Guide de ville
Casablanca CMN: Morocco's Gateway Rewards the Stopover
Casablanca isn't the medina-and-souks Morocco of the travel posters. That's Marrakech. Casablanca is a working port city with Art Deco French colonial architecture, excellent seafood, and the largest mosque in Africa. Mohammed V International Airport is 30 minutes from the center. Americans enter visa-free.
Visa
US passport holders enter Morocco visa-free for up to 90 days. No application, no fee. Immigration at CMN is efficient. Processing usually takes 10-15 minutes.
Getting in
The Train Al Haouz runs from the airport to Casa Port station in the city center in about 45 minutes for 45 MAD ($4.50 USD). It runs every 30 minutes. Taxis cost 250-350 MAD ($25-35 USD) and take 30-40 minutes. The train is the correct choice: reliable, air-conditioned, direct to the center of the city.
Hassan II Mosque
The Hassan II Mosque stands on a promontory over the Atlantic and holds 105,000 worshippers. It is one of the largest mosques in the world. Non-Muslims can visit on guided tours ($15, runs several times daily). The architecture (hand-carved plaster, cedar wood, Italian marble) is extraordinary. This is the reason to leave the airport.
The old medina and food
Casablanca's old medina is smaller and less chaotic than Fez or Marrakech. Good for a short layover. Seafood bistilla (pastilla with fish, almonds, and spices) is the dish to order. Restaurant Al Mounia in the Maarif neighborhood is consistent and not tourist-priced. A full meal with mint tea runs 150-200 MAD ($15-20 USD).