Tag: Essaouira

The full tourism guide to discover Safi

Renowned in Morocco and around the world for the quality of its ceramic pottery, Safi is a city
steeped in history as well as Souiria Lakdima, a summer and vacation resort and the charming beach
of Cap Bedouza.

Fit for any visitor eager for discovery. Crossroads between the North and the South of the Kingdom,
the city of Safi, presents an important and diversified tourist potential.

Admittedly, seaside tourism occupies a special place there thanks to a long coastline of fine sandy
beaches, but the city with a glorious past has other tourist assets made up of historical sites, natural
settings conducive to relaxation and discovery.

The hinterland has many attractions for a diversified tourist activity: hiking, discoveries and visits to
historical sites, sports practice….

Open to the Atlantic Ocean, the city has always been a privileged space for the exchange of ideas,
goods and encounters between people, so much does it nourish the spirit of adventure, freedom and
discovery so dear to people of the sea.

Safi tour:

• The medina and the Souk alley

To discover and appreciate the beauty of the old medina, it is pleasant to take the boulevard along
the seafront from Place of independence, to reach Rue du Souk. This street is in fact the main artery
of the medina which crosses the city on both sides to Bab Chaâba.
The many stalls that line this long narrow street alone concentrate all the commercial activity of the
medina.

The charm and interest of the place are justified by this architectural harmony combining buildings
and buildings of different cultures and faiths (Christian, Muslim and Jewish).

Thus, once arrived at the height of the great mosque, a passage leads straight to the Portuguese
chapel, built in 1519. The building which still retains traces of the Manueline style is the heart of the
cathedral of Safi.

• The Sea Castle (Ksar El Bhar)

This “Sea Castle” built by the Portuguese in the 15th century was for some time the seat of the
governor. It served as a fortress to defend and protect the northern part of the old port, the city and
the Governor’s Residence. It was fully restored in 1963.

Its large monumental door opens onto the , or place d’armes, where you can admire a dozen old
Spanish and Dutch cannons pointing towards the ocean.
And you can enjoy a panoramic view of the sea, the port and the old medina, from the southwest
bastion of the Sea Castle.

• Borj Eddar the kechla

The imposing walls of this citadel date from the Portuguese occupation (1508 and 1514) as
evidenced by the coat of arms of King Emmanuel 1st on one of the towers of the citadel.

A monumental door leads directly to a large platform lined with old cannons as well as a superb
semi-circular tower from which there is a panoramic view of the city of Safi and more particularly its
port, its medina, its minaret of the R ‘bat and the Potters’ Hill.

• The Potters’ Hill

Rich in rare mineralogical resources and enjoying ideal climatic conditions, Safi has been able to
develop its own craft activity which has made and continues to make its reputation both nationally
and internationally.

The city became the first African pottery center and the first school of ceramics in Africa.
The Potters’ Hill brings together master potters, ceramists and weavers who, thanks to their knowhow and dexterity, have made the city a destination of choice for local crafts.

Safi has raw materials such as clay and natural fuels (broom) used to heat the cooking ovens, as well
as ancestral craftsmanship.

The city walls Of Almohad origin, the wall surrounding the city was rebuilt by the Portuguese
between 1510 and 1540. Equipped with a walkway and a parapet, it is flanked by several towers and
pierced by several doors, the most important of which are Bab Achaâba and Bab El Kouass.

• The biggest tagine in the world

Safi also owes its fame to the largest tajine of sardine dumplings in the world presented on Saturday
July 10, 1999 on Place Mohammed V.

Two hundred women participated in the preparation of this gigantic dish. This feat is listed in the
Guinness Book of Records.

This tagine measures 6.30 m in diameter and 4.5 m in height. It was decorated by the best potters in
the city.

• The Medersa

This monument built near the Great Mosque of Safi around 1218 of the Hegira served as a residence
for students who followed the courses given by the Ulemas within the Mosque.

• Dar Soltan

Dar Soltan “The House of the Sultan” is a citadel whose origin dates back to the Almohad period
(XIXIIIth centuries), it served as protection for the city because of its position.

Over the centuries, the monument has undergone frequent renovations and rearrangements.
Between 1508 and 1541, the Portuguese endowed it with a large tower engraved with a coat of arms
of the Portuguese King Emmanuel 1st (currently called Borj Dar).

The site enjoys a panoramic view of the city and particularly of the cascade of houses in the medina,
descending towards the Château de la Mer and the Ocean.

Currently, the monument houses the National Museum of Ceramics. The Portuguese Cathedral It was
built by the Portuguese in 1519 in the Emmanuelin style. During his retreat from the city in 1541,
King Emmanuel ordered its destruction.

Only a vaultless chapel and a heart have been preserved. Later, what remained of the cathedral was
transformed into a public Hammam (Hammam al Bwiba). It was still functioning until the beginning
of this century.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Department of Fine Arts at the time intervened to remedy
this situation by classifying the cathedral as a historical monument.

• Fishing harbor

The port of Safi is one of the largest sardine ports in Africa. To contemplate the incessant coming and
going of fishing boats and boats, you can take a walk on the port side.

The fish-rich waters of the coasts of the Safi region allow trawlers and fishing boats to land some 26
tons of fresh fish daily, which can be obtained at very affordable prices.

• The National Museum of Ceramics

This museum provides a global look at the production of ceramics in Morocco and highlights the city
of Safi, renowned for its artisanal production and its workshops since the end of the 19th century.
The exhibition offers a collection of works large enough to capture this invaluable part of the national
heritage.

Presented chronologically, it offers visitors a retrospective on several periods of history.
From prehistory to contemporary times, from the sugar factories of Chichaoua to the pottery of the
Rif, without forgetting the pottery with green glaze of Tamegroute and the enamelled and
polychrome ceramics of Meknes and Fez, the diversity of ancestral techniques used over the
centuries is in value to remind visitors, from here and elsewhere, of the rich heritage of Morocco.

The course of the museum makes it possible to trace a map of Morocco on the one hand, the objects
found during archaeological excavations and, on the other hand, the artefacts produced in the
Moroccan workshops.

To attract more people, the museum is betting on a modern layout and offers a multimedia space,
fun activities and documentation adapted to the different visitor profiles.
On the heights of the city, overlooking the medina and the ocean, this museum is a place of memory
in tribute to the diversity and authenticity of Moroccan ceramics, rich in various influences that have
shaped its success.

A heritage that it was necessary to preserve to recall the work of the craftsmen who, for centuries,
have modeled History in clay and clay. This place is also dedicated to these great “maâllems”, these
masters who bring out forms and meaning in their hands.
Ceramics is a marker of time that allows us to trace the history of Moroccan civilizations and show
their many facets.

• Hunting and fishing tourism

The Safi region is rich in game. There are hares, quails, snipes, red partridges and wild pigeons. In
winter, teal, ducks and common cranes…

In addition to this potential, there is the Royal Reserve of the Gazelle of Sidi Chiker on 1987 hectares,
with 280 heads.

For fishing enthusiasts, the beach at Cape Beddouza is a top resort and relaxation spot. Fishing for
sea trout, wolf, conger and ray is within the reach of amateurs, given the abundance of marine game.

Safi and its beaches:

The beach of the city of Safi Surf Park of Sidi Bouzid, is characterized by a wave classified as one of
the best in the world.

• Lalla Fatna beach

Located 15 km from Safi, one of the most beautiful beaches in Safi. Dominated by a high cliff, it offers
its visitors the calm and expanse of its beach with long strips of golden sand. This beach, endowed
with a mild climate, remains a tourist area very popular with summer visitors.

• Cape Beddouza Beach

For lovers of fishing, hiking and speleological discoveries, this charming beach halfway between Safi
and Oualidia is a top resort and relaxation spot.

• Ras el-Lafâa (Devil’s Rock)

A world-class surfing point break, its wave ranks among the top ten straights in the world. The
location and the good wind conditions also attract wind and kite surfers. Classified among the “World
Class Waves”, the Safi wave has become an unmissable attraction for world surfing champions.

• Karam Daif Beach

60 km along the coast, south of Oualidia, this is a magnificent, very wide and well-maintained beach
which also offers services to bathers.

• Souira Lakdima Beach (Blue Flag)

Finally, 36 kilometers south of Safi, for lovers of discovery and adventure, you will discover Souira
Lakdima Beach, a summer and holiday resort. Its calm, its expanse and its forest offer opportunities
for hunting, fishing and scuba diving.

Events in Safi:

Safi offers the triple attraction of old Portuguese buildings, a very active port and a living city. It also
offers its visitors a multitude of artistic, cultural and sporting events and events.

• The Sea Festival

Safi has its annual meeting of the sea in May around the theme of the sea and sailors.
For the record, in Safi, the fishing season don’t start until the imperturbable ceremonial of the
festivities organized each year at the Sidi Bouzekri mausoleum during the moussem of the fishermen
sailors.

The season begins with prayers and incantations, the solemn sacrifice of a black goat and the long
trance of the people of the sea, all fervent followers of the brotherhood of the Hmadchas.
Various songs, old and new, is on the program every year.

The Sea Festival is organized between the exhibition hall, the conferences, the gastronomic festival
and the shows on a total area of 4,000 m2 with 100 exhibition stands for 50,000 visitors and
participants.

• The Bladi Safi Caftan Festival

The Caftan Bladi event, organized in March, aims, among other things, to highlight the talent of Safi
craftswomen and to support them financially. It brings together sewing professionals and artists who
give impetus to the promotion of this art in the region.

Human, artistic and cultural encounter. This appointment schedules fashion shows, exhibitions,
sewing workshops, to promote embroidery and weaving in the region.

• Aita Festival

Organized in August by the Ministry of Culture, this event is a meeting place for a public connoisseur
or simply amateur of this musical genre perpetuated in this region.

(Read about Ganwa festival in Essaouira)

Gastronomy and local products

Safi is known for its culinary art and has acquired his stripes at the international level.
It reflects a certain art of living and keeps the specialties of the region, namely: tajine, couscous, fish,
pastries, etc…

• A varied cuisine

The praline fish, the marzipan, the orange salad with black olives, the fondant meringue with
walnuts… Families have been able to perpetuate this culinary delicacy. There are other variants, with
for example caramelized tomatoes (matecha maâssla) and flavored with orange blossom water.
You can also be tempted by a fish stuffed with steamed saffron rice, then mixed with raisins and
crushed almonds.

Mint tea, the national drink, is also served to guests as an accompaniment to Moroccan cakes such as
gazelle horns, ghoriba (shortbread), Massabane (typical Safiot cake)…

At the gastronomic level Safi, like any Moroccan city will enchant you with very rich and varied
dishes, you can taste a Berber couscous, an olive tagine, a fish tagine or other dishes based on argan
oil, of olive oil or amlou.

Safi inherited the gastronomy of Western Andalusia (Spanish West and Portugal), it is part of the
Moroccan-Portuguese heritage to which gastronomy does not escape: Salad of Market Hazina with
argan oil, dishes and fish-based tagines, the famous Safiote cake: Massapan, without forgetting that
Berber cuisine and especially Jewish cuisine have marked this region.

To conclude

Safi and its surroundings have confirmed their rank as a tourist destination in their own right, with
their immense potential, whether in the fields of history, biodiversity or the richness of the
landscapes.

A visit of the city is recommended for tourists eager for a total change of scenery, aspiring to take
advantage of local tourism or the discovery of curiosities. The dazzling of the senses remains the key
word of any stay in the region.

It offers visitors the triple advantage of being both a city with a past
steeped in history, a living and active city thanks to its merchant port and a city renowned at the
artisanal level for its pottery and ceramics.