Welcome to Nerja
Nerja travel is becoming more popular as people are seeking different parts of Spain to visit, and no Nerja travel guide would be complete without discussing Nerja itself. With more than 300 sunny days per year, Nerja offers excellent weather conditions, thank to the micro-cliamte conditions. Many Nerja guides focus only on the eight beaches that the town has to offer, each lying in gaps between the cliffs of the Sierra Almijara mountain range that extend right down to the sea.
The cliffs offer the ideal geological conditions for coves and beaches that do not permit the construction of high rise apartments and hotels that you find on most other Spanish beaches. These are truly unique and picturesque, and are why so many come to Nerja for their annual vacation, and are why not all Nerja information for tourists actually focuses on the town itself.
First the name: Nerja is derived from the Moorish word 'narixa' which translates as 'rich in water' which is a reflection not just on the beaches, but also on the fertility and irrigation of the surrounding land. There is more to Nerja than just beaches as many tourists find when they arrive here and start exploring. Nerja travel agents will use the beaches as bait to get the tourists here, but once here many spend more time away from the beaches than on them. There is something for everyone here.
The town is situated about 40 minutes from Malaga Airport, just east of Torrox on the Mediterranean Costa del Sol. The town center is of a traditional design in Andalucia, and the new buildings have conformed to the original architecture with its terracotta tiles and white houses. You can wander round the warren of small streets here and enjoy the town as it was 200 years ago in Napoleonic times.
If you like sunsets, then you must visit the Balcón de Europa in the evening. This beautiful promenade with its two cannons offers a magnificent view of the beautiful Andalucia sunsets. The cannons are indicative of the part played by this area of Spain during the Napoleonic wars, and the promenade is lined with plane and palm trees - altogether a beautifully peaceful place to be on vacation. If you want to spend some time in the town, you will find lots of wonderful shops to offer retail therapy after lazing on the beaches, and also some fabulously traditional tapas bars and restaurants.
No Nerja travel vacation would be complete without a visit to the land lying round the town, which is irrigated by an abundance of wells and springs, contributing to its name of Narixa, and which produce a fabulous crop of exotic fruits such as kiwi fruit, bananas, figs and avocado and also some delicious succulent vegetables that the local restaurants use to produce traditional Spanish dishes for you to enjoy such as the vegetarian gazpacho - famous in Andalucia and absolutely delicious!
In fact, if you are fortunate enough to be in Nerja on a Tuesday you can visit the local weekly market, where you buy just about anything you want - and not just the succulent fruit and vegetables. You can also purchase clothing, jewellery, cosmetics and a whole host of gifts for your relatives back home. After the shopping you can enjoy some tennis or squash, or have a leisurely game of golf before dinner.
You also have the opportunity to visit some of the surrounding countryside with excursions or walks into the mountains or you can even visit them on horseback. If your Nerja travel agent has managed to secure you a trip here over the winter until about Easter, then you should hire a car and go into the Sierra Nevada and try some skiing. It's about two hours drive away and the skiing is fantastic, even if you are a beginner.
However, every Nerja travel guide focuses mainly on the famous Nerja beaches, and rightly so. Each of the eight beaches is blue flag as an indication of its cleanliness, and each is a joy to visit. Known as 'Playas', these Costa del Sol beaches range from the popular Playa Burriana to the secluded Playa el salon where you can get some peace and quiet, and simply relax. The beaches have bars and other facilities for you to enjoy, and you will find a Nerja guide to each of the beaches elsewhere on this website. The microclimate in Nerja makes that you will enjoy many days of beautiful weather.
You can also visit the Nerja caves with their wonderful display of stalactites and stalagmites, or alternatively you can kayak or canoe in the Mediterranean. There is scuba diving, para-sailing and many other water sports for you to enjoy. To have one of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations of your life, look up our Nerja travel guide and find out what else this beautiful and traditional Andalucia town has to offer. You will find all the Nerja information that you need on our website.
