Casablanca


We arrived in Casablanca this morning. After a small breakfast we disembarked at about 10:30am. It was raining this morning and that continued until about 12:30. It was overcast and cool. 

The ship shuttled us into town as it’s pretty far, and not allowed to walk through the port area. Culturally, it’s a shock compared to other stops. We were mobbed — we mean mobbed — by taxi drivers literally exiting the bus door — we almost couldn’t exit the bus. 🫨

We negotiated with a driver for about 10 minutes and got him to agree to a two hour tour for 2/3 of his original price. He took us to three major stops that we wanted to see and gave us some commentary — his English was OK. Driving in the city of 4+ million people is insane — we’re glad we hired him. 



First, we went shopping at a bazaar and got some souvenirs. 


The we visited the Hassan II Mosque (a little more info at the end of the post). He told us it’s the third largest in the world.  It looked big. We didn’t have time for a tour because the ship leaves at 3:00pm today. 


Our final stop was Rick’s Cafe, from the movie Casablanca. It’s a replica if the cafe, but it was a fun stop. Reservations were needed for lunch, but we were able to get a seat at the bar for drinks. Kristi had an espresso and Jim had a martini. It was fun! It’s probably one of the most touristy things to do, but if you’ve seen the movie — and we only recently did in preparation for this trip — it does feel like you’re in the movie. But it’s in color … 😉. 





We did not do Casablanca justice. This city requires a multi-day visit we’re sure, to fully digest the history and culture. It would be fun to return for such a visit … but it might be more fun to see other area of the country too. 

After getting back on the ship we had a buffet lunch and then rested a bit. 

We plan to take it easy and try to play some trivia and cards before dinner tonight. We have an early tour scheduled for tomorrow in Agadir, the second stop in Morocco. 

About the Mosque:

The big mosque in Casablanca is called the Hassan II Mosque (Mosquée Hassan II in French).

A few quick facts that make it especially notable:

  • It has one of the tallest minarets in the world (about 210 meters / 689 feet)
  • Part of the mosque is built over the Atlantic Ocean
  • It’s one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims via guided tours

It’s a true landmark—you can see the minaret from many parts of the city.


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