RH note: This week we’re featuring an amazing three month honeymoon through India, Europe and North Africa. All posts are written by our lovely guest blogger Kate, and photos are by her talented husband Adeet.

Kate says: I had spent a year as an exchange student in Melilla, an autonomous Spanish city in North Africa, and I wanted Adeet to meet my host family. We stayed with them for several days and Adeet fell in love with them and their city. Melilla has a population of around 70,000 people and is home to Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and even Hindu communities. Although it is very much a part of Spain in its language and traditions, it borders Morocco and is part of North Africa, both geographically and culturally.

The city is on the Mediterranean coast, and we enjoyed walking along the “Paseo Marítimo,” a paved stretch that runs along the water. We also explored the old, walled part of the city that was founded by Spain in 1497. Melilla is known for its Modernist architecture and there are many fine examples in the city’s downtown. Parque Hernández is a beautiful park lined with palm trees and is the perfect spot for a leisurely hand-in-hand stroll.

Although the city is dear to me, I wouldn’t recommend it as a sole honeymoon destination. Instead, I would suggest that couples interested in visiting Morocco and/or southern Spain spend a day in Melilla. It would provide an interesting bridge between the cultures of those two countries. There is an airport in Melilla with flights to major cities in Spain, as well as a ferry that crosses the Mediterranean.