[Morocco] from Casa to Agadir: New Atlantic wave

Sumptuous villas tucked away under lush vegetation; an elegant corniche with a string of palm trees; and soon, a gigantic shopping centre where Dior will open its largest boutique in the world. Los Angeles? In fact, much closer to home and a little more unexpected, it's Casablanca, the Californian dream. A dream that comes true in the Anfa district, precisely where, in the 1930s, the airfield was also the first stopover on the route to the Americas for Mermoz, Saint-Exupéry and so many other less famous aviators. With the economic boom, the area became the Beverly Hills of Morocco. At the end of the day, gleaming sedans pour into the trendy bars lining the ocean with a stream of young businessmen, preferably in Armani or Paul Smith suits. These are the same people who spend hours in the traffic jams that suffocate Casablanca, their headsets firmly in place and their fingers on the keyboards of their smartphones.

Morocco's economic capital is growing all the time. At the risk of losing its soul. And the reason why so few travellers end up wandering around is that it is often said, and said too often, that Casablanca, the largest city in North Africa with a population of five million, has little charm. Marcel Cerdan lived here, the adventurous pilots who made it the heyday of Aéropostale, and, of course, the images in the film Casablanca, when Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman wore black and white so well. "With its large, well-equipped hotels, and even though it doesn't have a convention centre, Casa is perfectly suited to hosting medium-sized conventions and seminars," explains Rachid Berrada, Managing Director of Authentica Travel.

Groups that are bold enough to linger in the city are bound to seek out this Moroccan "belle époque". Sometimes submerged by modern life, it is always there, in small touches, reflecting its treasures of Arab or Art Deco architecture in the glass facades of its new American-style buildings. It all starts with the old medina, protected by its walls from the excesses of progress. Miracle: this is not a souk for tourists, but a real slice of Moroccan life, a few hours to sharpen your senses in all those smells and colours; a maze of teeming alleys lined with stalls of traders, barbers, cloth merchants and grocers whose fruit stalls fill the pavement. A few old men in djellabas, veritable postcard subjects, sit out the day on the public benches in the square beside the outdated Hôtel Central. Watching time go by in the oriental style.

Architecture lesson

The Place des Nations-Unies is just a stone's throw away, the vibrant heart of the new city where the main thoroughfares converge in a joyous architectural hustle and bustle. The boulevards, lined with modern buildings housing banks and insurance companies, as well as major hotel chains - Hyatt Regency, Golden Tulip, Méridien Royal Mansour, etc. - still have a few Art Nouveau buildings for those who know how to take the side roads. Like the boulevard Mohammed V, where the buildings' facades are more than patinated, sometimes geometric, sometimes undulating, giving a glimpse of the harmony of yesteryear. Under the arcades, the nasal loudspeakers of the old brasseries play oriental music. The Rialto cinema is no exception in this old-fashioned setting. Behind its Grand Rex-like façade, an Art Deco staircase leads to the balcony. But Michèle Morgan and Jean Gabin are a long way from contemporary posters: this week, the old cinema is showing... Avatar.

However, it is on the other side of the delightful Arab League Park, a breath of fresh air in the midst of the pollution, that you can admire the most astonishing vestige of the 1930s: the white Sacré-Coeur cathedral. An incredible synthesis of Gothic and Art Nouveau, it hosts exhibitions of contemporary art. From the top of its towers, you can see the expanse of a city that is now larger than Paris, as well as the gigantic Hassan II mosque, Casablanca's new beacon. Built partly on water, at the tip of the Maghreb, will it be able to act as a link between Morocco, whose heart sways between East and West? With its frescoes and zelliges, its finely calligraphed arabesques, you'd think it came out of the twelfth century, like the Koutoubia in Marrakech. Yet it is only... ten years old and its minaret, which rises to 200 metres, is three times higher than that of its illustrious ancestor. Up close, the mosque is even more impressive. All you have to do is catch a glimpse of an old man crossing its esplanade, which can accommodate 80,000 worshippers, or a woman dressed all in black standing out in front of a monumental door, to grasp its immensity: is it not one of the largest places of worship in the Muslim world?

Treasure hunt in Casa

"A visit to Casa would not be complete without a diversion to the Habbous district, the ideal playground for an unusual, even unprecedented treasure hunt," continues Rachid Berrada. After all, this medina is almost brand new! It was built in 1923 to accommodate peasants who had come to the city in search of work. With its white streets lined with arcades, its houses with heavy doors decorated with large nails, its brass souk and its colourful market where mountains of olives - green, black and even pink - are piled up, it is full of charm. You'll want to end your visit with a tasting session at the Bennis patisserie.

Of course, the bars and restaurants on Casablanca's Corniche are ideal for cocktails or private dinners, but the air is not very iodised and swimming is not very easy. And after two days spent in the heart of a fast-paced city, there's a legitimate desire to discover a quieter Morocco. So it's time to head south, to the 2900 km of coastline that is still almost untouched, to finally enjoy the waters of the Atlantic. And disembark at El-Jadida, which was called Mazagan when it was Portuguese and which Marshal Lyautey described as the "Moroccan Deauville". A little excessive! Because where the French resort is just appearance, El-Jadida is clearly popular.

The visit is limited to the old Portuguese town, recluse within its walls, which, despite being a Unesco heritage site since 2004, is struggling to regain its lustre. Behind the thick walls, its warmly-coloured houses are crumbling and its bastion of the Angel, with its cannons pointing towards the ocean, is a mere shadow of its former self. At night, thanks to the talent of decorators and lighting designers, the fortress can be transformed into a refined reception venue. But it will never match the beauty of the neighbouring Portuguese cistern. For this vast underground reservoir is cinematic, with its naves, columns and pillars reflected in the few centimetres of water still covering the ground. It's hardly surprising that Orson Welles chose it for some of the scenes in his Othello.

El-Jadida has another trump card: its bearded horses. At the entrance to the town, a racecourse and stud farm bear witness to the special place of the animal, which is celebrated every August during the festival of Moulay Abdallah Amghar, a gigantic fantasia. If you can't make it to the festival, you can still organise excursions to the region's deserted beaches. Even the Mazagan Beach Resort is interested in horses. The hotel will open an equestrian club in September. Owned by South African billionaire Sol Kerzner, it is the new jewel in the region's crown. Built in the middle of nowhere on a site of over 500 hectares bordering the ocean, some ten kilometres from El-Jadida, it is the pivotal point of the new seaside resort of Mazagan (see box). In this palace of a Thousand and One Nights, companies are pampered: high-tech conference rooms, restaurants and bars that can be privatised at will, and a comprehensive range of sports and leisure activities from golf to casino. You can stay here for several days without leaving the secure premises! "Just an hour from the airport, we offer a great alternative to the big Casablanca resorts. What's more, Mazagan is the only place on Morocco's north Atlantic coast where it is possible to organise events for more than 500 people", says Emmanuel Comble, Marketing and Sales Director, who does not forget to highlight one final asset: the casino. "In negotiating his move to Morocco, Sol Kerzner has ensured that no other casino will open within a 200km radius of Mazagan. All bets are off!

Moroccan agencies are now creating programmes lasting several days in the region. Like the discovery of the kasbah of Boulaouane, 45 minutes from El-Jadida. The ruined 17th-century fortress is all too often overshadowed by the famous grey wine produced in the region. And yet, it rivals the most beautiful kasbahs in Morocco. In the future, it will certainly become the setting for sumptuous lunches and prestigious evening events. In the meantime, its ochre walls overlooking the Oum er-Rbia wadi make for a wonderful excursion. Unless you prefer Oualidia, a village further south. A delightful coastal road, lined here and there with isolated farms, leads there, crossing hills cultivated down to the last metre and plunging gently into the rollers of the ocean. A real immersion in rural Morocco. It's also one of clichés, as the miles go by. There's not a single one missing: veiled women working in the fields, men perched on overloaded donkeys, children looking after sheep and also anglers who spend hours teasing sea bass or bream. Oualidia lies at the end of the road, with its small white houses. "It's a bit like the Arcachon Basin of Morocco, with its beautiful white sand lagoon where you can organise barbecues," adds Emmanuel Comble. In winter, the pink flamingos find refuge here; in summer, the tourists take over the beach and its little restaurants where you can enjoy freshly caught sea urchins and spider crabs for just a few euros.

Essaouira in white and blue

It's nothing like the crowds that invade Essaouira every day. The town of dreams - even fantasies - can first be seen from the top of a hill, on the road leading to Marrakech. The first thing that strikes you is its dazzling whiteness, the facades of the houses having been whitewashed over and over again. Small patches of blue, the colour of doors and windows that mimic the sky, embellish the scenery as you approach the old Mogador. It's impossible to resist its timeless charm, and the little port that comes alive at first light.

The first thing that lifts your heart is the strong smell of fish, followed by the incessant coming and going of fishermen unloading boats and trawlers, hundreds of pilfering seagulls, backfiring mopeds and hand-pulled carts overflowing with sardines and mackerel. This is a far cry from industrial fishing. From the top of the crenellated tower of the Skala, this small fortified area inherited from the Portuguese, the medina is revealed, immaculate and luminous. Forget the Rue du Rif, which runs right through the medina, the poor thing has not withstood the onslaught of souvenir shops. Let's leave it behind and go deeper into the city. Behind the walls, the labyrinth of alleyways, colourful markets, craft shops, cedar woodwork and secret riads are the ideal playground for a giant treasure hunt, starting at the Taros café, for example. It's also an opportunity to rediscover a touch of the nonchalance that seduced Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix in the 70s. At the end of the day, it's time to get some height and watch the sun set from the terrace of L'Heure Bleue. "This is a former nineteenth-century palace, affiliated to the Relais et Châteaux chain since 2004," explains its general manager, François Laustriat. It is undoubtedly the most refined riad in Essaouira. Past the elegant wood-panelled lobby, a flower-filled patio invites you to sip mint tea. Before getting down to business! "We can serve exclusive dinners in the forty-seater restaurant, with its fireplace and cedar wood ceiling," he adds. Outside the city, there are just as many possibilities. "Like excursions on quad bikes or camels along the long beach, or into the hinterland to the Sidi M'bark waterfalls," says the hotel. And why not try your hand at surfing? Essaouira is also a renowned surfing spot. Or golf. A golf course opened last year on the outskirts of the town, the first visible sign of the future seaside resort of Mogador (see box).

From the argan tree fields to the Atlantic coast

Beyond Essaouira, heading south, come the foothills of the Atlas mountains and the beaches of the Atlantic. The road winds its way through bucolic hills which, in recent years, have been covered with argan trees, as the oil extracted from their nuts has become a source of wealth for the region's farmers. A cosmetic version for women and a food version for the trendiest restaurants in France. Along the way, children improvise as street vendors to sell a few bottles of oil, and jars of honey too. As you approach Agadir, the landscape becomes more rugged. High cliffs plunging into the ocean conceal surf spots, where young people of all nationalities come to wait for the right wave or to party.

Sunshine all year round in Agadir

"God, my country, and the king": the phrase is inscribed, huge and in Arabic, on the hill overlooking Agadir. A bit like the famous Hollywood letters. Fifteen seconds were all it took for an earthquake to wipe the city off the map. The year was 1960. In place of the old kasbah, a modern resort has sprung up, without much charm, but nevertheless very popular with businesses who appreciate its winter sunshine, its hotels equipped to host conferences and seminars, its bars and clubs that line up along the seven kilometres of beach. "And around Agadir, 4×4 or buggy outings are great fun. You can even go as far as the Sous Massa nature reserve, where many species of birds nest", explains Laila Tamtamaouy, Quality Manager at the Sofitel. Agadir, with its strong 70s feel, is not resting on its laurels. To keep up with the times, it has embellished itself. New, more luxurious hotels have recently sprung up, including the Tikida Golf Palace and the Atlas. A pleasant promenade has been built along the seafront to encourage tourists to finally get out of their hotels. Mission accomplished: young Moroccans have turned it into a meeting place for their sweethearts, and at the end of the day they pass by tourists on the prowl. Almost all of them are wearing plastic wristbands, the key to the all-inclusive packages offered by the hotels... And the symbol par excellence of the seaside tourism that the King of Morocco himself wants to bring back up to date.