Souira Kedima — Safi's Wide, Quiet Beach

Souira Kedima — sometimes written Souira Qdima, meaning 'the old fortress' — is the main beach south of the port city of Safi. Where Safi's own shoreline is industrial and working, Souira Kedima is open and uncommercial: a long, flat, golden strand that runs for kilometres, backed by low dunes and the crumbling walls of an old kasbah. It has been a summer escape for Safi and Marrakech families for generations, busy on July and August weekends and near-empty for much of the rest of the year.

This is a beach for space and simplicity rather than facilities. There is a small village with seasonal cafés, a few guesthouses and holiday homes, but no resort infrastructure and little to do beyond the sand, the ruins and the sea. That makes it an easy, low-key day out — combine it with Safi's medina and pottery quarter, or with the fishing cove at Cap Tafelney to the south — but it also means arriving self-sufficient, with cash and a plan for lunch.

The beach's landmark is the ruined kasbah known locally as Dar Sultan, a fortified structure that stands directly on the sand at the northern end of the bay. It dates from the era when this stretch of coast was a minor fortified port, later reinforced under the Alaouite sultans in the 18th century to guard the anchorage and the trade that passed through it. Today it is a roofless shell of thick tabby-and-stone walls, weathered by salt wind and slowly losing ground to the sea, but atmospheric — especially in the low light of late afternoon.

There is no ticket office, no guide and no formal upkeep, so treat it as an unguarded ruin: enjoy the walls and the views, but watch your footing on loose stone and keep children away from crumbling edges and any drop. The kasbah is the obvious focal point for photographs, framing the wide beach and the Atlantic beyond, and a short walk out to it is the natural first thing to do on arrival.

The usual approach is from Safi, 30 km north, via the coast road — a straightforward 35–40 minute drive. From Marrakech, Souira Kedima is around 180 km and 2h30–3h by car, most often reached by driving to Safi first and turning south, or via Chichaoua and the inland roads. There is no beach railway; Safi's train station connects the city to the national network, but the final leg to the coast is by road.

Without your own car, the practical route is to reach Safi by train or bus, then take a grand taxi south to Souira Kedima. Shared grand taxis run this route in summer and at weekends but thin out off-season, so you may need to charter one and, importantly, arrange your return — taxis waiting at the beach are not guaranteed outside peak times. Fix all fares before departing. For getting oriented in Safi itself, our guide to things to do in Safi covers the medina, the Colline des Potiers and the port.

Souira Kedima's wide, gently shelving beach is one of the calmer swimming spots on this part of the coast, which is why families favour it, but 'calmer' is relative on the open Atlantic. The shallow gradient means the tide moves a long way in and out, and that same shape can generate strong sideways drift and rip currents, particularly on a dropping tide and when the swell is up. There is no year-round lifeguard cover; seasonal patrols may operate on the busiest summer days, but you should never count on them.

The safe approach is to read the water before you get in. Bathe around low, slack tide when the sea is settled, keep well within your depth, and watch for the tell-tale signs of a rip: a channel of choppier, sand-stained water cutting out through the breakers. If you are pulled offshore, do not try to swim straight back against it — swim parallel to the beach until you are clear of the current, then angle in. Children should paddle at the water's edge under close watch rather than swim out, and everyone should get out if the sea is churning or discoloured.

The wide, firm low-tide sand is made for walking and riding, and camels — sometimes horses — are led along the beach in summer, especially in the late afternoon. A short amble on a camel with the kasbah and the Atlantic as a backdrop is the classic Souira Kedima photo, and the flat, hard-packed surface makes it an easy, gentle outing that even nervous first-timers manage. Rides are informal and seasonal; there are no fixed prices, so agree the length of the ride and the fare before you climb on.

As with any animal experience, a moment's judgement goes a long way: choose animals that look well-fed and rested, avoid the hottest hours of the day for their sake, and keep outings short. Beyond riding, the beach rewards simple pleasures — a long walk out toward the dunes, beachcombing at low tide, and watching the local fishing skiffs work the surf line. It is the kind of place where the day is set by the tide rather than a timetable.

About 20 km south, the road reaches Cap Tafelney, a small fishing cove that makes the ideal half-day pairing with Souira Kedima. Here a fleet of blue wooden boats is drawn up in a naturally sheltered bay beneath low cliffs, and the scene — nets drying, fishermen sorting the catch, gulls wheeling — is one of the most photogenic on this coast. There is little in the way of facilities, just a rough track down and the working reality of a fishing community, so it is a place to look, walk and perhaps buy fish rather than to sunbathe.

The wider coast between Safi and the mouth of the Oued Tensift is a landscape of low cliffs, wide beaches and small fishing settlements, thinly visited and best explored with your own vehicle and no fixed schedule. For food after a day on the sand, the honest, unpretentious seafood restaurants of Safi are the obvious stop back in the city, where the day's catch is grilled simply and well near the port.

Accommodation at Souira Kedima is small-scale and seasonal: a handful of guesthouses and holiday rentals in and around the village, busiest in summer and over Moroccan holidays and quiet the rest of the year. Many visitors treat the beach as a day trip from Safi, where there is a wider choice of hotels, and drive down for the day. If you do stay, book ahead in July and August and check what meals and services the guesthouse provides, as options in the village are limited outside peak season.

Come prepared to be self-sufficient. Bring cash, since there is no reliable ATM and cards are rarely accepted; strong sun protection and a windproof layer for the afternoon breeze; and a wetsuit if you plan to swim properly in the cool water. Water shoes help on the rockier patches, and if you are self-catering it is worth stocking up in Safi. For a broader sense of whether this cool, breezy Atlantic coast suits your trip, compare it with the warmer Mediterranean in our guide to Morocco's Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.