Essential Info
First time in Nerja?
Read this and check the map opposite and
our guide before you go anywhere...
linked to different soils and special collections, with a total of
more than 200 species on display. One of the collections
features rare and endangered species common to the area. Set
around a central
lake, the garden
also includes a
classroom for
educational visits
and workshops. It
is open to the
public every day
except Sunday
from 9.00am to
3.00pm.
Admission is free.
Much of Nerja’s charm comes from its narrow winding streets
but they also make finding your way around quite confusing if
you are a first-time visitor. Driving is even more confusing
because so many streets are one-way and several are
pedestrianised so the first rule is dump the car. If you use the
main car park (see
map), take the
south exit and you
will find yourself
on the Balcón de
Europa, the
“Piccadilly Circus”
of Nerja. This
peninsula and the
area behind it is a
magnet for visitors
and a great place to
sit and watch the
world go by.
The caves lie on the outskirts of Nerja near the village of Maro
and are served by a regular bus service or not too far to walk if
you’re fit and energetic. If you’re here in July, try to get tickets
for the annual festival when famous national and international
artists perform in this beautiful underground setting. Opening
hours are 10.00-14.00 and 16.00-18.30 (20.00 in July/August).
You can also visit the caves on the red train from Plaza Cavana
but it is more expensive than the bus.
Stand with your back to the sea and it’s shopping to your right
up Calle Pintada and Calle Cristo (also known as Post Office
Street). The biggest concentration of restaurants is also on Calle
Cristo and off to the left on Calle Gloria. To your left from the
Balcón you go past Plaza Cavana and along El Barrio to the left
or Diputación to the right for more bars and restaurants. There
are, of course, many exceptions but use this as a rule of thumb.
Golf
Nerja does not have its own golf course but it has plenty of
golfers. The Golf International Nerja Society (GINS) has some
750 members and for information access the website
www.ginsgolf.com and you will find all the necessary contact
points. Alternatively, visit their HQ at the El Puente Bar and
Restaurant at C/Carretera 4, Nerja (Map E3) and view their
notice board. GINS members and a committee member are
often available on a Saturday lunch time from 12.30pm.
Night life
Night life in Nerja is on Antonio Millón and the adjacent Plaza
Tutti Frutti which are wall-to-wall with bars, many of them
with dancing. The area doesn’t come to life much before
midnight and bars stay open until 3.30 am Sunday to Thursday
and 4.30 on Friday and Saturday (one hour less in winter). For
live music check out both Buskers and Fitzgeralds - they are
both on Antonio Millón. There are other bars which stay open
later but then it’s mainly on to the discos.
Frigiliana
No visit to Nerja is
complete without a
trip to Frigiliana,
some 5kms inland.
This picturesque
village is steeped in
history and one of
the best ways to learn
it is to take one of the
official walking tours.
Contact the tourist
office for details on 95 253 4261.
Beaches
Nerja’s busiest beach is Burriana to the east. Chances are you
will have seen this beach in a travel or holiday programme
back home, particularly Ayo’s where Ayo himself cooks an
enormous paella over an open fire and seems to attract TV
crews like flies. There is now such a wide choice of bars and
restaurants there that Burriana has almost become a separate
self-contained town. Coming back towards the Balcón, there
are Playa Carabeo, Playa El Chorrillo and, next to the Balcón
itself, Playa Calahonda on one side and Playa El Salón on the
other. Further west are Playa La Torrecilla and Playa El
Playazo, both of which can be reached down Avda. Castilla
Pérez, one of Nerja’s busiest streets.
Getting around
Buses
For up to date bus times visit www.alsa.es. You can buy tickets
online or at the bus station ticket office (Map E5). There are
regular buses to and from Málaga city centre, from here you
can catch another bus to the airport. You can also hop on a bus
to visit the Caves, Almuñecar or Granada. Please note if
catching a bus to Frigiliana, tickets are purchased on the bus
itself.
Taxis
You can get a taxi from Calle San Miguel (Map E5) or Calle
Castilla Perez (Map 3G) (evenings only). Or call Nerja Taxi on
638 036 949.
The Caves
Discovered in 1959, the Nerja caves are one of the biggest
tourist attractions in Spain, visited by hundreds of thousands
each year. One of the most beautiful cave complexes in
Europe, look especially for the 32m high column in Cataclysm
Hall which was formed by an estimated 1,000 billion drops of
water. Recently opened are the adjoining Botanical Gardens,
they cover 26,000 square metres on a site next to the entrance
to the caves. The garden is laid out in four zones, including
traditional crops, vegetation linked to climate, vegetation
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