Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and commercial capital — a cosmopolitan, modern metropolis on the Atlantic coast that consistently surprises visitors who expect a sleepy North African city and find instead a vibrant, sophisticated metropolis with world-class architecture, excellent food and a genuine buzz.

The Hassan II Mosque is the undisputed highlight — one of the most magnificent buildings in the world, built on a promontory over the Atlantic Ocean with the world's tallest minaret (210 metres) and a retractable roof that opens to the sky. The mosque can accommodate 105,000 worshippers and is one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors. The guided tours are extraordinary.

La Corniche is the elegant seafront promenade — a long stretch of Atlantic oceanfront lined with restaurants, beach clubs and hotels. This is where Casablancans come to eat, socialise and enjoy the sea breeze, and the energy here on a summer evening is wonderful.

Casablanca has one of the finest collections of Art Deco architecture in the world — a remarkable legacy of the French Protectorate period (1912–1956), when the city was rebuilt in a distinctive Mauresque style that blended Art Deco with traditional Moroccan motifs. The area around Place Mohammed V is particularly fine.

The city is an excellent base for day trips to Rabat (Morocco's capital, 90 minutes by train), El Jadida (a UNESCO World Heritage Portuguese fortress) and the oyster beds of Oualidia. Marrakesh is 2.5 hours by train — easily done as a day trip.

Direct flights from London Heathrow and Manchester take approximately 3 hours 40 minutes. UK passport holders do not need a visa for stays up to 90 days.