Ceuta is one of the Spanish cities located on the North African coast. It was the Phoenicians who settled the strategically well-located peninsula that makes up Ceuta today. Later, the coastline became part of the Roman Empire, and then it was under changing dominions that the city developed into one of North Africa’s most important trade cities. In 1415 King João I of Portugal launched what became the Battle of Ceuta. The conquest of Ceuta lasted only one day and after that the city was Portuguese. Ceuta’s new flag was raised, and it was and still is a variant of the flag of Lisbon. Portugal developed the city, which became part of the Iberian Union with Spain 1580-1640. During that time, many Spaniards moved to Ceuta, which came on Spain’s side as the only Portuguese city. Officially, Ceuta became Spanish in 1668, which it has been ever since.

Today, the city of Ceuta is located on an Almina, which is a peninsula that is east from the rest of the Spanish territory, which is approximately 18.5 square kilometers in total. The cozy old town lies behind large fortifications on the peninsula, and Plaza de los Reyes is the central square. In the square you can see the church Iglesia de San Francisco, which was built in Baroque style in the years 1712-1723 by Franciscans.

Opposite the church you can see the Dragon House, Casa de los Dragones, which was completed in eclectic architecture in 1905. Further west, in Plaza de África, you can visit Ceuta’s cathedral, Catedral de Santa María de la Asunción, built from 1686 and consecrated in 1726. In the cathedral you can see beautiful chapels, frescoes and the main altar, and in connection with the church you can visit the bishop’s seat museum. To the north of the cathedral you go to another beautiful church, the Iglesia de Santa María de África, consecrated in 1752.

Over time, many fortress walls have been built to protect the strategically important city of Ceuta. The largest structures are the so-called royal walls, Murallas Reales, which were erected from 962 to the 18th century. They are close to the city’s cathedral and protect the constructed moat that crosses the original peninsula with Ceuta’s old town. You can walk along the walls and see the bastions, moat and other parts of the impressive structure. To the west are Ceuta’s other walls. It is the Murallas Merínidas, which can be seen along the street Calle Rampa Pedro Mata. Here is the city gate Puerta de Fez and a preserved piece of the old walls, which were built at the beginning of the 14th century by the Merinid dynasty.

There are many other interesting buildings and monuments in Ceuta. The Monumento del Llano Amarillo was inaugurated in Spanish Morocco in 1940 and moved to Ceuta in 1962. The monument commemorates Francisco Franco’s victory in the Spanish Civil War. There are also several museums in Ceuta, such as the Museo de Ceuta, which exhibits archaeological finds from the region around the Strait of Gibraltar and organizes changing exhibitions. The Sala-museo de la Legión is another museum, and here you can learn more about the Spanish Legion, which was established as an elite unit in 1920. You can also enjoy the nature on the outermost part of the Almina peninsula, which lies as a large natural area with wonderful views to parts of the city, the sea and to Europe. Here you can also see the Faro de Punta Almina lighthouse, which lit up for the first time in 1855.