Charming Nerja Awaits: Your Guide to a Perfect Beach Holiday august 21, 2024 – Posted in: Spain, Travel – Tags: Andalusia, Attractions, History, Holiday, Nerja, Restaurants, Shopping, Spain, Vacation

Discover Nerja – Top Tip for a Perfect Beach Holiday

Nerja is a small charming coastal town located on the Costa del Sol, about an hour’s drive from Malaga. It’s easy to reach by both rental car and public transport, making it a perfect spot for those who prefer beach relaxation in a small town over the vibrant hustle of Malaga!

This quaint beach town is really all about charm. It offers exactly what most visitors look for in a lovely charter holiday: winding streets full of shops and restaurants. In the evenings, there’s a lively atmosphere, but not so much that it disturbs the peace of the hotels. And let’s not forget the beaches! Here, you can read about all the wonderful things Nerja has to offer.

Affordable Beach Vacation on the Costa del Sol

We visited Nerja in the last week of March and enjoyed a series of beautiful sunny days. The days were warm, while the evenings called for a thick sweater. The sea was still a bit cool, but it didn’t stop the keenest tourists from taking a dip.

For a comparison, we checked prices for a trip to Tenerife, a popular destination for sun-seeking tourists at this time of year. In Tenerife, we couldn’t find anything under €670 for a week, while here on the Costa del Sol, we paid about €100 per day for a double room at the lovely Hotel Boutique Sibarys. In other words, a vacation in Nerja offers a cost-effective way to enjoy plenty of sunshine in both spring and fall.

What to See in Nerja?

Many visitors come to Nerja for the nearby caves, Cuevas de Nerja. It’s also popular to take a trip to nearby Frigiliana, one of Andalusia’s beautiful white villages. The Balcón de Europa, with its charming atmosphere, also attracts many tourists. Finally, Nerja offers many wonderful hiking trails for exploring the surrounding landscape.

However, most people choose to holiday in Nerja because of its lovely beaches. The largest and most popular is Playa Burriana at the eastern end of the town, with numerous lively bars and restaurants. Right by the Balcón de Europa, you’ll also find Playa Calahonda and Playa Calatilla. In total, Nerja has 12 beaches within its municipality, stretching over 13 kilometers of coastline.

Great Restaurants in Nerja

Despite its size, Nerja is used to accommodating many tourists throughout the summer. This means a relatively large number of dining options are available. There are both excellent restaurants and plenty of small tapas bars where locals drop by for a quick bite of fish.

Since Roman times, Nerja has been a popular spot for landing fish, which is evident on the menu. If you prefer a hearty steak or gourmet dishes, Nerja offers those too.

If you’re just looking for a good glass of wine or a cold beer, you’ll be pleased to know that Nerja keeps the traditional tapas culture alive. When you order a drink, you often get a small tapa: a bit of ham, fried fish, or albondigas, delicious Spanish meatballs.

How to Get to Nerja?

The easiest way to reach Nerja is to fly into Malaga airport. From there, you can choose to rent a car and drive either the motorway or the coastal road to Nerja. It’s basically just right and straight ahead the rest of the way!

If, like us, you prefer not to rent a car, it’s actually even easier to get from Malaga to Nerja by public transport. Buses run directly from Malaga airport to Nerja. Currently, the bus operates four times a day, and you can find more information on Omio. Omio is a free app and website where you can find bus and train routes across Europe – AND often buy your ticket for the journey right away.

You can also take the bus from Malaga’s main bus station. Here, you have even more departures to choose from, which you can check on Omio. You can find the bus station in Malaga here: Estación de Autobuses.

Find a Great Hotel in Nerja

Nerja is a small town, but there are surprisingly many hotels. Many tourists come here on a charter holiday, but if you prefer to book independently, it’s just as easy. We chose to stay a little outside the town center, but still just a few minutes’ walk to the Balcón de Europa. At our small boutique hotel, Hotel Boutique Sibarys, located on one of the quieter streets, it was quiet all day and night.

Even though the hotel is just a short walk from Playa Calahonda, it features its own cozy pool and a pool bar. We had a delightful small balcony with views of the pool and the sea. The balcony, furnished with a small table and two chairs, provided the perfect spot for us to relax and soak up the evening sun before going out to explore the town’s restaurants. In the mornings, breakfast is served in the intimate dining room located in the basement, offering a buffet that truly lives up to the motto “small but superb!”

Hotel Boutique Sibarys is an adults-only hotel, and it was quite clear that only fellow hedonists like ourselves were staying there! Sibarys is a hotel you stay at if you enjoy relaxing and want to be close to the town life but still have enough peace to take a midday nap in the sun lounger without being disturbed.

Read more about the hotel here: Hotel Boutique Sibarys and see all the other hotels in Nerja by clicking here. You can also make your own search for hotels in Nerja right here:

Booking.com