Skip to main content
Casablanca Tours
Get a quote
The Hassan II Mosque and its minaret on the Atlantic at dusk, seen across rough sea from the seafront promenade

Casablanca for Couples: What to Do for Two

Casablanca is not a city of riads and rose petals.

Plan a private trip

Photo above: RIM 75, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On this page
  1. Sunset on the Corniche and El Hank
  2. The Hassan II Mosque at dusk and after dark
  3. A hammam for two, in a hotel spa
  4. Rooftop drinks, dinner and Rick's Café
  5. The Art Deco centre at golden hour
  6. A day on the coast: El Jadida and Oualidia
  7. A quiet stay in Anfa or Ain Diab
  8. Affection in public
  9. Unmarried couples and hotels
  10. Planning a proposal or honeymoon
  11. Fit it in: a private day for two
  12. Planning a day for two?
  13. Sources
  14. Frequently asked

Casablanca is not a city of riads and rose petals. It is a big, modern Atlantic port, and the best of it for a couple is the sea at sunset, the Hassan II Mosque on its promontory, a private hammam in a hotel spa, a good dinner and a day down the coast. This guide picks those out, points you to our separate guides for restaurants, hotels and Rick's Café, and covers the practical side: affection in public, hotel rules for couples, and planning a proposal or honeymoon.

Casablanca for two, from sunset to dinner

Sunset on the Corniche and El Hank

Sunset. The Corniche follows the Atlantic out towards Ain Diab, and the sun sets over the open sea. On the tip of the El Hank headland, west of the port, stands the El Hank lighthouse, worked on by the architect Albert Laprade, under construction in 1916, in service since 1920 and 51 m tall. It is open to visitors, with 256 steps to the upper platform (Wikipedia); check visiting hours locally, as we have no current source for them. For a table with a sea view at sunset, see our fine dining and rooftop bars guide.

The Hassan II Mosque at dusk and after dark

Landmark. Completed in 1993, the mosque stands on a promontory over the Atlantic, built partly on land and partly over the ocean, with a 210 m minaret (Wikipedia). Come at the end of the day to see the stone change colour as the sun goes down. After dark, look for the laser at the top of the minaret, which points towards Mecca; the mosque's foundation says it reaches 30 km. The interior is by visit only; see our Hassan II Mosque guide for how visits work.

A hammam for two, in a hotel spa

Spa. Public and spa hammams are single-sex, so a couple who want to go together need a private hammam in a hotel spa. The Four Seasons Casablanca spa offers a hammam and treatments for couples, and the Royal Mansour spa has its own hammam services (Spa and Beauty Today, July 2024). Treatment menus change, so confirm with the spa that a room for two is available on your date. Our hammam guide explains how a visit works.

Rooftop drinks, dinner and Rick's Café

Evening. For a sunset drink on a hotel rooftop and a dinner worth dressing for, our fine dining and rooftop bars guide names the places we could verify, with sources. For a candlelit evening with a pianist, Rick's Café near the old medina recreates the bar from the 1942 film; our Rick's Café guide covers what to expect and why to book ahead. Alcohol is served only in licensed restaurants, hotels and bars.

The Art Deco centre at golden hour

Walk. The new town that grew up beside the old medina has Art Deco and Art Nouveau buildings by architects such as Marius Boyer, built through the 1930s, and the buildings round Mohammed V Square mix Neo-Moorish and Art Deco styles (Wikipedia). Walk it in the last hour of daylight, when the low sun picks out the white facades and carved details. Casamémoire, the association that protects the city's 20th-century architecture, runs Heritage Days three days a year with free guided visits by volunteers; check its dates if you are in town.

A day on the coast: El Jadida and Oualidia

Day trip. El Jadida is 96 km south of Casablanca, and its Portuguese City of Mazagan has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, with the semi-subterranean Manueline cistern under the citadel (Wikipedia). Further south, Oualidia is about 175 km from Casablanca, a good two-hour drive (The National), on a calm lagoon where oysters have been farmed since the 1950s (Africanews). Oysters by the lagoon make a slow lunch for two. El Jadida alone is an easy day; adding Oualidia makes a long one. See our El Jadida day trip page.

A quiet stay in Anfa or Ain Diab

Stay. Western Casablanca's Anfa and Ain Diab are the villa districts, where architects built experimental private villas (Wikipedia). For a couple, a small boutique hotel near the Corniche or a grand hotel downtown both work; our luxury hotels guide compares them area by area, with sources. We sell no rooms and take no commission.

Affection in public

Know before you go. The UK Foreign Office advises visitors to avoid showing affection in public, particularly near religious sites and in tourist areas. Keep it discreet in the street, in the medina and around the mosque. It also notes that same-sex sexual relations are illegal in Morocco and that showing affection in public can lead to prosecution, so same-sex couples should read the official advice before travelling.

Unmarried couples and hotels

Know before you go. Under Article 490 of the penal code, sex between an unmarried man and woman is a crime, punishable by one month to one year in prison (Hespress, May 2024). The UK Foreign Office says this is illegal for Moroccan nationals, and that the law on unmarried people sharing a hotel room does not generally apply to visiting foreign nationals. Hespress reported in May 2024 that hotels had been told verbally to stop asking for a marriage certificate, though a police registration form is still filled in, and some hoteliers remained cautious (Bladi, June 2024). If either of you is Moroccan, check current advice and ask the hotel before you book.

Planning a proposal or honeymoon

Planning. For a proposal, the quietest settings are the ones above: the Corniche at sunset, a rooftop or a private dinner. Book the table ahead, tell the restaurant or hotel what you are planning, and keep it low-key in public. For a honeymoon, Casablanca works best as the start or end of a wider trip through Morocco: a night or two by the sea, then on to the rest of the country.

Fit it in: a private day for two

Booking. If you would rather not plan it yourselves, we can plan a private day in Casablanca for the two of you, built around what you want to see.

Planning a day for two?

Tell us your date and what you would like to fit in, and we plan a private day in Casablanca for the two of you. You get the plan and a fixed price in writing within 24 hours.

Ask about a day for two

Sources

Frequently asked

Is Casablanca a good city for couples?
Yes, if you come for what it does well: the Atlantic at sunset, the Hassan II Mosque on the ocean, a private hammam in a hotel spa, good restaurants and a day down the coast to El Jadida or Oualidia. It is a modern working city rather than a riad town, so a night or two here pairs well with time elsewhere in Morocco.
Can an unmarried couple share a hotel room in Casablanca?
For visitors, generally yes. The UK Foreign Office says sex outside marriage is illegal for Moroccan nationals and that the law on unmarried people sharing a hotel room does not generally apply to visiting foreign nationals. Hespress reported in May 2024 that hotels had been told to stop asking for marriage certificates, but some remained cautious. If either of you is Moroccan, check current advice and ask the hotel first.
Can couples go to a hammam together?
Not a public one: hammams are single-sex. Book a private hammam in a hotel spa instead. The Four Seasons Casablanca spa offers a hammam and treatments for couples; confirm with the spa that a room for two is free on your date.
Is it all right to kiss or hold hands in public?
Keep affection discreet. The UK Foreign Office advises avoiding it in public, particularly near religious sites and in tourist areas. For same-sex couples the risk is higher, as same-sex relations are illegal in Morocco and affection in public can lead to prosecution.
Can you plan a private day for the two of us?
Yes. Tell us your date and what you would like to fit in, and we plan a private day in Casablanca for the two of you. You get the plan and a fixed price in writing within 24 hours.

Keep reading.

Planning a day for two?

Tell us your date and group; a plan and a fixed price come back in writing within 24 hours.

Ask about a day for two