Melilla's role in modern Spanish history isn't forgotten. The Statue Grande Libre marks 7 July 1936, when Franco began the campaign against the government in Madrid. With a soldier and lion backed by a fascist eagle, it feels like a throwback to another, uncomfortable age. Around the statue are colourful ceramic benches, which add to Melilla's Barcelona-like feel.
Statue Grande Libre
Melilla
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.36 MILES
Perched over the Mediterranean, Melilla la Vieja is a prime example of the fortress strongholds that the Spaniards built along the Moroccan littoral…
0.15 MILES
Nieto’s art-deco Palacio de Asamblea, whose floor plan depicts a ducal crown, is an operating town hall, although the staff at the entrance are willing to…
Casa Ibáñez Museum De Arte Contemporáneo
0.29 MILES
Melilla's best gallery can be found inside Torre de la Vela, an 18th-century building within the fortress walls. It's worth wandering the six showrooms…
0.1 MILES
Plaza de España is the beating heart of Melilla, with arteries leading to the modernist new town and fortress. It's also where you can catch a bus to the…
0.11 MILES
The magnificent two-storey building lining Plaza de España holds free temporary art exhibitions in rooms extending from its Enrique Nieto–designed hall…
0.34 MILES
These extensive and well-restored caves were used for storage as well as a refuge during sieges, and pop out at a small beach below the cliffs. The…
Museo de Historia, Arqueología y Etnográfico
0.32 MILES
The fortress' warehouses are now home to two fascinating museums; one dedicated to the history of the Amazigh (Berber), Sephardic (Jewish) and Gitana …
Playa de la Ensanada de los Galápagos
0.28 MILES
Nestled below cliffs and the towering fortress walls is the secluded beach of Playa de la Ensanada de los Galápagos, open from June to September (with…
Nearby Melilla attractions
0.1 MILES
Plaza de España is the beating heart of Melilla, with arteries leading to the modernist new town and fortress. It's also where you can catch a bus to the…
0.11 MILES
The magnificent two-storey building lining Plaza de España holds free temporary art exhibitions in rooms extending from its Enrique Nieto–designed hall…
0.12 MILES
The spacious palm-lined park right at the heart of the city is perfect for lounging on a bench with a book or zigzagging through the maze of blue and…
0.15 MILES
Nieto’s art-deco Palacio de Asamblea, whose floor plan depicts a ducal crown, is an operating town hall, although the staff at the entrance are willing to…
5. Playa de la Ensanada de los Galápagos
0.28 MILES
Nestled below cliffs and the towering fortress walls is the secluded beach of Playa de la Ensanada de los Galápagos, open from June to September (with…
0.28 MILES
Africa's only active bullfighting ring is operational just once a year for Melilla's Virgen de la Victoria festival. Otherwise, the 8,000-person stadium…
7. Casa Ibáñez Museum De Arte Contemporáneo
0.29 MILES
Melilla's best gallery can be found inside Torre de la Vela, an 18th-century building within the fortress walls. It's worth wandering the six showrooms…
0.3 MILES
Two of the four tiny doors across the courtyard lead into the cavelike, other-worldly cisterns, which once stored as much as 1000 cubic metres of water…