Safi

Safi is a port city on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Ksar El Bahr, a 16th-century fortress built by Portuguese colonizers, is on the waterfront. In the old town, food and craft stalls line the Rue du Souq. Nearby, the National Museum of Ceramics is in another Portuguese-built fort. The centerpiece of the collection is decorated local pottery, created in workshops in the hillside Colline des Potiers quarter.

The stretch of coastline here is known for its beaches. Lalla Fatna Beach, just north of the city, is sheltered by a cliff. It’s popular for swimming and fishing. Farther north is the wide beach at Cap Beddouza. On the headland, the unusual early-20th-century lighthouse is surrounded by fortress-like walls. Nearby, the Gorani cave features Neolithic rock paintings. The small resort of Oualidia has a sandy beach framing a crescent-shaped lagoon. It’s overlooked by a ruined 17th-century casbah. The lagoon attracts many bird species, including migrating flamingos and black-winged stilts.