Portuguese ramparts, the medina, palaces and workshops: Safi reads like a history book left open to the ocean.
Engraved in 1686, drawn in 1889, photographed in colour in 1913: the outline of the city has changed little. The Kechla still rises above the medina, and the ramparts still run down to the sea.
The “sea castle” is a Portuguese fortress from the early 16th century, set on a rock at the edge of the Atlantic. Its cannons still look out over the bay.
The waves have damaged part of its walls. It is mostly seen from outside, from the corniche and the rocks. We tell you what is open at the time of your visit.
On the landward side of the medina, the Kechla, also known as Dar Soltane, builds on older fortifications that the Portuguese reinforced. It contains 18th-century residences.
Today the Kechla houses the National Ceramics Museum: the best place to understand Safi pottery before visiting the potters' hill.
Between the Kechla and the sea, the medina keeps its ramparts, gates and lanes. You pass Bab Lamaasra and its round tower, the arched door of the Great Mosque, the stone arches.
Our tours follow your pace: two hours for the essentials, a full day to take your time.
Outside the walls, near Bab Chaaba, the potters' hill keeps Safi's ceramics alive: kilns, workshops and shops.
It is the natural complement to a tour of the city.
Explore the medina, the Portuguese heritage and the history of Safi with a local guide.
