Things To Do in Casablanca

Casablanca's attraction is its cosmopolitan modernity (what sets it apart from any other Moroccan city), and is perhaps best appreciated at the end of your Moroccan travels. This is a city where people come to work and make money, and it's this big-city atmosphere that is best absorbed through a stroll around the city center or along boulevard de la Corniche in the beachside suburb of Aïn Diab. Complementing these nontraditional sightseeing options is the impressive Hassan II Mosque, which also breaks with Moroccan tradition by allowing entrance to non-Muslims, and Casablanca's Museum of Moroccan Judaism, the only one of its kind in the entire Islamic world.

If you only have a few hours to spare and would like to see as much as possible without the strain of navigating the city center's streets, consider a half-day city tour offered by Mustapha Bouamara's Vendôme Transport Touristique (tel. 0522/277619 or 0662/509741; fax 0522/473999; vendome_tt@yahoo.com). For 450dh per person, English-speaking Mustapha and his friendly drivers -- they all hail from the same Berber village in the Anti-Atlas -- can squeeze in all the sights, and can include transport to/from the airport should you need it.

For Kids -- Morocco's biggest city is not particularly child-friendly, with plenty of traffic, noise, hustle, and bustle. To the southwest of the city center, about a 10-minute walk from place des Nations Unies, is the Parc de la Ligue Arabe. Casa's "Central Park" has plenty of grassed and shaded areas for little ones to run around and play. There's also a string of cafes and Parc des Jeux Yasmina, a small amusement park with fairground rides. The grounds are always open, while Yasmina is open daily from 11am to 7pm, with a nominal charge of 5dh per child. For a special treat, Stella, on the corner of rue Mohammed el Qorri and rue Houmane el Fetouaki (opposite Laitière Fadl Allah), is one of the city's most popular ice-cream vendors. Around 30 different flavors are always available, ready to be sloshed into freshly made waffle cones. It's open daily from 10am to 10pm. Another good option for the day is to head out to the beach suburb of Aïn Diab, where there's a choice of beach clubs with various sporting facilities and swimming pools. Along the beachside promenade, there are plenty of places to eat lunch or grab an ice cream, including a McDonald's.

Modern Casablanca lacks souks or quarters where artisans practice their traditional crafts, and thus all souvenirs are imported from elsewhere in the country. The quality can therefore be low and the prices high, making shopping for souvenirs in Casa really only an option if you're about to leave the country. There's a string of craft shops on both sides of boulevard Felix Houphouet Boigny, opposite the medina walls. No one shop is recommendable over the other -- they are all selling the same stuff, and are all extremely keen to secure your business at the highest negotiable price -- but perhaps begin at no. 37, where owner Mohammed al Bouchaib (tel. 0661/589347) makes a lovely pot of mint tea before the haggling begins. Also offering the same overpriced souvenirs, but without the hassle, is the Exposition Nationale d'Artisanat, at the junction of avenue Hassan II and rue Maarakat Ohoud (tel. 0522/267064). This three-story building is stuffed with every imaginable craft product from around Morocco, and offers fixed-price, hassle-free shopping. It's open daily from 9am to 12:30pm and 2:30 to 8pm.

For everyday grocery items, fresh produce, and fresh flowers, head to the Marché Centrale (Central Market). Worth a visit even if you're not shopping, this large undercover market is a hive of activity each day from early morning through evening, and takes up a whole block in the city center, bordered by boulevard Mohammed V, rue Allal ben Abdellah, rue Abdallah Almedouini, and rue Chaouia (aka rue Colbert). A couple of blocks farther east is an Acima supermarket, on the corner of boulevard Mohammed V and rue Mohammed Smiha (tel. 0522/297864). Here you'll find all the usual supermarket items such as groceries, toiletries, fresh produce, dairy products, and so on. It's open daily 9am to 9pm.

Within Morocco, Casa runs second only to Marrakech in nightlife options. Having said that, the offerings are still relatively limited, with the two most popular options being the beachside strip in Aïn Diab and a cluster of restaurant-bars in the city center, on rue Allal ben Abdellah. Warning: Solo females may find themselves under a constant barrage of male admirers in Casa's clubs.

Along the beachfront boulevard de la Corniche in Aïn Diab are the nightclubs Pulp Club, no. 3 (tel. 0522/759088); Le Village, no. 11 (tel. 0522/723541); Mystic Garden, no. 33 (tel. 0522/798877); and Candy Bar, no. 55 (tel. 0522/710934). Pulp Club and Candy Bar are the least pretentious, while Le Village is gay-friendly and Mystic Garden attracts Casa's ultrahip. Weekend nights are the most popular, as well as any night during the summer holidays, and some clubs may close on some weeknights during the winter. Admission is usually controlled by self-important doormen and fashionable, disinterested cashiers. Some clubs will deny entrance on the basis of wearing jeans, though this policy seems to change nightly and on the whim of the aforementioned doormen. Expect to pay around 100dh to get in, and at least half this again for your drinks. If you're looking for something a little lighter and less formal, the street-level cafe of the beach club Tahiti Beach serves a great selection of ice creams, sundaes, and gâteaux, along with coffee and tea. Glass wind breakers keep the night chill at bay, and there's usually a happy, friendly atmosphere.

Looking out over the Aïn Diab beachfront is the well-to-do suburb of Anfa, where you'll find the trendy lounge bar G Sound, corner of rue Mimizan and avenue de la Côte d'Emeraude (tel. 0522/797579 or 0664/540876). The mix of soft lighting, plenty of cushions and lounges, a corner just for cigar smokers, and a lineup of resident DJs offering up the latest in Euro-electronica grooves has proven a hit for Casa's wealthy and beautiful. "Soiree Disco" replaces the hard sounds every Tuesday night, and attracts a far less pretentious crowd than the rest of the week. It's open every night from 7pm to 2am, with a relatively reasonable cover charge of 100dh.

Back in town is La Bodega, 127 rue Allal ben Abdellah (tel. 0522/541842; www.bodega.ma), which has serious doormen but no admission charge. The atmosphere inside this Spanish taverna is refreshingly vibrant and fun. The ground floor is both a tapas bar and a restaurant serving light meals. Downstairs is a cavernous nightclub with a dance floor and lounge section. It's the one place in Casa where the alcohol flows freely -- there's beer on tap and plenty of sangria -- and female travelers can enjoy a hassle-free time, particularly on the ground floor. It's open Monday to Saturday 7pm to 1am.

A few doors down from La Bodega are a couple of traditional all-male drinking dens, where the beer also flows freely, as does the cigarette smoke. For a quiet drink in classy surroundings, try Rick's Café or the Casablanca Bar in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, on place des Nations Unies; both are themed on the classic movie. There's also a bar inside the restaurant Taverne du Dauphin, which is popular with businessmen, or try a fruit cocktail at Café Maure.

Finally, there's the Art Deco Cinema Rialto, on the corner of rue Mohammed el Qorri and rue Salah ben Bouchaib (tel. 0522/487040), where the latest Hollywood releases (usually dubbed in French) are screened nightly for 25dh Monday to Friday, and 30dh Saturday and Sunday. Around the Rialto are a few bars, but they're pretty seedy and not recommended for female travelers.