The hidden gem of Morocco is, indeed, the most important city in the country.

It’s not hidden because it’s far away or difficult to reach. It is, of course, the best interconnected city in the country, every charter flight departing and arriving to its great Mohammed V International Airport. 

It’s not hidden because no one lives there. With way more than 4 million people living in its metropolitan area, it’s the biggest city in Morocco and one of the biggest in Africa.

It’s not hidden because  it is untouched. Casablanca has undeniably yielded under the pressure of capitalism and economic development, transforming some areas of the city in Art Deco villas for “westernized” Moroccan families, huge shopping malls, industrial areas or hotel complexes.

However, there is something about Casablanca not everyone is able to explain: it may be the remaining hint of the (even) greater times. When the city was founded by Berbers and named Anfa. When the Phoenicians and Romans kind of liked the place. When the Portuguese arrived, devastated the city and changed the name to Casa Branca. When the Spanish took over their neighbors and named it Casablanca, when their neighbors took them over again. When the city was destroyed by an earthquake, everyone left, and an Alaouite Sultan reconstructed it, changing the name to Dār al-Bayḍāʼ (the translation of Casa Blanca in Arabic). When the French decided to take the control. When the French finally left. What a holy mess, right?

This is the mess you will still find today, the mess everyone loves (and hates). The mess you need to get out of (but quickly come back whenever you’re far). Just like a drug. It’s an ancient and a brand new city at the same time. You will not find proudest locals in the entire country rather than here. Casaouis love their city, so do foreigners. Every expat ending up by chance in this city falls in love (and in pain).

Why everyone loves-hates Casa and it still remains excluded from most of the must-see lists for tourists in the country?

1. CASA IS NOT A TOURIST CITY

If you want to see “the real Morocco”, the one someone show you in a stereotyped tourist guide with dozens of (chained) monkeys jumping on your back, henna artists, snake charmers and camels as the dominant mode of transportation, Casablanca is not your city.

Over and above, if you are dying to see what Morocco looks like for Moroccans (and not the show some random dealer organised to get your money), how the country tries to evolve and adapt to the new times, how people from everywhere (in and outside the country) coexist, then you should visit Casablanca.

2. CASA DOES NOT HAVE SO MANY ATTRACTIONS

Maybe that’s the reason why it’s not a tourist city. There are not that many things to do in Casablanca if you’re a tourist, except from a dozen cool plans that you probably would not have thought of when travelling to Morocco.

Climb to the top of a Roman Catholic church in the middle of the city, spend the day surfing with your new local friends, enjoy the fresh fish at one of the very low-cost restaurants at the Port or head to the Central Market, contemplate the magnificent views of the city and the Hassan II Mosque from the lighthouse or have the wildest party of your entire life.

Just to mention some of them.

3. CASA SUCCUMBED TO CAPITALISM

This is a shame but, who didn’t?

Casablanca has had, by force of its history, no say in its evolution. Conquer after conquer, destruction after destruction, this city has recreated itself too many times. Trying to keep the trace of the old Anfa when restructuring the city, Casablanca streets breathe the colonial “charm” anyway. Today, that charm and the undeniable capitalism have melted giving us that bittersweet feeling of both loss and modernisation. Its buildings aim to grow higher, and the massive traffic has no control. Slums multiply in the outskirts of the city.

Yet, amongst this holy mess, you still find the essence of Moroccan culture: that hospitality and beautiful aesthetics surrounding every corner. You only need to get lost in the streets of the old Medina or the Habous (relatively new neighborhood erected given the growing affluence of Moroccan migrants in the city), or go for a walk around any of the central neighborhoods. The city changes, but people remain the same. And that’s what makes it beautiful.

4. CASA IS ELITIST

New elites arose in the city. A collective aiming at a lifestyle they could not afford in their homelands, a lifestyle that differs way too much from that one of an average family in the country. New bars, restaurants and clubs just opened for this new elite formed mainly by Europeans and Moroccan children of high-class families.

Pros? Casablanca became the best city in the country to party, but do not focus on that. Cultural and artistic leverage. Miscegenation. Progress. Evolution of traditions. Mixture. Casablanca is a city that embraces cultural diversity and the adoption of these new elites have boosted the art revolution in the city. Concerts, exhibitions and art galleries start to show up, while local artists influenced by worldwide art develop their new creations keeping in mind their Maghrebian roots. Simply beautiful.

5. CASA IS RATHER DEPRESSING

Where is the 24/365 sun? Morocco is broken!

Nope. Morocco still works. It’s just a logical consequence of the geographical situation and the climate in the region. The Mediterranean influence turns it into a warm city, according to Köppen climate classification, but not every month is the best month to visit the city. This keeps most of the tourists away from the region during the months of winter, which means more Casa for the locals and expats!