Do you know what are the best areas to stay in Casablanca? If you are going to visit this city, you should know a little about its different neighborhoods to get your choice of area to book your accommodation.
The Moroccan city of Casablanca was founded by Berber fishermen in the 10th century. Its situation as a strategic port has caused it to suffer various vicissitudes. The French occupation and the establishment of the protectorate in 1912 would mark the character and future of the city.
Currently, Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco. More than 4 million inhabitants live in this North African industrial and economic capital, which also has the first port in the country. These characteristics make Casablanca have a more progressive and liberal character than the rest of the country. Much more open to the West, it naturally hosts the latest in international fashion and important music festivals, such as the Jazzablanca or the Boulevar Festival.
It is distinguished by a Mediterranean climate with marked Atlantic influences. That translates into quite warm temperatures, especially in summer. To visit Casablanca and explore it, the best time is spring or autumn. However, we cannot forget that Casablanca is a coastal city that also hosts beach tourism. If the purpose of the trip is to enjoy them, then summer would be the most appropriate season.
The best areas to stay in Casablanca Morocco
The most popular area to stay in Casablanca is downtown. However, there are others that are very worthwhile. Keep reading and we recommend some with their pros and cons.
Casablanca Centre
Undoubtedly, the city center is considered as a good option to stay in Casablanca for travelers visiting for leisure and tourism. In the first place, because it is an authentic metropolis of great extension, but it concentrates most of its tourist attractions in this area. Second, here you can enjoy the most important accommodation offer in the entire city.
Although there are accommodations of all characteristics, it is also the place where luxury hotels and the best qualified hotels in Casablanca predominate. Of course, there are many options for eating and those who prefer fast food can be well served.
Another advantage of staying in this area is that it presents the best security credentials. Casablanca in particular and Moroccan cities in general, do not have the same safety standards offered by European cities. Therefore, in other more solitary urban areas it is necessary to increase the precautions so as not to suffer any theft.
Nearby is the most essential visit of Casablanca, the impressive Hassan II Grand Mosque, located on the beach of the Atlantic coast. Pharaonic work, is the second largest mosque in the world, with a minaret over 200 meters high, from whose dome a laser beam indicates the direction of Mecca.
Both the exterior and the interior have a ornate decoration and introduces technologies such as the folding roof that leaves the sky in sight of the faithful.
Once in the center of the city, where urban life is fully breathed, between a modern and varied architecture, other unavoidable visits are the emblematic Arab League Park, Mohammed V square and the area called Art Deco neighborhood, with numerous Facades of this style.
Casablanca Centre Hotels
Old Medina
The Old Medina of Casablanca (Old Medina) is enclosed between the ancient walls of the 16th century. It is a pedestrian zone, the old heart of the city, with a very different aspect to the Casablanca of the great and modern avenues. It is not as old as other Moroccan medinas, as the great earthquake that devastated Lisbon in 1755 also had destructive effects on it.
It is an area characterized by narrow and zigzagging alleyways, some even unpaved. The extension of the city with the establishment of the French protectorate of the early twentieth century ended up turning this Medina into a humble neighborhood. Geographically, it has a very good situation, since it borders the square of Mohamed V.
It is a very popular place to shop for traditional Moroccan products, such as pottery, leather goods, water pipes and others. During the day, it bustles in full activity, but, at night, when the merchants withdraw their posts and the activity ceases, it can pose risks for tourists.
It also offers some interesting monuments, such as the Ould el Hamra mosque, the Ettedgi synagogue or the one known as the Clock Tower, at one of the gates of the wall.
Hotels in Old Medina
Anfa
Anfa is a modern neighborhood, very suitable for business tourism, since it concentrates most of the headquarters of the companies, as the financial heart of the city. A residential area where luxury has settled and is demonstrated in its large and well-maintained avenues, landscaped villas with Art Deco souvenirs, luxury cars.
The upper part of the district, Anfa Hill, houses the most luxurious mansions and palaces. Some call it the Moroccan “Beverly Hills” and from there you can enjoy the views of the coast and the proximity of the beach, as well as facilities with the “Anfa Royal Golf Club”.
It is a good choice to sleep in Casablanca as it is a quiet place with many amenities. For those who can afford it, there you will find some of the best hotels in Casablanca. For those looking for traditional essences it is not the most appropriate, since it is the place of residence of the most westernized class and it is sometimes difficult to remember that we remain in Morocco.
Accommodations in Dubai
Maarif
Commercial and business area par excellence, Maarif is the trendy neighborhood, west of the Arab League Park. It is a modern area where luxury prevails, an important financial center full of offices and businesses. It is the neighborhood where there are the most prestigious fashion brands, jewelry stores and other luxurious establishments, which coexist with smaller stores.
It impacts the presence of the famous Twin Center, together with two twin towers 115 meters high, the tallest in Morocco, which houses a rather sophisticated shopping center inside. Its location coincides with the apex of another prestigious neighborhood like Gauthier and the surrounding streets make up the so-called “Golden Triangle” of the city.
It also has a good number of bars and restaurants, including some of the most popular among the upper class of the city. For the rest, it is a central area, safe and frequented by the youth of the city.
The hotel offer to stay in this privileged neighborhood is of good quality, but it usually pulls towards high prices. This is one of the areas that we recommend the most to stay in Casablanca.
Maarif Hotels
Gauthier
The district of Gauthier is next to that of Maarif and is also one of the most coveted areas for its good conditions and services. Located east of the Arab League Park, it is not too far from the center or the main attractions of Casablanca, but the streets are quiet, away from the bustle of the city itself.
It is the chic neighborhood of Casablanca, where many designers and art galleries have been installed in recent years, which have given the area a modern feel. The presence of quality buildings and services and the proliferation of bars and restaurants with conditions very similar to what is found in European cities have made Gauthier one of the preferred destinations for the foreign community of Casablanca.
To satisfy the tastes of those who want to stay in Casablanca in a quiet place, not too far from the center, Gauthier is a good accommodation option, and can also find a good relationship between quality and price in their hotel establishments.
Gauthier Accommodations
Ain Diab
Ain Diab is a coastal area, a good option to enjoy the beaches of Casablanca. The traditional beach atmosphere prevails and highlights its promenade, known as the Corniche, with a lively nightlife. During the day you can enjoy water activities and its fine sandy beaches.
Its surroundings are full of all kinds of accommodation and venues such as restaurants and nightclubs, as it is one of the most attractive leisure spots in the entire city. The offer to eat is large and varied, with a large presence of international cuisine, and you can enjoy greater tolerance than in the rest of the country.
The area is located just six kilometers from the center of Casablanca, but communications are not complicated, either through traditional taxis (cheap negotiating the price in advance) or bus line 9.
The accommodation alternatives are varied, because the offer is as wide as it corresponds to an area of these characteristics. However, it has a certain inclination towards Moroccan tourism with higher incomes and the presence of private clubs and beaches and restaurants of great category is appreciable.
If you are looking to enjoy the beach and a good leisure offer, Ain Diab is an excellent area to stay in Casablanca.
Hotels in Ain Diab
Habous
The Habous neighborhood corresponds to what is known in Casablanca as the New Medina. In fact, its origin is recent, designed by French architects around 1920, to replace the deteriorated Medina Vieja. It was done by recreating the layout of the classic medinas, but giving it a new air.
It is not walled as usual, but it has a structure of markets grouped around the mosques of El Youssoufi and that of Al Mohammadi. The latter is the largest and retains inside one of the largest chandeliers in all of Morocco.
Although it is somewhat away from the center, south of the city, Habous is an interesting option to stay in Casablanca, for those who want to enjoy a quieter place, away from the hustle and bustle of the great avenues. In addition, he has a lot of interest in himself, for the abundant souks and some very emblematic buildings of Casablanca.
It is a truly picturesque neighborhood that preserves intact much of the essence of the city and where it is possible to enjoy a good offer of traditional bars and restaurants. Most of the visits are directed to the purchase of very diverse items in their countless shops and bazaars.
There are souks of all kinds and with great diversity of products. Some are as curious as the souk of olives, where you can find hundreds of specimens of different flavors and colors.
In this area the Palace of Mahkama Pacha, erected in 1948, occupies a very prominent place. This impressive marble and wood building currently serves as the municipality of the district. Both this monument and the former Royal Palace are mandatory points of visit in this district.
Accommodations in Habous
Accommodations in Casablanca
The offer of hotels and accommodation of all kinds in Casablanca is wide and there is the possibility of choosing a good number of establishments of different categories. The peculiar mixture of tradition and modernity of Casablanca has given rise to one of the best hotel offers in all of Morocco.
However, the consideration of Moroccan economic capital makes its standard of living higher, with higher prices than in the rest of the cities. This also has an impact on accommodation prices, far from national standards to get closer to the rates of some European cities. However, given such a variety it is possible to find affordable prices and possibilities for all budgets.
Something that is generally attributed to Moroccan accommodations and also to those in Casablanca is a certain lightness in the rating of the stars. It is something to keep in mind when looking for accommodation, to avoid discomfort when comparing the expected services and those actually provided.
Accommodations in Casablanca