Aelfgifu Travels

Hi Aelf Crew,

Today we touch on Casablanca, which I must admit was not quite what I was expecting.

Given it’s the financial centre of Morocco, it does feel much more business-like than tourist-heavy (shocker, I know). I couldn’t find any hostels so I ended up staying in a budget hotel instead. 

To make things more interesting, I visited during Ramadan meaning very little was open during the day and even my usual go-to, GuruWalk, had no tours running, so in true Aelfgifu fashion I made my own. I mapped out a walking route across the city, loosely linking together sights, with the main goal being the Hassan II Mosque and the shopping centre at the marina.

My Homemade Walking Tour

I’ve included the route map below because I thought visualising it would make far more sense than my explanation, however now looking at my artistic skills, I’m doubting if that is the case. Take of this what you will:

One thing I actually enjoyed about Casablanca was that wandering around felt very different from the older medina cities elsewhere in Morocco. The architecture was noticeably influenced by both French colonial design and newer business districts.

I started in the Mohammed V Square, often considered the administrative heart of the city, surrounded by large government buildings and fountains. Then next was the Church of Notre Dame of Lourdes, famous for its huge stained-glass windows and very unusual modern design. Not something I particularly expected to find in Morocco and I must admit not my cup of tea to look at visually. 

From there, I wandered through Arab League Park, one of the largest green spaces in Casablanca and honestly a very welcome break from traffic and concrete.

I then continued by walking past the Sacred Heart Cathedral, an enormous former Roman Catholic Cathedral built during the French protectorate period. Although no longer used as a Church, the building itself is incredibly striking and feels oddly European compared to much of the rest of the city.

After that, I eventually made my way down towards the Hassan II Mosque and the waterfront marina area, walking along the coast towards the shopping centre and marina promenade.

I also passed by Rick’s Café, inspired by the famous café from the film Casablanca. Of course, not open during the day as it was Ramadan but fun to see from the outside. It might have been even more fun if I had seen the film as well to top it off.

The Real Challenge: Crossing the Road

Now, one issue I had whilst on my walking tour was something that may sound silly but was in fact quite an ordeal: crossing the road.

Pedestrian crossings exist, but they seemed to be treated more like a suggestion than a rule. On my homemade walking tour whilst headed towards the Hassaan II Mosque, a two mile walk took me far longer than it should’ve. Luckily there was one local woman who was going in my direction and (rather creepily I do admit) I stayed very hot on her tail as far as I could as she clearly knew what she was doing.

This did embarrassingly often lead to me chasing after her to make sure I was a couple of paces behind her to be able to copy exactly when she crossed. She unknowingly guided me for about 1.5 miles and I made it across multiple roads without incident.

Perhaps not my finest moment but incredibly effective.

A Quick Guide on Road Crossings

If you find yourself navigating Casablanca on foot a few safety points to note from me are:

• Traffic can be heavy and driving behaviour can be chaotic: it is crucial to be alert (not on your phone or distracted with headphones)
• Cross with locals where possible (perhaps try and do it less creepily than I did)
• Wait for natural gaps in traffic rather than expecting vehicles to stop
• Make eye contact with drivers before stepping out

Technically, pedestrian crossings are mandatory and you can be fined 25 MAD for jaywalking. In reality, crossings are often ignored by drivers anyway, so it’s generally safer to wait until the road is genuinely clear rather than assuming traffic will stop for you.

Casablanca isn’t packed with obvious things to do especially during quieter periods like Ramadan. However sometimes travel isn’t about ticking off sights but figuring things out as you go, even if that means accidentally tailing a stranger across half the city.

If this saved you a headache (or at least made you feel prepared), you can subscribe using the yellow button at the top or bottom of the page.

Following strangers and finding my way,
Aelfgifu