Why should a superyacht choose Melilla?

Melilla is a small piece of Spain in Africa, surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and located between two continents that are marked by cultural fusion. The languages that are spoken, the gastronomy, temples and special architecture reflect its heritage.

GET TO KNOW MELILLA

Upon disembarking in Melilla, you will see the most attractive area of the city, the Old Town, which is very close to the port. The old town is still the home to the remains from other time periods, such as canons, fortified towers, and Bastions.

Melilla has an extension of 12.338km2 and 86.000 inhabitants and it presents a variety of features resulting from its geographical location and history. You can see it in the composition of its population, its economic activity, and its culture, which is the result of the co-existence of Christians, Muslims, and Jews since the 19^th century.

Declared a Historic-Artistic Site, Melilla la Vieja is shown as a superb fortress set on a rock that enters the Mediterranean, joined to the mainland by an isthmus. It’s composed of four fortified enclosures, separated by moats, built from the 15th century, and housing a valuable monumental heritage.

Melilla is the European city which is closest to the desert. It has many interesting offers to visit the oasis and the dunes. It has 2km of fine sand beaches that had been awarded by the European Union with a blue flag, that certifies its quality. The semi-arid Mediterranean climate of Melilla and its average temperature of 20º together with the low rainfall rate, makes it an ideal destination for yachting.

Diving in Melilla and its surroundings can be an unforgettable experience. Its clear waters and pleasant temperature all year round, and its rocky bottoms overflowing with life, invite you to dive to contemplate the diversity of marine living beings.

WHAT MAKES MELILLA SPECIAL FOR SUPERYACHTS

In addition to the enormous importance that the coexistence of the four cultures contributes to the present of Melilla, we must not forget the privileged situation that the city historically maintained and that has managed to preserve the important legacies that Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, and Arabs left in it. As if these legacies were few, Melilla has more than 900 modernist buildings and «art deco» which makes it a unique architectural museum.

One of the unique visits that you can do while visiting with your superyacht is to visit the Chafarinas archipelago. It’s located 27 nautical miles away of Melilla and you need a special authorization to visit it.

Melilla has a minimum deduction of 50% on all taxes and is considered a free port and a tax heaven. On top of that, the city is exempt from VAT.

Even if Melilla is part of the European Union, it doesn’t belong to the European Union Customs Union (EUCU), and it’s excluded from VAT and special taxes.

Melilla is an important reference point as a provisioning and bunkering stopover prior to the entry of vessels and pleasure craft into the EUCU in addition of being an excellent starting point for boat charter operations that have community merchandise status.

BERTHING OPTIONS IN MELILLA

The port of Melilla, Puerto Noray, opened at the beginning of 1997. Nowadays, it has an area of 36.700m2 and 400 berthing points.

The port has an entrance width of 600 metres and a draft of 12 metres. The length of the dock is 240 metres and allows to moor superyachts and megayachts of any length. It’s perfectly integrated into the city as it’s located 400 metres away from the city centre, 2.5km from the airport and 2.7km from the border with Morocco.

Puerto Noray is a modern and complete facility where you can find all the services and attractions you might need to spend a pleasant day. It has a commercial area with many kind of services such as, a casino, nautical shops, restaurants, cafeterias and other kind of shops.

ASSISTANCE

For Melilla based vessels, Xisco Notario and his team will be your main contact to oversee a smooth and successful visit.

Our team is available 24/7 to provide the necessary and bespoke solutions as well as peace of mind for your entire visit, thanks to their local in-depth knowledge of the area.

If you are interested in cruising Melilla do not hesitate to get in touch with us at southspain@evolutionagents.com.