Nerja is the jewel of tourism on the Eastern Costa del Sol in Spain.
The western Costa del Sol with the tourist resorts of Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola, Estepona, Sotogrande, Marbella and Puerto Banus are undoubtedly the tourist magnets on the Costa del Sol, Nerja is popular with families and children and is considered to be an upmarket resort.
The video below shows off Nerja along with tourist information:
Getting to Nerja
Nerja is approximately an hour away by car from Malaga International Airport and also has Granada Airport in its vicinity. Granada Airport only offers a limited service with Ryan Air from London Stansted and Liverpool, so the vast majority of British tourists wishing to visit Nerja use Malaga Airport as their gateway.
Nearest airports to Nerja:
71 km: Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP)
172 km: Almería Airport (LEI)
Nerja has no rail links to either Granada or Malaga Airport although it is possible to travel from both airports to the resort by bus. The majority of tourists organise car hire as this is the quickest and the most economical way to get to Nerja apart from using an expensive taxi. Another good option is to arrange a private airport transfer which can be good value when there are two or more of you, we recommend Nerja Taxis.
Hotels
Nerja has as many as seventy-eight hotels of which the Parador de Nerja, Hotel Perla Marina and the Hotel Balcon de Europe come highly recommended. Many families with children choose self catering options when it comes to booking their vacations to Nerja and will rent a villa or an apartment as their accommodation for a week or two.
Shopping/Supermarkets
Groceries can be bought at the Mercadona which is closed on Sundays as well as Supersol and Iranzo.
Look out for Lidl which is known for its quality at super prices The freshest fruits and vegetables can be sourced at the weekly market which in Nerja takes place on the far western side of the resort on a Tuesday.
Golf
The Costa del Sol is known for its golf courses, but as Nerja sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada the hilly terrain doesn’t benefit from the game of golf.
The nearest golf course is the Baviera Golf to the east of Velez-Malaga a good twenty minutes away by car while the Añoreta Golf Course to the east of Rincon de la Victoria is also within easy reach.
Weather and Climate
As mentioned before Nerja is blessed to have the Sierra Nevada with ski resort of Pradollano an hour away by car which means tourists in the winter can ski in the mornings and spend the afternoons sunning themselves on Nerja’s beaches.
Nerja has very fine weather with over three hundred days of sunshine, no summer rainfall owing to the Mediterranean climate and very mild winters ideal for sunbathing.
You can also see exactly how Nerja looks right now on our webcam page.
Beaches
Nerja has no less than ten beaches on which to spend a summer holiday of which two have maintained their blue flag status over the last few years which are the Playa Burriana and the Playa Torrecilla. The Playa Calahonda, Playa el Salon, Playa Caletilla, Playa Carabeo, Playa Carabeillo, Playa El Chucho, Playa El Chorillo, and the Playa El Playazo make up Nerja’s beach life.
Nightlife
Nightlife is centred around the Tutti Frutti Square and Antonio Millon. Here you will find a variety of good restaurants, bars, pubs, tapas bars, discos and nightclubs. Vinoleto is well known for its wine and tapas while the best Flamenco Show can be seen at El Molino.
Bar Okey, Cochrans, Irish Annie’s, Pub Bogey, Bar El Playazo, Blanco y Negro, El Burro Blanco, Temple Bar and H20 also provide for some good entertainment.
Discos to dance the night away at in Nerja include Jimmy’s, Castillo, Disco Pub Hozono and People SC.
Nerja has well over two hundred restaurants serving cuisine from all over the world. According to the Tripadvisor the top ten Nerja restaurants that are a must visit while in the resort includes Oliva, Au Petit Paris, La Dama, Sollun Restaurante, Sabor de Amor, Meson Jose y Victoria, La Joya, La Puntilla, Carne a La Piedra and the Bar Restaurant First.
Tourist Information Centre
Nerja Tourist Office Address:
Planta Baja del Ayuntamiento, Calle Carmen 1, 29780, Nerja (Malaga)
Telephone Number: +34 952 521 531
Email Address: turismo@nerja.org
Website: https://turismo.nerja.es/oficina-de-turismo/
What to See and Do
Nerja is famous for its Tapas Trails meaning you can hop to various tapas bars enjoying authentic Andalusian tapas and drinks. For some advice on the Tapas Trails you can look at https://www.holidaynerja.co.uk/HN_tapas_trails.htm.
One of Nerja’s most important tourist attractions is the caves which are home to the world’s largest stalagmite. To book an excursion to the caves and see the prices and opening times you can look at https://www.cuevadenerja.es/
Places worth exploring while on holiday in Nerja should include a visit to the white washed village of Frigiliana and the neighbouring sea side resort of Torrox.
Granada with the Alhambra is a day tourist hot spot and is about an hour away by car.
The nearest water park to Nerja is the Aquatropic water park in Almuñecar which is twenty minutes away by car. Tickets start at€13 for children and €16 for adults. For more information you can look at www.aqua-tropic.com
Aquavelis lies twenty-eight kilometres to the east of Malaga in Torre del Mar and is about thirty minutes away by car. Tickets start at €15 for children and €20 for adults. For more information you can look at www.aquavelis.es.
The water parks are generally open from 11:00 in the morning until 19:00 in the evening from early June until the end of September.
An hour away by car on the western side of the Costa del Sol great family days out can be enjoyed at the Tivoli Amusement Park, Selwo Park and Sea Life Centre all located in Benalmadena and the Selwo Aventura Safari Park in Estepona.
Further afield excursions can be arranged to visit Ronda, Seville, Cordoba, the Alpujarras, Gibraltar and even Morocco.
Nerja is a great place to come on vacation in upmarket surroundings far away from the image of mass tourism which is synonymous with much of the Costa del Sol.
Moving to Nerja
If you are thinking of moving to Nerja, then you must read our expat interview with Terry Tweedy of Villasol Real Estate below:
Terry, what would you say would be the advantages to living in Nerja compared to other Costa del Sol towns?
Nerja has sometimes been called the jewel of the Costa del Sol, as it still retains the friendly Spanish village atmosphere as there are no high rise buildings allowed.
What proportion of the local population are Spanish?
The local population are predominantly Spanish with several nationalities having a sizeable presence including people from the UK and Ireland, Germany and Sweden.
Would the area not suit certain types of people, i.e. are there any possible downsides?
Although there is an abundance of bars and restaurants in the area and a designated night spot area in Plaza Tutti Frutti, it would probably not suit the jet set type of person as there are no up market expensive night clubs in the town, and there are no big chain fast food outlets allowed.
What are your favourite things to do in the area?
There are various clubs and associations in the area catering for all types of hobbies and interests from Petanque, to amateur dramatics, to photography, to bridge clubs and of course there are two 18 hole golf clubs within a 20 minute drive, and in the winter time there is skiing in the Sierra Nevada’s and then of course there are several beaches to relax and swim. And of course if you wish to socialise there are many Spanish tapas bars offering a superb range of delicacies.
Are there many facilities such as doctors and dentists, shops etc?
The area is well catered for with regards to medical assistance, as there is a medical centre which is manned 24/7 plus many private doctors and dentists. The area boasts several large supermarkets and many shops supplying everything you would expect in a thriving town.
Are there smaller villages nearby that you might also recommend?
Within a 20km radius there are many white villages to visit like Frigiliana which has won several awards for its appearance and character and many other white villages set in the hills.
What are the nearest international schools and how good are they?
There are several good Spanish schools in the town together with two private International schools, one in Almuñécar and the other in Malaga both with their own coach service for the pupils.
Is crime an issue for expats?
In my years of living in Nerja and surrounding area it has got a good reputation with regards to crime, mainly with opportunist thieves and petty theft. I do not recall any gun crime.
Coming onto buying property, what is the market like now in terms of prices going up, or down or staying the same?
With regards to property purchase, there has been a steady increase in value over the last 12 months albeit a moderate one. Confidence has returned to the market, and well presented properties in the range between 85000 Euros and 400.000 Euros are selling quite well. But above this threshold the market is still quite slow.
Is this a good time to buy and are there any repossessions or very cheap properties still available to buy?
A lot of British clients are concerned at this time because of the UK’s pending departure from the European Union. With regard to repossessions this part of the Costa del Sol was not so badly affected by the recession and very few properties have come on the market as a result.
What urbanisations are there and can you describe each one and how they might differ from each other?
There are many urbanisations around the town with the majority being well kept and maintained.
Any tips and advice to people looking to buy in Nerja or surrounding area?
When buying, it is necessary to check the fees before making a decision, because the urbanisation fees can vary from urbanisation to urbanisation considerably. And one of the most important things to bear in mind is to get a good and trusted Spanish lawyer to act on your behalf who also is fluent in your own language to guide you through the legal maze of buying a property here in Spain. Property prices are in line with most other coastal towns on the Costa’s, with Nerja being a little more expensive than Torrox or Frigiliana, with prices decreasing the farther one goes from the coast.
Terry, thank you so much for taking the time to help our readers with your experiences in Spain. If you want to contact her, you can find her details below.
Calle Antonio Millon 10
29780 Nerja
Malaga, Spain
Tel. +34 952 527 201
Email: info@villasolrealestate.com
Website: www.villasolrealestate.com
Contact us to be featured – we want more expat interviews for our newsletter and website. You don’t need to be an estate agent, we want to hear from anyone who lives in Spain whether you are working or retired.
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Rachel Howarth says
Hi there, we love Nerja and like to explore all the nooks and crannies. One of things we always loved to do was to take the walk along the cliff edge from playa Calahonda near the Balcon de Europa to Burriana beach but it closed many years back. But i recently heard that would re-open in 2015 – lest hope so!!! As a practical tip anyone looking for a relaible transport company from Malaga to Nerja take a look at https://nerjataxis.net/ – always reliable and have hundreds of good reviews.
F Mitchell says
Hi think the whole web site is brilliant all of the pages spot on.My “little gripe” was after 3 mails to Nerja Tourist Office no reply, as regular visitors to Nerja we have always had good advice from them very helpful.
However that does not detract form your first class site.
Frank Mitchell