A scent of damp clay and grilled sardines hangs over the quays: welcome to Safi, Morocco's leading sardine port and its ceramics capital. There's no polished waterfront or signposted route here. The city works, fishes, shapes and fires clay as it has for centuries, and that's exactly what makes the day interesting. Ships dock in the very heart of the city, about a kilometre and a half from the medina: fifteen to twenty minutes of walking on flat ground is all it takes to dive into the Morocco of workshops and markets.

Dar el Bahar, sentinel of the ocean

The first landmark as you leave the port is the Dar el Bahar fortress, the "castle of the sea," which has stood guard over the shore since the 16th century. Built by the Portuguese during their brief stay, it has kept its bronze cannons trained on the Atlantic. From the top of its ramparts, the view takes in the fishermen's colourful boats, the swell crashing against the rocks and the white rooftops of the old town.

The medina and the unfinished cathedral

Just behind, the old town climbs gently up the hillside, encircled by ochre walls. You move between spice stalls, pottery sellers and tailors' workshops, in an atmosphere that has remained entirely local. Around the bend of a lane hides a singular relic: the chapel of a cathedral begun by the Portuguese around 1519 and never completed, whose Manueline vaults come as a surprise among the Moroccan houses. Higher up, the Kechla, a massive citadel, dominates the whole with its square towers.

Potters' Hill

This is the highlight of the port call. On the hill facing the medina, dozens of workshops carry on a ceramics tradition passed from master to apprentice for generations. You watch the throwers raise a bowl in a few movements, the painters trace freehand the blue motifs that made Safi's reputation, the wood-fired kilns puffing out smoke. The artisans gladly welcome the curious and explain the firing, the glaze, the pigments. Leaving with a tagine or a blue platter bought at the source means taking home a piece of the country.

The sardine port

Before heading back on board, one last detour is a must: the fishing port. Trawlers unload tonnes of sardines there every day, weighed, sorted and shipped amid a joyful racket. A few neighbouring eateries serve them simply grilled, with bread and a squeeze of lemon. The old-timers say it was long the world's leading sardine landing, and the quantities unloaded every morning make the claim believable. It's hard to eat fresher, or more local.

And Marrakesh?

Some cruise lines present Safi as a gateway to Marrakesh. The Red City lies about 150 kilometres inland, nearly two and a half hours by road each way: the round trip can be done, but it takes up most of the day. Those who choose to stay will discover an unvarnished city where everything can be done on foot.

Distances from the pier

As you climb back up the gangway, a little clay dust lingers on your fingers and, in your memory, the deep blue of the workshops. Safi has prepared nothing for visitors, and that's its strength: it has simply carried on living. Those who love authentic port calls, where you shake hands rather than follow a raised umbrella, will be talking about it over dinner for a long time.