Nerja in a day: your walking guide

Where your driver drops you

Your driver will drop you and pick you up by Plaza de España in the centre, about 100 metres from the Balcón de Europa, or wherever the driver can stop safely nearby. The old town is mostly pedestrian, so this is the closest practical point.

Before you go

• Book your Cuevas de Nerja tickets online in advance: entry is by time slot and busy days sell out, especially in summer and holidays. Check current hours; the caves close earlier outside summer.
• Tell your driver your cave time. The caves are about 5 minutes away by car in Maro, and your driver can take you there and back if arranged beforehand.
• Swimwear and a towel if you want a swim at Burriana or Calahonda.
• Good shoes: the cave has many steps and is humid, and the path down to the beaches is steep.
• Sun protection and water in summer.

Your walking route

1. 1

   Balcón de Europa · 20 min

   A palm-lined promenade on a headland with views along the coast in both directions. It stands where an old fort once was; the old cannons are still there.

2. 2

   Iglesia de El Salvador · 10 min

   The white church right beside the Balcón, dating from the 17th century. Pop in if it is open.

3. 3

   Calahonda beach · 20 min

   A small cove just below the Balcón, reached by steps, with fishermen's huts built into the cliff. Good for a look, less so for a long swim.

4. 4

   The old town lanes · 30 min

   Walk the white streets behind the Balcón, such as Calle Pintada and Calle Cristo, with small shops and cafés. The Plaza de España is at the top of it all.

5. 5

   Burriana beach · 75 min

   Nerja's main beach, about 15 to 20 minutes' walk east of the Balcón through town, with a steep stretch at the end. Sunbeds, beach bars and a good spot for lunch.

6. 6

   Cuevas de Nerja · 75 min

   Huge caverns discovered in 1959, with prehistoric remains and giant rock formations. It is a 5-minute drive from town: arrange it with your driver around your ticket time.

Where to eat

• On Burriana beach, try espetos: sardines grilled on skewers over an open wood fire, a Málaga tradition.
• Pescaíto frito (mixed fried fish) and ajoblanco, a cold almond and garlic soup, are local staples.
• The lanes just behind the Balcón de Europa are full of tapas bars; prices drop a street or two back from the promenade.
• In Frigiliana, look for miel de caña, a dark cane syrup still made in the village, often served over fried aubergine.

Best photo spots

• The end of the Balcón de Europa, looking along the coves and cliffs.
• Calahonda beach from above, with its fishing boats and the cliff houses.
• Inside the caves: the main hall with its giant column (check the rules on photography at the entrance).
• In Frigiliana, the corner of Calle Real and Calle Hernando el Darra, the village's best-known view.

If you have time

• Frigiliana (optional add-on): a white village of steep, cobbled lanes about 10 minutes inland. Ask your driver to drop you at the lower part of the village near Plaza de las Tres Culturas, then walk up through the old Moorish quarter along Calle Real. Allow at least 1 to 1.5 hours.
• The Aqueduct of the Águila near Maro, a 19th-century brick aqueduct you can see on the way to or from the caves; ask your driver if a short stop is possible.
• Maro beach, a small cove below the village of Maro, good for snorkelling; the access road is steep and parking is restricted in summer.
• The Nerja Museum in Plaza de España, which tells the story of the caves and the town (entry is included with the cave ticket).