Safi

About

One of Morocco’s oldest cities, Safi is believed to have been founded by the Carthaginian Hanno in the 5th or 6th century BC. Safi was one of Morocco’s most important ports up until the 18th century, when Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah banned foreign trade in all ports except his newly built city of Mogador. Today, it’s Morocco’s main sardine fishing port and a hub for textiles and ceramics. Being off most tourist routes, Safi’s fortified medina provides a pleasant place to experience traditional Morocco without the suffocating crowds of better known destinations. Wandering the twisting alleys, you’ll vibrant blue doors and windows, local ceramic shops, and historic monuments like the remains of the 16th-century Cathédrale Portugaise. At the waterfront, you’ll find the 16th century Portuguese fort, which offers great views of the coast and medina. 500 meters offshore, the Kechla was a prison until 1990, but now serves as a ceramics market.