Photos by David Paul Appell unless otherwise noted
Both my husband and I have always had something of a fascination for oddities of geography, and so Spain´s two cities of Ceuta and Melilla, on the coast of North Africa, had been forever on my bucket list. Since moving to Spain, we ticked Melilla off that list three years ago, and this past spring we finally made it to sister city Ceuta for a two-night visit. Perched on a narrow peninsula where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, this territory of just 18.5 square kilometers (seven sq. miles) and around 84,000 residents packs a surprising amount of history, architecture, and Spanish-Moroccan cultural fusion into a footprint smaller than some neighborhoods of larger cities.
And now of course Ceuta is all over the world headlines thanks to the overnight migration crisis manufactured by Morocco (with the apparent help of Israel, the United States, and possibly Russia), in which on July 30th Moroccan border guards let some 80,000 people – mostly young men – mostly swam into Ceuta spurred by social media lies that the border was “open.” Within a couple of days, 70,000 had voluntarily returned, but more than 100 died in the crossing, and Spain (and the rest of Europe) are still dealing with the sometimes chaotic aftermath – repercussions political as well as humanitarian (caring for thousands of remaining migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan countries and including more than a thousand children, who remain in Ceuta even as you read this). Marches have been held all over Spain rallying for Ceuta, and the parties of the right (as well as neo-Nazis) have been weaponizing the crisis against the current Socialist government in Madrid.
Ceuta's story stretches back to the Carthaginians, who first settled the site more than two millennia ago. It later passed through the hands of the Romans (who named their settlement Septum Fratres, "seven brothers," for the hills surrounding it, shortened to Septum and eventually evolving into Ceuta), followed by the Byzantines, Visigoths, and various Arab and Berber powers. Then Portugal seized the territory in 1415, and 253 years later ceded it to Spain — a transfer of sovereignty that Spain has deepened by completely incorporating the cities into itself as autonomous communities (as opposed to a case like Gibraltar, which is still an “overseas territory” of Britain). Morocco has claimed sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla for generations, and as in this instance, has periodically used migration as a pressure tactic – though never before to this extent.
In any case, we found it to be a fascinating albeit mostly rather sleepy place. Fascinating in that it´s a dead ringer for a number of Andalusian cities, with most of its architecture dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries – with the notable exception of handful of pre-Portuguese remnants as well as the early fortifications built by the Portuguese and later the Spanish beginning in the 16th century (top). Also in that while in many Andalusian (and other Spanish) cities, you´ll see Muslims — women in hijabs, for example — here they´re everywhere; some counts put them at nearly half the population. And they feel just as Spanish as anyone else in Spain, and have no desire to be ruled by Morocco.
The main drag is Calle Camoens, which begins at Plaza de África (above), the modest square home to the city also modest cathedral, the 18th-century Santa María de la Asuncón, another 18th-century church, the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de África, the early-20th-century Palacio de la Asamblea/Palacio Autonómico (site of the autonomous government), and the city´s parador (one of a national network of public-private inns, many in historic buildings), called La Muralla, partly built into the old city wall but not particularly historic looking.
Farther up Camoens, one of the main landmarks is the Casa del Dragón (House of the Dragon), the name of which predates the eponymous Game of Thrones prequel by nearly 120 years. Finished in 1905 for local businessmen (and brothers) Francisco and Ricardo Cerni González — Francisco was Ceuta's mayor at the time — and designed by Valencian architect José María Cortina Pérez, it takes its name from the bronze dragons that once crowned its roofline; removed for safekeeping in the 1920s–30s and lost for decades, they were finally replaced in 2006 with lighter resin-and-fiberglass replicas that restored the building's fantastical silhouette (the interior isn´t open to casual visitors, by the way).
Another fascinating stop, along a side street, was the Museo de la Basílica Tardorromana, built underground around the remains of a late Roman-era Christian basilica dating from the late 4th or early 5th century CE, discovered in 1987 during street work — a rare surviving trace of early Christianity in this corner of North Africa. But the exhibits here sweep from prehistory (including references to nearby caves dated some 70,000 years old, and Neolithic house remains found near the Cathedral dating to around 7000 BCE), through the Phoenician-Punic period, the Roman era (with a strong focus on the region's garum/fish-salting industry, plus a marble Roman sarcophagus), and into the medieval period, ending with the Portuguese conquest of 1415.
Below the Plaza de África, we also wandered the premises as well as took a boat trip through the canal of the aforementioned fortifications, known as the Murallas Reales (Royal Walls), considered one of the best-preserved defensive complexes on either side of the Strait of Gibraltar. There´s really nothing in the way of exhibitions here, but it´s hard not to be impressed by its sheer massiveness.
Down near the waterfront, on Plaza de la Constitución we checked out one of the iconic, 23-foot-tall Pillars of Hercules statues (above the other one is in front of the ferry terminal), installed in the early 2006 and alluding to the myth of the Greek demigod who as part of his Twelve Labors supposedly created the Strait of Gibraltar.
Parque Marítimo del Mediterráneo
A bit farther along, we also had a peek at the Parque Marítimo del Mediterráneo, a striking saltwater lagoon and lido complex built into the rocky shoreline, blending public pool, garden, sculpture park, and casino designed in part by the famed Canarian architect and environmentalist César Manrique. Being out of season, it was drained and deserted, but we could certainly see the appeal and imagine it in full summer swing.
And another interesting little stop near the waterfront is the Baños Árabes (Arab Baths), a medium-size brick bathhouse in use during the 11th to 14th centuries. Discovered during street work, it was excavated in 2004 and is a rare remnant of Ceuta´s Islamic past.
Then on our last morning we took a taxi up to the overlook of 669-foot-high Monte Hacho to take in sweeping vistas over both the Mediterranean and Atlantic, as well of course at most of the territory of Ceuta itself (above), a sight which brings home how small it all is.
And a note about dining: it tends toward standard Spanish fare (which, don´t get me wrong, is delicious), with tapas predominating. We were here for my birthday, and I wanted to celebrate in a Moroccan restaurant, but there seem to be strangely few! We ended up at an excellent choice, however, up on Monte Hacho: Restaurante Oasis, impeccably decked out in Maghrebi decor and with a deliciously authentic Maghrebi menu.
In the meantime, lodging is modest in scale and mostly mid-range — a handful of business-oriented hotels near the port and city center, along with smaller guesthouses and short-term rental options — reflecting Ceuta's role as more of a day-trip or short-stay destination than a resort town. The aforementioned Parador La Muralla is a good choice, as is the place we stayed right in the middle of Calle Camoens: the bemusingly named Oh Nice! Ulises Ceuta.
Finally, you get here via fancy ferry from the Andalusian city of Algeciras (a two-hour drive from Seville and an hour 40 minutes from Málaga), and the crossing takes about an hour; three companies operate service multiple times a day: Baleària, DFDS, and Armas Trasmediterránea.
More info in English: TurismoCeuta.com.
Comments
There are many far more impressive destinations in Spain, of course, but the socio-historical context of Ceuta, like Melilla, is what makes it interesting. Actually, I think all Spaniards should experience a visit here - expecially in light of the events of the past ten days - to learn about history and the realities of peaceful cohabitation between different communities.