Morocco's Biggest City Is An Under-The-Radar Gem Full Of Art & Culture With LA Vibes

Despite their obvious merits, there are certain places in the world that simply get overlooked when it comes to planning a vacation. While these places might not suit everyone's travel style, they can be the settings of dream vacations for someone who likes to go off the beaten path and really feel like a local in a place they've never been before. One of these places is definitely Morocco. This city is one of the best destinations to put on your bucket list for its culture, food, and how far the U.S. dollar can stretch in the country. And while there certainly are more comfortable cities in the country that see their fair share of visitors, seasoned travelers who are looking for an adventure would absolutely love Casablanca.

It should be noted that Casablanca is not for everyone. It is Morocco's largest city, but unlike Marrakesh or Fez, it doesn't quite cater to tourists. Still, a savvy traveler who doesn't mind going somewhere truly authentic should consider it for their next trip. Luckily, it's also quite easy and sometimes even affordable to fly there from major international airports, but many past visitors have been warned that Casablanca isn't well suited for solo travelers. For this reason, it's good to visit with a small group or through a tour. But if you do go, you'll be met with a bustling city that is full of gorgeous art and architecture, fascinating history, and lots of food and cultural experiences.

One of the most popular places to visit is the Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in Africa and home to the gorgeous 41 fountains in its garden, which are true works of art. Additionally, its 210-meter height also makes it the tallest temple in the world. It's one of the few mosques that allows non-Muslims to enter; however, tourists should remember to dress conservatively, covering their shoulders, torso, and knees and removing their shoes before entering. The massive white and teal blue mosque is full of intricately carved wood, plaster, and ornate tile work that's spectacular to see up close. You can see examples of traditional Moroccan art all over the city, including the Sidi Abderrahman shrine and the Mahkama du Pacha palace, another artistic treasure that everyone should visit.

One of the other features that makes Casablanca so unique is the amount of Art Deco architecture you can find throughout the city. Walking through neighborhoods will allow you to see some amazing building facades, particularly around Rue Idriss Lhrizi or in the Mers Sultan neighborhood. Some of the best Art Deco buildings to visit in the city are teh Hotel Guynemer and the Cinema Rialto, the famous movie house in the city. For more recent or local artworks, you can find several galleries in the city, including the African Arty Gallery, the Laredo Art Gallery, and the Galerie D'art Bloc 9. For handcrafts made by local artisans, the best place to visit is the Old Medina, where you can find dozens of places to shop for local foods and spices as well as leather goods, antiques, jewelry, fabrics, and more.

If you have a kitchen in your accommodation, you can always find perfect ingredients in the city's Central Market on Mohammed V Boulevard, where vendors sell fresh produce, spices, honey, oils, meats, and seafood. But throughout the city you can also find many lovely cafes (including some along the beach), pastry shops, and of course, places to get excellent seafood. It is a port city, after all. Because of the city's colonial past, you're likely to find lots of French-style cuisine as well as traditional Morocco delicacies. The city is home to both high-end restaurants as well as laid-back "holes-in-the-wall," so you can easily find something delicious that's also within your budget. Be sure to try some traditional couscous, Moroccan pastilla, and zaazaa (a sort of milkshake made from avocados) for dessert.

But if you're looking for a place that's central and more used to tourists, Rick's Cafe, inspired by the famous bar of the same name in the 1942 film "Casablanca," also serves crowd-pleasing food in a gorgeous atmosphere (even though it's considered a bit of a tourist trap). It's not actually the same bar, sadly, because the famous film was filmed in a studio and not on location. Even though visitors say you can find a great place to eat basically anywhere, it's helpful to know Anthony Bourdain's trick for finding the best local restaurants while traveling, too.