Casablanca

Casablanca is Morocco's most modern face — a confident Atlantic metropolis of white façades, palm-lined boulevards and a legacy of Mauresque and Art Deco architecture that recalls the city's cinematic reputation. It is here that the country's ambition is most visible, in sleek waterfront restaurants, contemporary galleries and a dining scene that ranges from fresh oysters to refined Moroccan-French cuisine.

The city's crowning glory is the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest in the world, its minaret rising 210 metres above the ocean and its prayer hall opening, quite literally, onto the sea. Guided visits reveal breathtaking craftsmanship in marble, cedar and mosaic. Along the Corniche in the Ain Diab district, the mood turns to leisure — beach clubs, sunset terraces and a breeze straight off the Atlantic.

For luxury travellers, Casablanca is often the elegant first or final chapter of a Moroccan journey, thanks to its international airport and grand hotels. It rewards a day or two of exploration: the restored Art Deco quarter, the intimate Habous new medina, and long lunches by the water before continuing to Rabat, Fes or the imperial heart of the country.