Crossing into Morocco – From Ceuta to Melilla
Leaving behind the fortified walls and Spanish signage of Ceuta, we set off on one of the more unusual overland journeys in the world: a drive through Morocco to get from one Spanish exclave and city-state to another: Melilla.
The plan was simple enough. Reda, a highly reputable local Moroccan fixer, had arranged for his driver Mostafa to meet us directly at our hotel in Ceuta. But as anyone who’s traveled in this part of the world might guess: plans have a way of expected surprises; you’re just not sure what it would look like.
We were supposed to be picked up by 9am outside our hotel, but by 10:30am it became clear that Mostafa was getting stuck in a bureaucratic tangle of border paperwork, and our pickup would ultimately be delayed by about 4 hours.
So we made the most of it: A snack stop turned into lunch, and we squeezed in a quick 3-taxi round trip smash and grab mission to check out the Murallas Meriníes, a historic wall on the edge of town.
Eventually, Reda himself drove up an hour and a half from Tangiers on his day off to speed things along.
Once Mostafa finally got through into Ceuta and arrived at our hotel 10 minutes from the border, we loaded into the minibus just past 1pm. Given how familiar they were with the border formalities, we were still optimistic the rest of the journey would go smoothly.
Crossing the Border
Exiting Ceuta was easy enough: we waited a bit in traffic, eventually got stamped out of Spain in one building, drove a minute down the road, and queued up to get into Morocco at the next.
Getting our passports processed into Morocco took a bit longer; other than asking about our jobs before stamping us in, they berated the driver and Mostafa over not having “paperwork” for a group this large, but I’m sure this was an arbitrary way to slow things down because of the nature of bureaucracy at these kind of stops.
The Drive Across Morocco
The whole crossing was eventually wrapped up in about an hour, including bag checks and paperwork. We then thanked and said goodbye to Reda and hit the road, now driving east along Morocco’s northern coast, and an hour behind on the clock.
This stretch of Morocco is stunning in its contrasts. Fishing villages, bustling towns, hillside roads, and the ever-present blue of the Mediterranean out the window.
First stop: Tetouan, a whitewashed city known for its UNESCO-listed medina and strong Andalusian influence. We didn’t stay long, but even a quick drive-through gave off a sense of old-world calm.
Further down the road: Al Hoceima, where the Rif Mountains slope dramatically into the sea.
After nearly 6 long hours on the road, we reached Nador, our final Moroccan stop. Dinner was quick and quiet; a small local place overlooking the mountains, plates of grilled meats, and sweet mint Moroccan tea that hit better than any energy drink.
The sun dipped behind the hills as families gathered in the nearby park; kids running around, adults sipping tea, and a few of them eyeing us with curious glances. What were we doing here?
Arrival at Melilla
After another 2 hours of driving later, we arrived at Melilla’s outer border under cover of night. Leaving Morocco meant another round of bag scans and exit stamps: slow, but expected.
After checking our passports for the entry stamps into Morocco earlier today, they made us scan our bags one by one at customs before returning to our vehicles.
We then drove across and officially stamp back into Spain where the time zones also changed to one hour ahead.
Then, just like that, we were back in Spain—though technically, we never really left the continent.
And yet, everything looked different. The architecture, the rhythm, the language. The 8-hour drive across Morocco felt like crossing dimensions—less a point A to B, and more a full-circle loop through history, culture, and the blurred borders of Europe and Africa.
- At time of posting in Melilla, it was 27 °C - Humidity: 58% | Wind Speed: 14km/hr | Cloud Cover: sunny and dry
