Carved wooden balconies jutting out over the lanes, fossil coral used as building stone: old Jeddah looks like no other historic centre in the Arab world. The maritime gateway to Mecca since the seventh century, the city has seen generations of pilgrims and merchants pass through, and that mingling still shows on its façades. Ships dock at the Islamic Port, about a dozen kilometres from the city centre; the area is industrial and walking out is not permitted, shuttles and taxis take over instead, in twenty to thirty minutes depending on traffic.

Al-Balad, the Heritage District

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, Al-Balad concentrates the city's identity: tall houses built of coral stone, including the famous Bayt Nassif, and those latticed balconies called roshan, carved as finely as lace, which filtered the sea breeze long before air conditioning existed. It's easy to lose yourself in the narrow lanes, among façade restorers, art galleries set up in old mansions, and cafés serving cardamom-scented qahwa. Near Bab Makkah, the old caravan gate, evening brings a liveliness that has nothing touristy about it: street vendors, families out for a stroll, juice sellers calling out, the neighbourhood lives first and foremost for its own residents, and that's its greatest quality.

The Souks

Around Souk Al-Alawi, stalls overflow with incense, oud, spices, dates, and fabrics. The place has supplied pilgrims for centuries, and that purpose gives it an atmosphere quite different from tourist bazaars: trading here is the real thing. Haggling is part of the exchange, always done courteously, and an offered tea is often worth more than a discount.

The Corniche and the Fountain

The developed waterfront stretches for some thirty kilometres: promenades, families settled in for the evening cool, and outdoor sculptures, some signed by major names in modern art, an open-air museum the city set up as early as the 1970s. Al-Rahma Mosque, raised on stilts above the water, seems to float at high tide; further south, the King Fahd Fountain shoots its jet several hundred metres into the air, one of the tallest in the world, visible from almost everywhere once night falls. The contrast sums up the city: on one side, sixteenth-century lanes; on the other, this plume of illuminated seawater offshore.

Flavours of the Red Sea

Jeddah eats to the rhythm of its port: grilled fish picked straight from the display, sayadiyah rice, shrimp with black lime. Waterfront restaurants and the small canteens of Al-Balad alike serve generous spreads at reasonable prices; those with a sweet tooth should finish with a plate of luqaimat, crispy dumplings drizzled with date syrup.

Good to Know

• Clothing covering shoulders and knees is expected of everyone; the abaya is no longer required of women visitors.
• The heat calls for visiting early in the morning or late in the day, water bottle in hand.
• Access to Mecca remains reserved for Muslims; the stop is fully enjoyed within Jeddah itself.
• On Fridays, souks and museums mostly open in the afternoon.

Heading back to the ship, one image often lingers: those weathered wooden balconies that have watched over the lanes for centuries, while glass towers rise on the horizon. Jeddah lives exactly in that in-between, and it's there, somewhere between the incense and the salt air, that the stop leaves its mark.