Travel Guide: Nerja, Spain

Hey folks, I’m just back home from my travels in Nerja and was asked to write a piece about my time there. I was there for 5 nights (which flew by) but if you want to add anything to this guide feel free to leave a comment. I got a lot of help off followers for this, (too many to mention) thank you so much! I run this website by myself so any help I can get is greatly appreciated! Everything is correct at time of writing 17th June 2023.

If something isn’t covered here check out Nerja Today.

About Nerja:

Nerja is a resort town along southern Spain’s Costa del Sol. Its seafront promenade, Balcón de Europa, tops a promontory with views of the Mediterranean and surrounding mountains. Below it lie sandy beaches and cliffside coves. The town is often referred to as the ‘’Jewel of the Costa del Sol’.

Getting there:

The closest airport to Nerja is Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP). Ryanair operate flights from Dublin, Shannon, Cork and Knock/Ireland West Airport to Malaga. Aer Lingus operate flights from Dublin and Cork to Malaga. Malaga Airport is roughly 80 km from Nerja and there are a variety of ways of getting from the airport to Nerja.

Airport bus/train to Malaga then bus to Nerja: This options sounds more complicated than it is. There are buses/trains from Malaga Airport that bring you to the Main Bus Terminal in Malaga. There are a number of buses that then leave from there to Nerja. All in all takes less than 2 hours. If you’ve time go and explore Malaga. It’s a lovely city and you can leave your luggage in the Bus Station for a few euro.

Transfer and Taxi’s:

There are a number of transfer and Taxi options to take you directly from the airport to Nerja. While I have not used it before, I’ve been hearing good things about gettransfer.com

Car rental:

Andalucia is the most popular place in Spain to rent a car and there are a number of options for car hire. My only advice would be to read reviews and make sure you take the option with zero excess. It will save you the heartache in the worse case scenario.

Where to stay:

The main town of Nerja is easily accessible on foot. There are also areas such as Punta Lara, is a 40 minute walk to Balcón de Europa. There is also a local bus that picks up at Marinas de Nerja and costs €1 one way.

There is a huge number of self catering options in Nerja from the likes of Booking.com, Airbnb and James Villa Holidays. My best advice would be to look at the photos, then look at the most recent reviews and see what you think.

Hotels:

Hotel Balcón de Europa (4 star)

Marinas de Nerja Beach & Spa Aparthotel (4 star)

Perla Marina (4 star)

Parador de Nerja (4 star)

Puerto Del Mar Beach Resort (3 star)

Nerja Club Hotel (3 star)

Hotel Villa Flamenca (3 star)

Getting around:

As mentioned above, Nerja is easily accessible on foot. If you are staying in areas such as Punta Lara, its a 40 minute walk to Balcón de Europa or there is also a local bus that picks up at Marinas de Nerja and costs €1 one way.

If you don’t have a car, then there are buses to Malaga City Centre or Frigiliana.

Things to do:

Cueva de Nerja (Nerja Caves)

Beaches with various watersports

Day trip to Malaga

Day trip to Frigiliana

Rio Chillar Hike

Seasonal – Aquavelis Water Park near Torre Del Mar (just over 20 mins drive from Nerja)

Seasonal – Aquatropic Water Park in Almuñécar (just over 25 mins drive from Nerja)

Eat and Drink:

In terms of restaurants, I’ve broken them down into traditional Spanish (think tapas and paella), Indian and upmarket. I’m not much of a foodie but massive thanks to Audrey Plunkett for the recommendations!

Restaurants:

Sevillianos (traditional)

La Pugllia (traditional)

La Puntilla (traditional)

Ricon de Sabor (traditional)

Hermes (traditional)

Tapas Plaza (traditional)

Taste of India (Indian)

Mum (Indian)

Pahuna (Indian)

Bakus (upmarket)

Restaurante 34 (upmarket)

La Bottega (upmarket)

Brasserie Trattatoria (upmarket)

Olivia (upmarket)

Bars:

Bakers Bar

Club Tropicana

Sevillianos

Los Huertas

The Irish Harp Bar (for GAA)