How many days do I need in Casablanca?

I will be candid, because clients appreciate it: Casablanca is the city most first-timers over-allocate time to and then wish they had not. It is Morocco's economic powerhouse and largest city, but it is a modern working metropolis rather than a romantic medieval one. Half a day to a single day is the right amount for the great majority of visitors, and most people see it simply because they fly in or out of its airport.

That said, there is one genuinely world-class reason to stop: the Hassan II Mosque. It is one of the largest mosques on earth, perched dramatically over the Atlantic with a 210-metre minaret, and it is one of the very few mosques in Morocco that non-Muslims can enter on a guided tour. The scale and craftsmanship are breathtaking, and the tour is worth structuring your visit around. Allow a couple of hours for it and you will not regret the detour.

Beyond the mosque, a half-day fills out comfortably. Walk a stretch of the Corniche seafront, look at the elegant if faded Art Deco and Mauresque architecture around the old French-era centre and Place Mohammed V, see the small Habous quarter (a 20th-century take on a traditional medina), and perhaps have a meal — Casablanca has some of the country's best contemporary restaurants. That is a satisfying day without forcing the city to be something it is not.

My practical advice is to treat Casablanca as a bookend rather than a destination. If you land here, see the mosque and move on to Rabat or Marrakech the same or next day; if you are flying out, build in the mosque on your way to the airport. Spending two or three days here means trading time you could give to Fes, the desert or the coast — and those will reward you far more.