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Nerja

Nerja, 56km east of Málaga with the Sierra Almijara rising behind it, has succeeded in rebuffing developers, allowing its centre to retain a low-rise village charm despite the proliferation of souvenir shops and the large number of visitors it sees. At its heart is the perennially beautiful Balcón de Europa, a palm-lined promontory built on the foundations of an old fort that offers panoramic views of the cobalt-blue sea flanked by honey-coloured coves.

The town is increasingly popular with package holidaymakers and ‘residential tourists’, which has pushed it far beyond its old confines. There's significant urbanisation, especially to the east. The holiday atmosphere, and seawater contamination, can be overwhelming from July to September, but the place is more tranquilo the rest of the year.

Spaniards of a certain age remember Nerja as the setting for Verano azul, a hugely popular TV series filmed in the town in the early 1980s.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Nerja.

  • Cave

    Cueva de Nerja

    It’s hard to imagine the surreal world that lies beneath the mountain foothills 4km east of Nerja, and it’s even harder to believe that these vast caverns weren’t discovered until five local chicos (young men) who had gone out looking for bats stumbled across an opening in 1959. Hollowed out by water around five million years ago and once inhabited by Stone Age hunters, this theatrical wonderland of extraordinary rock formations, subtle shifting colours, and stalactites and stalagmites is evocative of a submerged cathedral.

  • Viewpoint

    Balcón de Europa

    Located in the heart of town, the fabulous balcón juts out like a natural pier, forming a beautiful palm-lined terrace with panoramic views of the sea. The only downside is that it's perennially crowded.

  • Beach

    Playa Burriana

    This is Nerja’s longest and best beach, with plenty of towel space on the sand. From Balcón de Europa, walk east down bleached white Calle Carabeo and continue about 15 minutes to the beach. Burriana is backed by a line of merenderos (open-sided restaurants). You can rent kayaks or paddleboards here for €6 per hour.

  • Beach

    Playa Calahonda

    This small, pretty cove is just east of the Balcón de Europa. You can rent sunbeds and parasols here, though it does get busy at the height of summer, especially with guests from the nearby Hotel Balcón de Europa.

  • Museum

    Museo de Nerja

    Nerja’s museum traces the history of the town from the cave dwellers of Paleolithic times to the tourist-boom years of the ’60s, and is well worth a browse – preferably before you visit the Cueva de Nerja. The museum's highlights centre on artefacts found in the caves and range from the thought-provoking skeleton of an adult cave dweller to a fascinatingly mundane prehistoric cheese dish.

  • Beach

    Playa del Cañuelo

    East of Nerja the coast becomes more rugged; with your own wheels you can head to some great beaches reached by tracks down from the A7. Playa del Cañuelo, immediately before the border with Granada province, is one of the best, with a couple of summer-only restaurants.