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We are investigating a 3 day trip, 2 nights, to Melilla. Provisional dates: 24 – 26 Feb 2026
Magic Melilla – a Spanish City in North Africa
The tiny Spanish enclave of Melilla, 12 square km, lies on the northern shores of Morocco’s Mediterranean coast, located between two continents, facing Andalucía and the Mediterranean. In 1497 Melilla became Spanish. Different cultures meet in Melilla giving it an exoticism that makes it different from other Spanish cities. About 50% of the inhabitants are muslim. For centuries different cultures conquered Melilla and left their footsteps, The Phoenicians, the Romans, the Arabs, the Portuguese, the Spanish. It shares a very large part of its history with Spain, especially with Al Andalus where the south of Spain and North Morocco was one country under one ruler. It is home to four cultures, Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu that are said to all live peacefully together. It also played an important role in the civil war as Franco left with his African army from Melilla to the mainland.
We will visit Melilla la Vieja with its fortress, its tunnels, its archaeological museum and ethnic museum which focusses on the Jewish, Gypsy and Berber Cultures and its enormous aljibes (water deposits).
Another interesting walking tour is along the many splendid Art Nouveau buildings in the town built by a pupil of Gaudi, Nieto. Melilla has the greatest collection of Modernist (Art Nouveau) buildings apart from Barcelona.
And yet another tour will be the 4 temples, all in one street: the Church, the Synagogue, the Hindu temple and the Mosque.
Melilla is also a free haven, with no VAT, so a shopping paradise. There will be free time to go shopping.
If you are interested, please let us know via this form before 1 September.
