Immortalized in the film of the same name, Casablanca has, for many, a romantic and mystical attraction. In reality, however, modern Casablanca is a city with little time for romance; It is a contemporary urban sprawl of vibrant boulevards and noisy mists. Its port, which gradually progressed under French colonialism in the first half of the 20th century, is still one of the busiest in the region; Its financial center welcomes banks and international companies; And its global atmosphere is business-driven and forward-looking. For visitors, this is a good place to enjoy North Africa.The best of the many beaches within easy reach of the city center is Ain Diab, on the edge of the chic suburb of Anfa, which has a completely urban atmosphere: cafes and beach clubs bordering the Boulevard de la Corniche Sea are the den of Young trend creators and local celebrities. While some people swim in the ocean here, it is often noisy and rough; The pools of beach clubs and beachfront hotels are a better and smarter bet. The clubs offer a membership for the day for visitors and some of the hotels will allow entry to non-residents for a fee.
The boulevards and apartment blocks with palm trees of Casablanca could have been transplanted from Marseille, but under the European veneer, a city is proud of its Maghreb culture. The main landmark is the huge Hassan II Mosque (Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah Boulevard), the largest outside Mecca, with a 200m (656 foot) minaret and a room for 25,000 faithful; Exceptionally for a Moroccan mosque, it is open to non-Muslim visitors. The artistic decoration buildings of the area around the place Mohammed V, meticulously arranged by colonial French in the 1930s, were added by the Moroccan modernists in the 1950s.
While Casablanca has few dedicated facilities for family visits, large hotels can offer beds, babysittings and children-friendly menus on request. Some hotels also have swimming pools, which can be a big hit for big and small children.
The capital of Morocco, Rabat, where you can admire some of the most impressive Arab monuments in Morocco, dating from the Almohad and Merenid dynasties. Highlights are the astonishing minaret of the Almohad mosque and the pretty ruins of Chellah, with Islamic tombs dating from the 13th century alongside the remains of a Roman forum and temple founded in 200 BC.
For a lunch to remember, treat yourself to a table in one of the best restaurants of the city, A Ma Bretagne (boulevard Ocà © e, Atlantique, Sidi Abderrahmane), which serves superb French-Moroccan dishes in a beautiful property. Seafront surrounded by well-kept private gardens. The ever-changing menu makes full use of local ingredients such as argan oil (with a delicate, slightly hazelnut flavor) and freshly caught fish, lobster, shrimp and squid
