Visiting Casablanca and Rabat - Ep. 32

Casablanca and Rabat, separated by scarcely an hour's drive along the beautiful Atlantic coast, are Morocco's twin cities of misconception.

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco, the wealthiest, the economic driver: the largest port in Morocco, immortalized by Hollywood and home to the country's principal international airport.

Rabat is the country's capital, an imperial city, full of grand boulevards, parks and beaches. In a country full of royal palaces, this is the one where the King actually lives most of the time.

And yet, they are the two major cities often passed over by travellers, or at best given an hour or two before heading out towards Chefchaouen, Fès or Marrakech.

Azdean and Sam chat today about that reality, as it does often feature on Destination Morocco tours. It comes down to how much time you have, what your priorities are and often having to make tough choices.

But we get a lot of questions about, "Is there more to do in Casablanca?" and, "Should I give Rabat more time?" The answer is of course, "Of course!" if you choose to.

Casablanca has a historic Jewish Quarter, great public squares for people-watching, art galleries, restaurants and the best night life in the country.

Rabat has beautiful museums, reflecting its stature as national capital and a stately city. It offers a more calm, quiet ambience than Morocco's other big cities, and that alone is a nice change of pace.

Our episode today is an overview of things to see and do in these two cities, whether you have a short amount of time or can add an extra day or two to your itinerary. You won't regret it.

Sights Mentioned in this episode:

CASABLANCA:
Hassan II Mosque