Why Spain? » Melilla

Located on the south-eastern coast of the Peninsula de Tres Forcas, Melilla is regarded as the gateway of Africa. A lively, colourful city, where Christians, Muslims, Jews and Hindus live in peace and harmony, it is a place of astonishing contrasts. The link between two continents for over 500 years, Melilla is a MICE destination that is both little known and exotic, offering business tourists many advantages.

With good air and sea links with the Peninsula – there are daily flights between Melilla and Malaga, Madrid, Almeria, Granada and Barcelona, and a ferry service with six sailings a week to the ports of Malaga and Almeria – Melilla is well-equipped for medium-sized meetings and events, with a good selection of three- and four- star hotels, some with function rooms, and a modern congress centre suitable for holding all types of events.

From the charm of the old city – the Gate and Chapel of Santiago (the only Gothic church in Africa), the Church of the Conception, the Hospital del Rey now an original exhibition centre… – to colourful exuberance of its Modernist and Art Deco architecture, featuring the Palacio de la Asamblea, Melilla is full of surprises.

Among other attractions, the city's beaches, cuisine, a fusion of Mediterranean cooking with the flavours of its cultural mestization, festivals, and nightlife deserve a special mention. Likewise, Melilla is an amazing place for shopping, not only due to its cultural diversity, but also because of its prices, which are significantly lower than those of the Peninsula owing its free port status.

In addition to the leisure opportunities available in the city, featuring water sports, Melilla is the ideal starting point for a broad range of tours. Whether the trip is to the paradisiacal beaches of the Cape of Tres Forcas and Kelaya for scuba diving or fishing, or in 4x4 to the majestic Rif Mountains or the oases of Figuig or Tafilat, on the threshold of the Sahara, it is bound to be an adventure.