to watch the sunset from than the beach. Casablanca is right on the Atlantic, meaning that the beaches are so beautiful and are very lively at night. When it starts to get dark, families come out to the beaches. There are vendors everywhere selling street foods and people enjoying their time. It is a beautiful environment I would suggest visiting.
For a dinner in Casablanca, the best way to go is traditional. La Riad restaurant serves fresh and traditional in a beautiful location restaurant. Try their great appetizer salads and their great tagines.
The best way to end the night in Morocco would be to go for a watch on the beach after grabbing something sweet from Venezia Ice. Venezia ice is a cafe where you can grab something sweet such as ice crepe, waffles, and crepes.
All of these places will demonstrate to you the beauty of Casablanca! I hope you love this city after exploring it as much as I do!
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