Fifty minutes east of Málaga, where the Almijara mountains fall straight into the sea, Nerja is the town that escaped the 1970s high-rise boom and kept the prettiest coastline in the province: turquoise coves between cliffs, a whitewashed old town of pedestrian lanes, and Andalusia's most famous viewpoint, the Balcón de Europa.
Our apartment sits in Capistrano, a quiet hillside neighbourhood on the eastern side of town with sea views and private entry. From there it's a pleasant stroll down to Burriana, Nerja's best beach, where Ayo has been cooking paella over an open wood fire for fifty years.
Beyond the beach, Nerja rewards curiosity: the Caves with their 32-metre natural column and prehistoric paintings, the white village of Frigiliana ten minutes up the mountain, and the wild coves of the Maro-Cerro Gordo natural park, where El Cañuelo offers the clearest water on the coast.
Nerja pairs beautifully with Málaga city: culture and museums there, beaches and village pace here. For stays of five days or more, many of our guests split their time between the two — and the A-7 makes the switch a 50-minute drive.
