City: Nerja
Country: Spain
Flight Time From UK: 2hrs 55mins
Best Time to Visit: The summer months are the best for a hot holiday if you love tanning and going to the beach. Spring and autumn is a great time to visit if you prefer slightly cooler weather and walks and sightseeing.
You may or may not have heard of Nerja but it’s become a huge tourist hotspot in the south of Spain over the last ten years or so, yet is still much more authentic than a lot of Spanish holiday locations.
My family have been holidaying to Nerja for years now and some years we’ve been back multiple times. I’ve even tagged a few days in Nerja onto the end of other holidays such as a city break to Seville (a 4 hour coach ride away which is surprisingly comfortable, cheap and easy and I highly recommend)!
Nerja is pretty much my favourite place for a completely lazy holiday, laying by a pool, chilling on the beach and going for cocktails in the evening.
Here are my top 5 things to do in Nerja
Las Cuevas de Nerja/The Nerja Caves
I had been to Nerja for years before visiting the caves, and when I eventually went I was completely shocked at how vast and amazing they are. I recommend going early in the morning and this is probably the most touristy thing to do in Nerja so they do get pretty busy.
The caves stretch for around 5km, but you can only visit a smaller area due to safety and preservation. I believe the caves were discovered by a group of young boys who were playing, and since then they have also discovered paintings and drawings on the cave walls which is really cool.
Burriana beach
Burriana beach is the main beach in the area and provides everything you need for a relaxing or adventurous beach day. There are dive centres and plenty of sun loungers and cocktails for those of us who like to relax and do nothing. There’s lots of cute shops along the beachfront too so when you need a break from the sun you can take a little stroll and pick up some souvenirs, eat paella, or even have a massage on the beach.
Paella From Ayo’s
Hands down the best paella you will ever have. Fact. This paella is available either to sit down and eat if you want a break from the sun during the day, or if you’re heading down to the beach in the evening for dinner. Alternatively (and what I do most of the time), is grab a takeaway paella – they are extremely generous with their portions and it’s so reasonably priced at around 5 euros, and take it back to your sun bed on the beach.
Balcón de Europa
The Balcón de Europa is essentially a balcony in the town which looks out over the Mediterranean sea. There are stunning panoramic views across to the beach, along the coast and of course out to sea. There are bars and restaurants along the balcony and plenty of places to get ice cream and gelato. You will usually find plenty of cats living no the Balcón which is probably my favourite part.
Trattoria Italia
This is one of my favourite restaurants in Nerja which is quite funny as it’s an Italian restaurant, but it’s worth a visit! Even though it is Italian you can get tonnes of amazing dishes from lots of different cuisines, my favourite being fresh salmon and veggies. They have a great menu and the presentation is lovely. It’s the place where we go for a nicer dinner if we want to celebrate or get dressed up.
