Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco, may not be as popular among tourists as Marrakesh, but it certainly has its own charm. When you explore Casablanca with a rental car, you'll immediately notice the unique architecture in the city center, skillfully blending Moorish influences with European Art Deco elements. Additionally, this metropolis, which houses the country's main airport, serves as an excellent starting point for an extensive road trip across Morocco.
Getting around Casablanca:
While exploring Casablanca with a rental car, a visit to the Hassan II Mosque is an absolute must. This impressive mosque is one of the largest in the world and features a 200-meter-high minaret. Good to know: In the morning, the mosque offers guided tours to non-Muslim visitors.
A stroll through the Quartier Habous is also worthwhile, as it entices visitors with numerous souks and an oriental atmosphere. For those looking to purchase oriental spices, lamps, handicrafts, or souvenirs, this is the perfect place. Tip: Traditional pastry shops here sell delicious stuffed dates and fragrant almond pastries. Additionally, you'll find the Mahkama du Pacha Palace and the green Parc Isesco in this area.
A Road Trip to Marrakesh:
While Casablanca showcases itself as a modern economic and financial metropolis, Marrakesh presents a dream straight out of Arabian Nights. Its winding old town with labyrinth-like alleys, magnificent oriental palaces, colorful sprawling markets, and bustling squares filled with fortune-tellers, snake charmers, and traders create an enchanting atmosphere. Renting a car in Marrakesh makes a road trip to the "Red City" almost indispensable.
Good to know: Not far from the old town lies the central square Djemaa el Fna, which is beloved by locals and tourists alike. The lively ambiance here exerts an incredible pull day and night. With numerous authentic cafes and restaurants, Djemaa el Fna is a great place to satisfy your appetite.
Through the Desert with a Rental Car:
Leaving Casablanca with a rental car towards the southeast, you'll soon encounter the outskirts of the fascinating Sahara Desert. Your road trip will lead you through lively oasis towns and into breathtakingly beautiful dune landscapes. Particularly impressive is the Erg Chebbi near the adobe-built oasis town of Merzouga. The wind-shaped dunes here reach heights of up to 150 meters and can be explored through tours on off-road vehicles, quads, motorcycles, or on the back of a camel. A journey through the seemingly endless sand desert, which shimmers in gold or glows red depending on the time of day, is undoubtedly one of the absolute highlights of a rental car vacation in Morocco.
