Ceuta

Ceuta (Arabic: سبتة (Sabtah), Berber: Sebta) is one of two Spanish exclaves in North Africa (the other one being Melilla). The territory had several rulers before the Portuguese in 1415 took control of this city east of Tangier. Since 1580 it has been under Spanish administration, but has the status of an autonomous city.

Understand
Ceuta and Melilla were in the spotlight in 2005 because hundreds of people were trying to climb over the border fences. As a part of Spain, Ceuta is a safe haven for Africans and a prime target for migrants. Today the border is heavily protected by the Guardia Civil. The European Union invested a lot of money to make illegal immigration more difficult.

Tourist information

 * Ceuta Tourism website

By sea
Ceuta is almost directly south of the autonomous city of Gibraltar, and is easily accessible from mainland Spain (from Algeciras) by high speed ferries. There are three companies operating the line: Balearia, FRS and Trasmediterranea with a total of over ten departures per day. Tickets for "pedestrians" cost €30-35 (as of Jun 2023) for a one- to one-and-a-half-hour trip. There are discounts for Ceuta residents and surcharges for bringing a car, motorcycle, or bicycle.

Cruise ships visit, but only very occasionally and usually dock within a few blocks of the easily-walked town.

By road
By land, Ceuta is only accessible from Morocco. It is much easier to go to Ceuta from Tetouán rather than from Tangier, as most buses from Tangier go through Tetouan anyway before heading north to Fnideq.

From Tetouan get a grand taxi near the CTM station to the town closest to Ceuta - Fnideq, 15 dirham, 40 km, 1 hr; or catch a busy Tetouan's city bus #8, departures are every 15-30 min, sometimes up to 60 min. From Fnideq take a grand taxi to the border (5 dirham).

From Tangier's bus station there are a half dozen direct buses to Fnideq (operated by Tingis Transport company), otherwise you'll have to make a detour via Tetouan.

Crossing the border
You will need a passport to cross in either direction and official ID to book passage between mainland Spain and Ceuta. Rules for immigration are the same as for Spain. Ferry ticket salesmen have been known to sell tickets without requiring the proper identification, but security at the port going from Ceuta back to Algeciras can be much more strict. Spanish citizens and EU nationals (if their state issues them) need only their national ID cards, or DNI, but non-EU citizens will require their passports to return. Just because you are not leaving the country of Spain doesn't mean you shouldn't carry your passport.

The increased border security may result in minor waiting time. This could be longer if you travel in summer when the main holiday season in Spain and France starts and lots of families return to their homes in Morocco. There seem to be separate queues for Moroccans and foreigners at many border crossings, ports, and security checks. If you find yourself stuck in an extremely slow moving queue and do not look Moroccan, try getting noticed by an officer. You may be ushered past the queue and processed very quickly.

If you are travelling by bus or taxi, you may consider taking an infrequent bus from the border to the city walls or even a little further downtown, €0.85. Line #7 terminates at the border. You can however, also walk along the busy coastal road for slightly more than 2 km and enjoy the views.

By plane
Unlike Melilla, Ceuta does not have an airport on Spanish territory. The closest airport is in Tetouan, Morocco (which naturally involves entering Morocco and crossing the border). A wider selection of flights is available from Tangier's airport.

However, Ceuta has a heliport where Helity Copter Airlines operates 5 daily flights to Malaga, 30 min, €190 and 5 flights to Algeciras, 10 min, €90 (prices as of Jan 2023).

Get around
Ceuta is a tiny city. Best way around is by bike or on foot. The area near the waterfront and shopping area is nicely landscaped and attractive considering the heavy traffic supported.

There are taxis available. Make sure they use the meter or negotiate a price before you get in.

In addition to the standard taxi rates, they also offer a set 'recorrido turistico' (taxi tour) that lasts between 1 and 2 hours for a fixed fee of €38.40 (per car up to 4 passengers), which is displayed on the rate card stuck to the dashboard. It covers a loop around the whole of Ceuta.

There is a decent bus service run by Autobuses Hadu Almadraba S. L. with modern and spacious buses running around the city with stops at the border with Morocco (look for a bus marked "Frontera"). All bus lines leave from "Plaza de la Constitución".

Talk
As Ceuta is part of Spain, Spanish is the official language and is spoken by the majority of the population. Arabic is spoken by the Moroccan minority.

See
The area hosts a few churches, and fortifications for those interested in Euro-African history and governmental relations. The centre and waterfront are remarkably clean and attractive with safe walking, and feature many stores and cafés.

Do
There are lovely beaches and desert areas to explore.

Buy
Ceuta is no longer a free port. The city was a free port before Spain joined the European Union in 1986; now it has a low-tax system. You will see that the economy of this city focuses on people transiting to/from Morocco and one-day shopping tourists. Offerings range from footpath hawkers and kiosks, to modest stores (with goods you'd expect from the types of visitors noted above), to fine jewellers and an El Corte Ingles department store.

Eat
In the city, there are two main types of cuisine: Moroccan and seafood, both of which can be found in many restaurants.

Moroccan cuisine includes many spices, herbs and combines sweet with salty. Specialities include couscous, tajines with raisons and almonds, and small pastries

Offerings range from pavement cafés and a drive-in McDonalds to a few fine restaurants.

Budget
All these are in the city centre:



Drink
Ceuta is a great city to go out. There are several pubs and clubs and a great tapas route.

Go next

 * Algeciras (Cádiz) in Spain
 * Melilla — the second Spanish exclave on the northern coast of Morocco
 * Tetouan in Morocco