Top things to do in Melilla — idealista/news

This city on the North African coast has been getting attention lately, thanks to recently being voted the most underrated city in Spain. If you’re plotting things to do in Melilla, picture a compact seaside hub where modernist facades meet a walled old town and sandy beaches. It’s Spanish in character with a strong Amazigh influence, so tapas bars sit alongside tea houses and spice‑laden bakeries.

Is Melilla worth visiting? What to know before you go

If you like compact cities where you can pair beach time with architecture, Melilla lands well. The city boasts a distinct cultural mix and a slower rhythm than mainland hubs. 

The local language is Spanish, with Tamazight heard in daily life, and people switch to English when needed, especially in hospitality. Spring and autumn bring warm, walkable days, while summer is hotter with breezy evenings by the sea. Around public holidays and Ramadan, some opening hours shift, so it helps to plan museum and market visits for mornings. 

Top things to do in Melilla

Melilla’s centre is easy to read on foot. Plaza de España anchors the new town, Melilla la Vieja rises over the port on the western edge, and the beaches unfurl east towards Playa de San Lorenzo.

Melilla la Vieja and the Conventico Caves

The old fortress town feels like a layered open‑air museum, with bastions, tunnels and terraces that look onto the Mediterranean. Start at the ramparts, then drop into small museums tucked inside the walls. The Conventico Caves run beneath the fortifications and add a proper sense of the place as a coastal stronghold.

Modernist architecture in Melilla: the Enrique Nieto trail

Modernisme in Melilla is a surprise. Enrique Nieto, a Gaudí disciple, left a dense cluster of distinctive buildings around Plaza de España and Avenida Juan Carlos I. Look for floral ironwork, curved balconies and colourful tilework, and pop into public interiors when open. A simple loop around the plaza and adjacent streets takes an hour or two at an easy pace. 

Markets, tapas and tea houses

Melilla’s food story plays out in the Central Market and the surrounding streets. Mornings bring fresh fruit, veg and pastries, then the tapas bars wake up late afternoon. In the Rastro area, you can browse textiles, spices and household bits. Stalls often prefer cash for small purchases, while cafés and restaurants take cards without fuss.

Beaches and waterfront: San Lorenzo, promenade and viewpoints

The city beaches are sandy and sheltered, with San Lorenzo the classic choice for a swim and a laze. Facilities shift with the season, but you’ll find lifeguards and kiosks in summer, and a calm promenade for runs or evening strolls year‑round.
The marina is made for a sunset amble, and the coastal viewpoints towards Horcas Coloradas reward you with big skies on clear days. Check the flags for swimming, watch for windy afternoons, and in peak summer, keep an eye on jellyfish alerts posted locally.

Museums and cultural stops

The small museums dotted around the centre and Melilla la Vieja cover military history, archaeology and local culture. They’re bite‑sized, which makes it easy to fit two or three into a day without losing the thread of the city. Entry fees are modest, and there are occasional free days. 

Parks and plazas: Parque Hernández and Plaza de España

Hernández gives shade, fountains and a proper breather when the sun is high. It’s a local favourite for families and a handy place to cool off between sights.

Plaza de España is the showcase for Nieto’s work and a good spot to get your bearings. The surrounding cafés do dependable coffees and light bites, and several have stable Wi‑Fi if you need to check ferries or flights.

Where to eat in Melilla: restaurants, cafés and local flavours

Eating here is both Spanish and Amazigh at once, which means grilled fish sits comfortably next to couscous and pastela. Prices are gentle compared with mainland city breaks. A coffee is usually €1.50–2.20, a small beer is €2–3, and a simple lunch of grilled fish or a tagine with bread comes in around €15–18.

Seafood and pinchos around the centre

Around the port and the streets off Plaza de España, you’ll find places doing platters of fried fish, grilled sardines and the usual tortillas and montaditos. Early evening starts slow and peaks late. If you prefer a quieter meal, slide in before the rush or go after nine when things settle.

Amazigh and Moroccan cuisine

The North African side of Melilla shines in family‑run kitchens and tea rooms. Couscous on Fridays is a local habit, tagines simmer all week, and pastela brings that sweet-savoury crunch with almonds and cinnamon. Mint tea arrives frothy in tall glasses, with trays of pastries that disappear fast if you share.
Tea houses are relaxed, and many spots are cash‑friendly, so keep a few small notes handy.

Sweets, bakeries and coffee stops

Try honey‑slicked North African sweets alongside Spanish classics, then reset with an espresso at a corner bar before your next wander. Keep an eye out for freshly fried sfenj (ring doughnuts dusted with sugar) and trays of sesame‑seeded chebakia or almond‑filled kaab el ghzal. Plus, in the afternoon, some cafés serve warm baghrir pancakes with butter and honey.

Where to stay in Melilla: best areas for first-time visitors

Melilla is small enough that you can pick an area for your mood rather than proximity alone. Safety feels comparable to smaller Spanish cities. Normal street sense helps at night and around the port, and photography near border infrastructure is not wise. Accommodation skews to small hotels, guesthouses and serviced flats, with summer prices a notch higher than shoulder seasons.

Stay near Plaza de España for architecture and dining

Nights here are lively without being rowdy, and you’ll never be far from a bar or café for a late bite. Light sleepers might ask for interior rooms away from busy corners, as traffic circulates the plaza and main avenues.

Base by Playa de San Lorenzo for easy beach days

Staying by San Lorenzo offers a softer pace, with sea views and quick access to sand, showers and summer lifeguards. Families like the straightforward beach logistics, and solo travellers get the comfort of being close to well‑lit waterfront paths in the evening.

Sleep in Melilla la Vieja for history and views

If you’re happy to trade a lift for a staircase, the old town rewards you with stone walls, quiet lanes and sea views. Dawn and dusk are particularly good here when the stone glows, and the wind drops.