Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE LAST PIECES OF EMPIRE
Some of the most fascinating places in northern Morocco are not Moroccan at all, but Spanish. When
Spain recognised Moroccan independence in 1956, it retained a collection of historical oddities that
had predated the Spanish protectorate. Known by the euphemism
plazas de soberanía
(places of sov-
ereignty), they have a population of 145,000, and are divided into two groups.
The
plazas mayores
(greater places), Ceuta and Melilla, contain virtually all the people. Politically
these are 'autonomous cities', with governmental powers placing them somewhere between a city and
a region of Spain.
The
plazas menores
(lesser places) are inhabited by a handful of Spanish legionnaires, if that.
These include three islands in the Bay of Al-Hoceima: Isla de Mar, Isla de Tierra (both deserted, apart
from Spanish flags) and El Peñón de Alhucemas, a striking white fortress home to some 60 soldiers.
El Peñón de Velez de la Gomera, at the end of a long canyon in the Al-Hoceima National Park, is an-
other ancient rock fortress, connected to the mainland by a narrow spit of sand - and a guardhouse,
one of the oddest national borders you'll ever see. The Islas Chafarinas, 3km from Ras el-Mar, have
three small islands: Isla del Congreso, Isla del Rey and Isla Isabel II, the last with a garrison of 190
troops. Spain also owns the tiny Isla Perejil, near Ceuta, which was the cause of one of the world's
smallest conflicts, when Spanish troops evicted a handful of Moroccan soldiers in 2002; and the Isla
de Alborán, about 75km north of Melilla, which has a small navy garrison.
While the two fortress
peñónes
(rocky outcrops) are must-sees, none of the
plazas menores
can be
entered, as they are military sites. Morocco claims them all, making their defence necessary even
though their strategic importance is limited.
Recent history has been focused on problems with Spain over immigration and political sover-
eignty. In 2006 youths set fire to several mosques in Ceuta after a number of local Muslims were ar-
rested on the Spanish mainland in connection with the Madrid bombings. In 2007 the king of Spain
visited the city for the first time in 80 years, sparking protests from the Moroccan government. So far
none of this has closed a single tapas bar. In late 2010 Moroccan youths rioted in both Ceuta and Me-
lilla over sovereignty of the cities, sparked by a lack of jobs. Tensions continue to simmer.
Eating & Drinking
The best places to look for tapas bars are in the streets behind the post office and around
Calle Millán Astray to the north of Calle Camoens. In addition to tapas, they all serve
more substantial
raciones
(a larger helping of tapas) and
bocadillos
(sandwiches).
Mesón el Bache
TAPAS
€
( 0956 51 66 42; Sargento Mena Algeciras; tapas €2.50, raciones from €10; 9am-3pm & 8.30pm-
midnight Mon-Sat)
Have your tapas in a rustic hunting lodge. The locals love it, especially
for watching sport, and you get one free tapa with every drink. Just downhill from Plaza
de los Reyes, looking towards the port.
