What to Expect
The Gare Maritime cruise terminal is at the port entrance on the Boulevard des Almohades. Exit the port gates and the Tramway Line 1 stop is directly outside — it connects to the city center in 15–20 minutes (MAD 6, ~€0.55). Taxis line up at the gates; agree a price before entering.
The Hassan II Mosque is the non-negotiable visit: the only mosque in Morocco open to non-Muslims, with guided tours at 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, and 14:00 (not Fridays); allow 45 minutes for the tour plus travel from the port (15 min by tram or taxi, 3 km via the seafront boulevard). The Ancienne Médina is a 20-minute walk from the port — compact, manageable, with a covered market worth an hour. A Hassan II tour plus Médina walk fills 4–5 hours and leaves time for lunch near the pier.
For lunch near the Médina: Rick's Café is the famous film-themed restaurant — mid-range Moroccan menu; book in advance for a table.
French Protectorate and the Making of Modern Morocco
The French Protectorate (1912–1956) transformed Casablanca from a small port of 20,000 to a planned metropolis; architect Henri Prost's master plan (1917) created the wide boulevards, administrative centers, and distinctive Mauresque buildings that define the city today. The Hassan II Mosque (1993) was built under King Hassan II using a workforce of 35,000 over six years; it is the only mosque in Morocco open to non-Muslims and represents the country's largest modern architectural achievement. The 1943 Casablanca Conference (Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Charles de Gaulle) took place at the Anfa Hotel, 5 km from the city center.
Hassan II Mosque, the Old Medina, and the Corniche
The Hassan II Mosque is the non-negotiable visit (guided tours in English at 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 14:00; €14; book ahead or arrive early); allow 90 minutes. The Old Medina (7 km from the port, 20 min by taxi) is small by Moroccan medina standards but atmospheric — concentrated around the Place des Nations Unies. The Corniche (beachfront promenade, 5 km west of center) has cafés and restaurants with Atlantic views. Marrakech (2.5h by Al Boraq high-speed train or 3h by bus) is within day-trip range for very early-departure calls; the train is the only practical option — buy tickets at Casa Voyageurs station. Fès is 4.5h by train — too far for a day call.
Tagine, Harira, and the Best Pâtisseries in Africa
Moroccan cuisine is among the world's most complex: tagines (slow-braised meat and vegetable stew with preserved lemon and olives), couscous (served traditionally on Fridays), bastilla (pigeon or chicken pie in filo pastry with powdered sugar — an acquired taste worth acquiring), and harira (rich tomato, lentil, and lamb soup with herbs) are the essentials. The French colonial legacy produced an extraordinary local pâtisserie culture; the corniche neighborhood has several excellent cafés serving French-Moroccan pastries with mint tea. Budget €10–18 for a proper sit-down lunch at a good Moroccan restaurant; tourist traps near the Hassan II Mosque charge more for less.