Anfa (Casablanca) Travel Guide - Free

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Anfa
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Anfa, Casablanca’s leafy western quarter, pairs Art Deco avenues, oceanfront walks, Anfa Place shopping and refined Moroccan dining near Ain Diab.

Residential Anfa and the Atlantic Edge

Anfa occupies Casablanca’s western side, stretching across an expansive area of villas, apartment buildings, landscaped avenues and commercial corridors between the city centre and the Atlantic coast. Its character is markedly quieter and more spacious than the dense central districts, with the broad Boulevard d’Anfa providing a useful north–south orientation. The neighbourhood is often discussed alongside Anfa Supérieur and the Corniche, although the seafront resorts and entertainment venues of Ain Diab lie beyond Anfa’s western edge rather than defining every part of the district.
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Streets, Architecture and Everyday Life

The area’s built environment reflects Casablanca’s twentieth-century growth: detached houses stand beside modern residences, offices and diplomatic compounds, while mature trees soften several of the larger roads. Anfa’s name reaches back to the pre-colonial settlement that occupied this part of the coast, and the district later became associated with affluent residential development during the French Protectorate and after independence. Today, the neighbourhood is less a sightseeing circuit than a setting for observing Casablanca’s contemporary urban life, from cafés and restaurants on its principal boulevards to local errands in small shopping clusters.

Leisure, Shopping and the Coast

Anfa Place Mall provides a modern retail and dining focus near the coast, while the Royal Anfa Golf Club offers a green recreational counterpoint to the surrounding urban landscape. Ocean views and sunset walks are most accessible towards the adjoining Corniche and Ain Diab, where the waterfront atmosphere becomes more commercial and resort-oriented. Visitors staying in Anfa can therefore combine a calm residential base with easy access to Casablanca’s Atlantic promenade, though walking distances are long and the neighbourhood is best explored selectively rather than crossed on foot from end to end.

Best attractions in Anfa

Anfa’s attractions are shaped more by its spacious urban setting than by a dense collection of museums or monuments. Boulevard d’Anfa and the surrounding residential avenues offer an informative walk through Casablanca’s later twentieth-century development, with villas, apartment buildings, mature trees and varied modern architecture. Anfa Place Mall provides a contemporary stop for shopping, cafés and restaurants close to the Atlantic, while the Royal Anfa Golf Club introduces a landscaped sporting environment within the western city. Towards the edge of the district, the Corniche and Ain Diab provide the most accessible oceanfront scenery, although these are adjoining areas rather than interchangeable parts of Anfa. Visitors interested in Casablanca’s urban history can also consider the former Anfa airport area, now being reshaped through development, as evidence of the city’s continuing westward expansion rather than as a preserved aviation site.

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Explore Anfa on the map

A handpicked selection of must-see spots in Anfa, mapped for you.

Best restaurants in Anfa

Dining in Anfa reflects Casablanca’s affluent residential and business character, with restaurants and cafés concentrated along major boulevards, around modern commercial developments and towards the coastal edge. Menus commonly bring together Moroccan dishes, French-influenced cooking, seafood and international fare, while cafés provide a practical setting for coffee, pastries and informal meetings. Anfa Place adds a contemporary dining cluster, and the roads towards the Corniche offer a broader choice of restaurants, though many of those venues are more accurately described as being in adjoining Ain Diab. Independent options are dispersed rather than gathered in one traditional food quarter, so visitors should check the exact location before setting out. The neighbourhood is better suited to planned meals and relaxed café stops than to a market-based street-food trail, with Casablanca’s central medina and other older districts offering a different culinary atmosphere.

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Best bars in Anfa

Anfa’s evening scene is relatively restrained inland, where residential streets, hotel restaurants and café terraces create a quieter rhythm than Casablanca’s central nightlife areas. The strongest concentration of late dining and entertainment is towards the adjoining Corniche and Ain Diab, where restaurants, lounges and waterfront venues serve a mixed local and visitor clientele; these should be treated as nearby rather than automatically part of Anfa. Around Anfa Place and the larger boulevards, evenings are more commonly spent over dinner, coffee or a drink in a contemporary commercial setting than in a dense club district. Music and nightlife offerings can change, and access policies may vary, so visitors should check current arrangements directly. Taxis are a practical choice for returning to inland accommodation after dark, particularly when the destination is on a quiet residential street.

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Best nightclubs in Anfa

Anfa’s evening scene is relatively restrained inland, where residential streets, hotel restaurants and café terraces create a quieter rhythm than Casablanca’s central nightlife areas. The strongest concentration of late dining and entertainment is towards the adjoining Corniche and Ain Diab, where restaurants, lounges and waterfront venues serve a mixed local and visitor clientele; these should be treated as nearby rather than automatically part of Anfa. Around Anfa Place and the larger boulevards, evenings are more commonly spent over dinner, coffee or a drink in a contemporary commercial setting than in a dense club district. Music and nightlife offerings can change, and access policies may vary, so visitors should check current arrangements directly. Taxis are a practical choice for returning to inland accommodation after dark, particularly when the destination is on a quiet residential street.

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Best shops in Anfa

Shopping in Anfa is centred on modern retail rather than a historic souk tradition. Anfa Place Mall provides the neighbourhood’s clearest organised shopping destination, with fashion, lifestyle retail, services, cafés and restaurants in a contemporary setting close to the coast. Smaller shops and everyday businesses are distributed along Boulevard d’Anfa and neighbouring roads, serving residents rather than forming a single all-day visitor market. The area is useful for combining shopping with dining and a coastal excursion, while visitors seeking traditional crafts, spices, leatherwork or the atmosphere of an old Moroccan market should look to Casablanca’s medina and other central districts instead. Retail activity around Anfa is subject to changing tenants and opening arrangements, so it is better to treat the district as a convenient western shopping base than to expect a fixed catalogue of specialist boutiques.

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Anfa essentials

Getting There
Anfa is easiest to reach from central Casablanca by taxi or private vehicle along Boulevard d’Anfa and the roads leading west towards the Corniche. Casa-Port railway station is in the city centre, while Casa Voyageurs lies farther east; neither is inside Anfa, so visitors arriving by train normally need a taxi for the final leg. Tramway services operate elsewhere in Casablanca, but the most convenient stop depends on the exact address and many parts of Anfa are not immediately beside a tram station. Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport is outside the city, and airport journeys require a separate road transfer rather than a direct local connection.
Getting Around
The neighbourhood is navigable by taxi, ride-hailing where available, and walking between nearby addresses, but its broad footprint makes it less compact than the central quarters. Boulevard d’Anfa is useful for orientation, while smaller residential roads can be shaded and pleasant but are not always direct routes. The coastal edge, Anfa Place and inland residential areas are separated by substantial distances, so plan separate walking sections rather than attempting to cover everything in one circuit. Pavements vary in width and condition, and crossing wider roads requires care; visitors with limited mobility should check routes in advance.
Safety
Anfa is generally experienced as a conventional urban residential and commercial district, but visitors should use the same precautions as elsewhere in Casablanca. Keep phones and wallets secure in busy shopping areas, taxis and traffic queues, and take care when crossing broad boulevards. The quietness of some villa streets can make them feel empty after dark, so use well-lit main roads and arrange a reliable taxi when returning from the Corniche or late dining. Avoid entering private compounds or photographing guarded properties, and remain alert around traffic near shopping centres and coastal roads.
Emergency Situations
In Morocco, call 19 for the police in urban areas and 15 for fire or urgent medical assistance; 177 is used for the Royal Gendarmerie, mainly outside towns. Give the operator the neighbourhood name, nearest boulevard, hotel or recognisable landmark, and keep your passport or identification details accessible. Emergency response can be easier when a local restaurant, hotel or security desk helps explain the exact address in Arabic or French. For a non-urgent medical matter, ask accommodation staff or a local pharmacy to identify an appropriate nearby clinic or hospital rather than relying on an unfamiliar map pin.
Do's and Don'ts
Dress respectfully in public spaces and residential streets, and ask before photographing people, private homes or security-sensitive buildings. In cafés and restaurants, allow staff time to serve several tables and confirm whether service has been included before deciding on a modest additional tip. Keep voices low near apartment entrances and villas, especially late at night, and do not treat the Corniche or shopping areas as extensions of private property. When using taxis, state the destination clearly and agree on the fare or confirm the meter before departure where applicable.
Local Tips
Divide an Anfa visit into themes: explore Boulevard d’Anfa and nearby streets for urban architecture, use Anfa Place as a shopping and dining anchor, then continue separately towards the Corniche for Atlantic views. The Royal Anfa Golf Club is primarily a sporting facility rather than a sightseeing attraction, so access should be checked before planning around it. Anfa’s broad roads and dispersed venues reward advance map planning, particularly for visitors staying inland. French is widely useful in hospitality and business settings, while a few Arabic greetings are appreciated.
Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
Helloسلام[salaam]
Goodbyeوداعا[wadaa'an]
Yesنعم[naam]
Noلا[laa]
Please/You're welcomeمن فضلك[min fadlak]
Thank youشكرا[shukran]
Excuse me/Sorryعذرا[aathirana]
How are you?كيف حالك؟[kayfa haluk?]
Fine. And you?بخير. وأنت؟[bikhayr. wa'ant?]
Do you speak English?هل تتحدث الإنجليزية؟[hal tatahadath al'injlizia?]
I don't understandأنا لا أفهم[ana la afham]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseأريد أن أرى القائمة، من فضلك[urid an ara alqaimah, min fadlak]
I don't eat meatأنا لا آكل اللحوم[ana la aakul allahm]
Cheers!في صحتك![fi sahtak!]
I would like to pay, pleaseأود أن أدفع، من فضلك[awad an adfaa, min fadlak]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!النجدة![annajdah!]
Go away!انصرف![ansarf!]
Call the Police!اتصل بالشرطة![atassal bialshurta!]
Call a doctor!اتصل بالطبيب![atassal bialtabib!]
I'm lostلقد ضللت[laqad dalalt]
I'm illأنا مريض[ana mareed]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...أريد أن أشتري...[urid an ashtari...]
I'm just lookingأنا فقط أتفرج[ana faqat atafaraj]
How much is it?كم سعره؟[kam si'ruh?]
That's too expensiveهذا غالي جدا[hadha ghali jiddan]
Can you lower the price?هل يمكنك خفض السعر؟[hal yumkinuk khaafid alsir?]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?كم الساعة؟[kam alsaa'ah?]
It's one o'clockالساعة الواحدة[alsaa'ah alwahidah]
Half past (10)النصف بعد (10)[alnusf ba'd (10)]
Morningالصباح[alsabah]
Afternoonالظهيرة[alzuhurah]
Eveningالمساء[almasa]
Yesterdayأمس[ams]
Todayاليوم[alyawm]
Tomorrowغدا[ghadan]
1واحد[wahid]
2اثنان[ithnan]
3ثلاثة[thalathah]
4أربعة[arbahah]
5خمسة[khamsah]
6ستة[sittah]
7سبعة[sab'ah]
8ثمانية[thamaniah]
9تسعة[tis'ah]
10عشرة[asharah]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?أين هو/هي...؟[ayna hu/hya...?]
What's the address?ما هو العنوان؟[ma hu al'anaan?]
Can you show me (on the map)?هل يمكنك أن تريني (على الخريطة)؟[hal yumkinuk an tureeni (ala alkhareetah)?]
When's the next (bus)?متى يأتي الحافلة التالية؟[mata yatee alhaafilat altalyiah?]
A ticket (to ....)تذكرة (إلى....)[tadhkirah (ila...)]

History of Anfa

The Early Settlement of Anfa

Anfa is associated with the settlement that stood on Casablanca’s Atlantic-facing promontory before the modern city developed around the port. Medieval sources refer to Anfa as an important coastal town, and its name survived through later transformations of the area. Portuguese forces attacked and occupied the settlement in the fifteenth century before abandoning it after an earthquake in the eighteenth century. Although the present neighbourhood bears little visible trace of that earlier town, the name preserves a local historical identity older than the colonial-era boulevards and villas that now dominate the landscape.

From Outskirts to Residential District

Casablanca’s rapid expansion under the French Protectorate brought roads, utilities and new residential development into areas west of the older urban core. Anfa became associated with detached houses, gardens and larger plots, a pattern that contrasted with the dense commercial quarters nearer the port and medina. Boulevard d’Anfa emerged as one of the principal routes through this expanding western city, while the district’s spacious layout helped establish its reputation as an affluent residential sector. The architecture was varied rather than uniform, combining modernist and Art Deco influences with villas adapted to Casablanca’s climate.

The Anfa Conference, 1943

In January 1943, Anfa provided the setting for a major Allied wartime meeting known as the Casablanca or Anfa Conference. United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met at a hotel in the area to discuss the conduct of the Second World War, including the demand for Germany’s unconditional surrender. The meeting connected this otherwise residential part of Casablanca to international diplomatic history, although the conference site is not presented today as a conventional historic attraction and much of the surrounding urban fabric has since changed.

Post-Independence Growth and Redevelopment

After Morocco achieved independence in 1956, Anfa continued to develop as one of Casablanca’s preferred residential and business areas. Villas and low-rise buildings were joined by apartment blocks, offices, schools, restaurants and new commercial schemes as the city spread westwards. The former Anfa airport, which ceased civilian operations in 2007, became part of wider redevelopment discussions and projects in the Casa Anfa area. At the same time, the adjoining Corniche and Ain Diab grew as leisure districts, making Anfa part of a larger western urban zone while retaining a more residential character in its inland streets.

Anfa in Photos

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Neighbourhoods near Anfa

The closest neighbourhoods to Anfa, if you have time for more than one stop.

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