Not counting a city break to Barcelona, this was our first trip to Spain for a holiday and I’d chosen the region after reading up about the various places to stay; as we’re not beach bunnies Nerja seemed to be a good base for some exploring. My first impression upon arriving was that the town was incredibly busy and I wondered if I’d made the right decision but after unpacking and walking to Balcon de Europa I began to relax. I love the feeling around that area and all the little streets that lead off it. I have read complaints that it’s too ‘British’, untidy and dirty but I didn’t find that in the areas we were at. Granted Nerja is a big place and we didn’t go to any of the urbanisations or English/Irish Bars or most of the beaches but I never saw any of that anywhere we went. All of the people we met were very friendly and it certainly felt like I was ‘abroad’ rather than in Blightly.

We stayed in a private rental in the Torresol apartments at Torrecilla Beach and were extremely lucky as at time of year we could always get parked directly outside. The apartment itself was very clean, comfortable and well appointed (a washing machine ensured I’d done most of my washing before I got a home which made a nice change). Torrecilla Beach was fine for us, we’re not ones for the beach so I enjoyed the 2 days we spent there. We didn’t go to any of the others with that one being so close to the apartment.

I was surprised by the international mixture of restaurants in Nerja, I think that’s because when we holiday we usually stay in much smaller places. I must say we had some great meals. Our favourite places were –
Mason Antonio (Diputacion) – great value local food, friendly staff and there seemed to be lots of locals there.
Rey Alfonso (down some steps at the end of Balcon de Europa) - quality food, good choice and nice wine.
Sollun (Almirante Ferrandiz) – Brilliant place and excellent for a special occasion with only 5 tables. We didn’t book but were lucky to be able to get a table on the night we went. I had a fantastic beetroot and strawberry soup with salted beef to start followed by suckling pig with apple and macademia nuts. The service was excellent from start to finish and you get little bits in between courses to clear your palate etc. Reminded me of one of Gordon Ramsay’s places but at a fraction of the price, I can’t recommend it enough.
Vinoletta (Antonio Millon) - lovely tapas and wine bar. Great choice and attentive service with many wines, ports and tapas to chose from. The free tapas we got were so lovely we just had to add to them and ended up staying in there the whole evening. Somehow we both had a hangover the next day!!!
Au Petit Paris (Calle Malaga) – charming French restaurant run by a couple from France that has a lovely atmosphere, good hospitality and excellent food.

We had some lovely days out –
The Nerja caves were amazing and afterwards we parked up and visited the nearby aquaduct, such a shame they don’t seem to be preserving it.
Frigiliana is so pretty and it’s nice to be able to walk about in many of the streets without cars. There are lots on interesting nooks and crannies up the side streets. We had some lovely tapas for lunch there too.
We took a day out in Las Alujarras taking in Orgiva, Bubion and Trevelez. The scenery changes often, which I liked but if I’m honest it was my least favourite day out. The mountains didn’t really ‘do’ it for me although I’d imagine it’s great for those of you who hike and cycle.
Ronda was one of my favourite places – it’s absolutely beautiful. We visited the Bull Ring while we were there and spent ages wandering around the streets, stopping off at churches, museums and various places of interest. The views are simply stunning and I don’t imagine I’d ever get tired of them if I lived there. I also managed to do a bit of shopping and bring home one of their lovely tablecloths.
Granada’s Alhambra Palace was a must see for me and when got there it didn’t disappoint. I’d booked an afternoon visit for the Nasrid Palaces so we wandered into town for a bit and had a fabulous lunch at a little place near the cathedral – it was a menu of the day serving gazpacho soup, paella and fresh fruit for the princely sum of 9E, what a delicious bargain. Afterwards we walked back up to the Alhambra. Sadly the Lion courtyard is being restored at the moment but that didn’t detract from the enjoyment, every surface has been carved and sculpted, wood is mixed with marble and tile and water plays a big part. It’s a lovely place to visit and I’d highly recommend it.

Hope that helps with anyone planning a trip to the area.

Many thanks for the report. I'm glad the area didn't disappoint.

luci

Thanks a lot Puddleduck for all that very useful info. Sounds just my kind of place: enough to do & see/plenty of places to eat ( restaurants sound great!) without being overly spoilt.
Can't wait ...only 2 weeks to go.
Was in Ronda about 20 years ago & agree it is really worth seeing. Won't be going there this time but have taken note of your other recommendations.
Can I just ask how to 'did' Granada? Did you book online before departure from UK?
We will have a hire car but my 'driver' isn't that keen to drive to Granada. Is it a big town/city?
Did you notice any organised trips from Nerja or do you think it's better being independent?

I've been checking regularly for your report & it didn't disappoint! Loads of helpful info for HT memebers.
Thanks Again

Hi there,

I can't day I noticed any trips being advertised in Nerja, but that's probably because we didn't need them as we had a hire car the whole time. There is a tourist office near the Balcon de Europa though so I'm sure they could point you in the right direction.

Granada is an incredibly easy drive from Nerja. My hubby drove there and I drive back. The roads are good and it's well sign posted. Follow the signs from Nerja on the motorway towards Motril, you'll then see signs for Granada and you just need to follow them, eventually you'll start to see the signs for the Alhambra and if you follow them they take you straight to the massive car park at the Alhambra. From there you can walk into town like we did so it means that you're not hassled by having to drive in the city centre.
You must book your Alhambra tickets before you go as they only allow a certain number of visitors per day. We chose an afternoon visit so we didn't have to rush to get up and away from Nerja early in the morning, giving us plenty of time to get there and to see something of the town beforehand. I used the instructions under an excellent post on Trip Advisor, it's recently been updated under this link here - http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1 ... lusia.html

Let me know if you need anything else.

Ok you've convinced me! ............we've decided to drive. As long as sign-posting is good there shouldn't be a problem.
Thanks again for all the useful advice.

No problem. I hope you enjoy the trip. Allow about an hour and a half to get there.

sounds like an idyllic holiday. Great report

Lovely report Puddleduck. It's over forty years since I was last in Nerja, your report has made me want to visit again.

Judith

thats the thing about reading reports - I keep wanting to go there as well

That's why my 'places to visit' list keeps getting bloomin' longer

Well, we've been & are back.
Can't really add much to Puddleduck's excellent comprehensive report. Loved Nerja & thought it retained quite a Spanish feel despite the many British & other foreigners living there.
Alhambra was definitely worth the visit as were the caves. Was a bit disappointed in Frigliana...very nice but didn't think it was outstanding.
Lots of good restaurants in Nerja to choose from. In addition to Puddleduck's recommendations I'd recommend Scarletta's & if you're staying at the Burriana Beach end of town you must try the Burriana Property Cafe which doubles up as an estate agents during the day. Food excellent & very friendly service. The best meal & value to be had!
I'd be very happy to return to Nerja

Glad you enjoyed it Toastedmallow.

Hi Puddleduck. Just been reading your reviews above. Wondering if you could help me with some info re the Torresol Apartments you rented whilst in Nerja.
My wife and I are considering booking there and basically we're looking for some re assurance that the vendor (sarah McNulty) is the real deal? Been looking for independant reviews but yours, so far, is the only recent one i can find (all other a few years old).

Thanks in advance for any advice/ information you can pass on.

DeeC

Hi Dee,

I'm afraid we didn't use Sarah so I can't comment. This is the one I booked - http://www.thisisnerja.com/rentals/nerja108/index.php
Any owner should be prepared to put you in touch with previous guests so ask if you are unsure. I'd posted on a TA forum before we went and were told that some of those apartments are owner occupied and some rentals aren't as modernised as others but I can hand on heart say that the photos on the website were exactly what we found when we got there. The pool area is private and you need a key to get in which stops non-guests getting in. There aren't any sun loungers though but the ones on the beach are lovely and comfortable and the guy who rents them was very friendly.

You don't say what time of year you are going but if it's high season you will struggle to find parking right outside as there isn't much space (we were lucky as we went in October) but we read before we went that parking overall is a problem in Nerja.

Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.