SPAIN is usually just a short flight from the UK, but there’s one city further afield and is actually closer to Morocco than the Spanish mainland.
The small coastal city has plenty of historical sites, beaches and a mythically-inspired building.
The city is called Ceuta, and doesn’t tend attract Brits, instead visitors tend to be Spanish and Moroccan thanks to where it sits in North Africa.
But there’s plenty to see, including one popular attraction called House of the Dragons, aka Casa de los Dragones, which sits on the corner of Kings Square.
Construction on the building started in 1897 and was completed in 1905, it got its name thanks to the four bronze dragon statues on the roof.
The original dragons were removed in 1925 and lost, but four new dragons were later added in 2006, these are made of resin and fiberglass – they weigh less than 200kg each.
One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: “Stunning architecture and well kept with dragons on the roof……… Straight out of Game of Thrones or Harry Potter!!!”.
There’s a similar building in the town of Valencia, which is called the Building of the Dragons.
The Valencia house incorporates dragons too, but more subtly.
Despite its proximity to Morocco, the official currency in Ceuta is the Euro, as it’s a Spanish city.
Visitors can expect to pay about €2.50 to €3 (£2.62) for a local beer and around €15 (£13.08) per person for a “menu del día” – which is a set Spanish menu.
Ceuta has beaches like Playa del Chorrillo, which is close to the Strait of Gibraltar and has pretty scenic views.
The city has cobbled streets, historic buildings, and cultural landmarks like Royal Walls of Ceuta, also called Murallas Reales de Ceuta, a historic fort dating back to 962 AD.
Another popular site is the Ceuta Cathedral, a yellow-and-white cathedral overlooking Plaza de África.
As Ceuta is in North Africa, it’s convenient to explore Morocco too.
About an hour away by car is the seaside city of Tangier city is at the very tip of Morocco and on a clear day, you can even see Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Tangier has been a major trade centre for thousands of years thanks to its location and busy port.
Visitors can learn about its interesting history with a guided tour, and wander through Kasbah, the walled part of the city full of tiny streets and alleys.
Kasbah has been used for Hollywood movies including James Bond and the Bourne film series.
For more on a trip to Morocco, check out the other cities with souks and where to find golden beaches.
For Brits, the best way to visit Ceuta is to fly to a Spanish mainland airport like Malaga or Algeciras, then take a car or bus to Algeciras port, and finally a ferry to Ceuta.
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