180 wanderlust.co.uk March 2020POCKET GUIDES SHORT BREAK
Startyourdaywithatraditional
Moroccanbreakfast–tryeggs
withkhlii(driedmeat)–inthe
gardenrestaurantofLaSqala,set
inan18th-centurybastioninthe
medina’swhitewashedramparts.
Afterwards,headnorthtothe
city’smosticoniclandmark,the
HassanIIMosque(pictured).One
ofthelargestmosquesinthe
world,it’sopentonon-Muslimsonguidedtours(9am,10am,11am
and3pm,Dh120/£9.50).Thevast
prayerhallcanhold25,000
worshippers–another80,000
can itinthecourtyardsoutside- anditputsthe inestMoroccan
craftsondisplaywithhand-
carvedstucco,paintedwoodand
strikingzellige(mosaictilework).
Strollalongthenewseafront
promenadeorgrabataxitoAnfa
Beachtolunchalfrescoortake
asur inglessonwiththeAnfaSurf
School(Dh150/£12)–thewaves
areperfectfornovices.
ThengettochicLeCabestan
OceanView(le-cabestan.com)in
timeforsunset–andsundowners- ontheterrace.Stayfordinner;
theMediterranean-in luenced
menufocusesonstraight-from-
the-sea ish,suchassword ish.
Arrangeafreearchitecturetour
ofdowntownwithCasamémoire
(visites.casamemoire@gmail.
com,donationsencouraged).
Highlightsmightincludethetiled
facadeoftheGrandePoste,the
strikingdeconsecratedchurchof
SacreCoeur(soontobeacultural
centre)andthecity’sgreenlung,
theParcdelaLigueArabe.
HeadtotheQuartierGauthier
intheVilleNouvelleforlunchat
NKOA(facebook.com/nkoafood),whereglobalinspirationmeets
Moroccanproduce.Thenearby
VilladesArtsshowcases
contemporaryMoroccanartists
inanArtDecosetting.
Sky 28 (facebook.com/sky28
tower)attheKenziTowerHotel
istheplaceforacocktailand
panoramicviews,butendtheday
atRick’sCafé(rickscafe.ma),
areimaginingofCasablanca’s
celluloidginjoint,withfez-wearing
bartendersandlivejazz.TakeataxitotheQuartier
Habous,thepicturesque‘new
medina’,builtbytheFrenchinthe
1930s.Beforeyouhitthesouks,
stopforatreatatthelegendary,
family-ownedPâtisserieBennis- perhapscornesdegazelle,
crescent-shapedpastries illed
withalmondpaste–thatyoucan
enjoyforthecostofacoeeat
theold-schoolCaféImperial.
Thenbrowsethetourist-friendly
stalls,sellingeverythingfrom
leatherbaboucheslippers
(pictured)tohandwovencarpets
andfragrantspices.
Another20-minutetaxiride
awayistheonlymuseuminthe
MuslimworlddevotedtoJudaism.
TheMuseumofMoroccan
Judaism(jewishmuseumcasa.
com,Dh50/£4,closedSaturdays),
tracesthehistoryofthecountry’s
manyJewishresidents.
Later,feastongourmet
MoroccanfareatHôtelLeDoge’s
LeJasmine,withitsstained-glass
ceilingandchandeliers.Day 3
Day 2
Day 1
Previous page:AWLThis page :Shutterstock; Alamy⊳
Population: 3.36 million
Time zone: GMT+1.
Currency: Moroccan dirham
(MAD), currently approximately
Dh12 to the UK£.
When to go: Mild year-round,
the best times to visit are
spring and autumn. Winter
can be cool and rainy, and
summer (particularly
August) means school
holidays and Moroccans
escaping to the coast.
Top tip: Buy just-caught ish
at the Central Market and ask
a nearby café to grill it for you.Need to know
1
AttendJazzablanca
Now in its 15th year, the
White City’s most popular
music festival showcases
world-renowned and rising
jazz, pop and indie artists
from Morocco and beyond.
Jazzablanca (jazzablanca.
com) hosts around seven
concerts a day, spread
across two venues and four
stages, alongside talks,
workshops and events.2
Bag a unique stay
At Hôtel Le Doge Relais
& Châteaux (hotelledoge.
com), a 1930s villa has been
lovingly restored to its
former Art Deco grandeur,
with a deep red carpeted
spiral staircase and 16
rooms, all individually
decorated with period
furnishings. There’s also
a Moroccan restaurant,
rooftop Spanish restaurant
and a small spa.3
Wander around
a must-see museum
The small but perfectly
formed Abderrahman
Slaoui Foundation Museum
(musee-as.ma) has
a unique private collection
of Moroccan decorative
arts, from vintage travel
posters to elaborate Berber
jewellery and furniture.4
Take the train
Al Boraq (oncf.ma/fr/
Al-boraq) is Morocco’s irst
high-speed train, whizzing
from Casablanca Voyageurs
Station to Tangier in just
over two hours – it’s a great
day trip. Note the website
only takes Moroccan credit
cards so buy tickets at the
station; a single costs from
Dh99 (£7.85).4
THINGS
TO DO IN
CASABLANCA