Beni Enzar Border Crossing

The Beni Enzar crossing at the northern edge of Melilla is the gateway to Morocco, and worth visiting for the sheer theatre of it even if you are not crossing. The border sits at the end of a busy commercial strip, and the contrast between the Spanish city behind you and the Moroccan town of Beni Ansar ahead is immediate and striking.

Day trips to Nador and the surrounding Moroccan coast are straightforward. Nador itself is not a major destination but offers a glimpse of ordinary Moroccan urban life, and the coast south of Nador has some good beaches. Bring your passport; EU citizens do not need a visa for Morocco.

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The Beni Enzar crossing was, for many years, one of the busiest borders in Africa. Thousands of Moroccan cross-border traders — predominantly women known as porteadoras — would carry enormous packs of goods by hand through the crossing each day, legally importing goods duty-free under EU humanitarian exemptions. The practice was officially ended in 2019, transforming the border's character overnight.

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