Nerja, a paradise on the Costa del Sol
Nerja, in the province of Malaga, Spain, is one of those places to visit with a special charm, that we perceive from the first moment. Belonging to the mountainous region of Axarquía, it looks out to the sea on several cliffs, among which there are beaches and coves with clear sand and transparent emerald waters, making it a paradise for diving and scuba diving on the Costa del Sol.
How to get to Nerja
To get to Nerja from Malaga Airport or from the City Center, there are two roads that we can use. The fastest is the A7 motorway, which runs through the interior of the towns and villages on the coastal strip of the southern coast of Spain. The other is the N-340 national road, which has only one road in each direction and passes through the urban core of all the towns on the eastern Costa del Sol. Of course, although it is the slowest if it allows you to see the beaches and towns in more detail along the way.
Places to visit in Nerja
One of the charms of Nerja is that the most important places to visit are not just monuments like in other cities. In Nerja there are in addition to artificial monuments, “natural monuments” such as the caves or the Maro cliffs that can be visited. But there is also a great architectural and historical wealth that is combined with the landscape in the case of the Balcony of Europe. It also has an impressive natural environment since being right on the slopes of the Almijara mountain range, it has natural parks and hiking trails that we must visit with our taxi service from Nerja and that further expand its tourist offer.
Balcon de Europa in Nerja
A wonderful promenade in the urban center of Nerja, flanked by two rows of palm trees, overlooks the Mediterranean Sea just above an over 180º overhanging cliff, offering an impressive view of the sea as if it were flying. When he arrived in Nerja, the King Alfonso XII of Spain, upon looking out, had the impression that this was the end of the European continent, hence the name of Balcón de Europa (Balcony of Europe). It is one of the best places to visit in Nerja.
The Beaches and Coves of Nerja
There are several smaller beaches and coves on both sides of the Balcon de Europa. Some reach the Maro cliffs, where there are gaps between them and waterfalls from the streams that fall into the sea, offering wonderful landscapes. They are special places to visit in Nerja and practice kayak rowing and diving. Some of the Nerja beaches that we can visit are Calahonda Beach, El Playazo, El Chorrillo, El Chucho, La Caletilla Beach, El Salón and Torrecilla.
The Nerja Cave (La Cueva de Nerja)
The Nerja cave is one of the most spectacular in the world. Millions of tourists from around the world have been travelling to see it for many years, as it is one of the best places to visit in Nerja. Its degree of conservation and preparation for your visit is more than verified. Few places show a landscape as beautiful as the Cueva de Nerja. It is a memory for life.
There is a Research Institute to conserve and spread its Natural and Cultural Heritage. In addition, annually, a festival is held inside that offers a natural decoration in contrast to its lighting and the sound and music effect inside its caves that make it an indelible memory.
Hermitages and churches of Nerja
There are some places that we can visit in the old town of Nerja, like churches such as El Salvador from the 17th century, as well as the Church of Wonders in Maro. We can also visit the Hermitage de las Angustias in the center of the town of Nerja. Right in front of it there is a Nerja taxi stop.
The Nerja Eagle Aqueduct in Maro (Acueducto del Aguila)
Built in the 19th century to bring water to the San Joaquin Sugar Cane Factory, when visiting Maro, a district of Nerja, we find the Aqueduct of the Eagle. It is striking when you see it, its number of arches and the great height that it has just above the Coladilla gorge.
Nerja History Museum
You can also visit other places like the History Museum in Nerja. In it we have a journey through time in Nerja and its surroundings from Prehistory to the present day. We will find from rudimentary objects to skeletons with more than 9000 years old while we inform ourselves thanks to interactive technology and practice rooms. The museum’s website belongs to that of the Nerja Cave.
Mountain Range of Nerja and hiking trails
North of the town and covering an area of several square kilometers, we enter the Sierra de Almijara and the Sierra de Tejada. Although it is not a monument to visit in Nerja, it is a Natural Park of Spain, where we will enjoy paths and trails between very abrupt mountains that in some cases form ravines, immersed in the Mediterranean climate and flora of the Costa del Sol.
What is the weather in Nerja, Spain
The weather in Nerja, like its climate, is of the Mediterranean type, although with certain tropical hues due to humidity. Being the easternmost municipality in the Malaga province, Nerja is the most important tourism point in the area, consisting of the Costa del Sol and the Costa Tropical. In fact, its agriculture and climate are more similar to other nearby towns on the Costa Tropical of Granada such as La Herradura, Almuñecar and Salobreña.
The history of Nerja in Spain
Like all the towns on the East of the Costa del Sol, Nerja has a history of more than 40,000 years, which makes it one of the oldest human settlements that is known not only in Spain, but in all the world. During the period of Muslim rule in Spain, Nerja was called Narixa, and hence its current name. Currently, it is an important high-quality tourist center, which maintains its character and customs, its main attractions being its beaches under cliffs and the Cueva de Nerja located in the nearby district of Maro.
Nerja gastronomy
Nerja maintains the typical Malaga gastronomy, considered one of the most varied and exclusive in Spain. In addition, in Nerja it is complemented by the tropical fruit of the area such as custard apple, mango or avocado.
Especially as being a fishing village, in Nerja the typical Malaga fried fish are prepared such as sardine spits, anchovies fried or in oil, Malaga salads with orange and cod, red mullet, lace squid, octopus, etc.
Some of the typical homemade food recipes of the area are the cabbage stew, the Nerja cabbage, the fennel stew, flour pancakes with cod and cane honey, ajoblanco with grapes, maimones and the sweet potato compote.
