Click to jump to the location you’re interested in:
Centro / Balcón De Europa – Plaza de España – Playa La Caletilla – Playa Del Salón – Playa De Carabeo – Parador Area – Playa de Burriana – Playa De Calahonda – Playa Carabeillo – Playa La Torrecilla – El Playazo Beach – Tutti Frutti – Capistrano – Verano Azul – Punta Lara – Tamango Hill – Almijara
Know Nerja’s Different Areas & Beaches
There’s such a lot going on in and around Nerja, here we help you make some sense of what’s where, so that you can make the very most of your time in the town!
Centro / Balcón De Europa
The centre of town stretches out around the famous Balcón De Europa, and is packed with cafés, restaurants, shops, all of the services and amenities you could want or need – views out over the glittering Mediterranean Sea, cobbled streets with tumbling bougainvillea…. a true holiday paradise all year round. Most services and areas of Nerja are within walking distance of the town centre, so you don’t need a car here once you’ve arrived – you can stroll around enjoying the smells wafting from the endless supply of restaurants and other eateries.
Here you’ll find a coarse, dark sandy beach stretching out approximately 200 metres in front of apartments. You can access this small stretch of rugged coastline tucked between the cliffs and greenery on foot, via a little street near the El Salvador Church or the steep hill of Calle Salón. It’s very central, with access to all of the amenities that come with that location – perfect for grabbing lunch, or drinks. Visitors will find that a kiosk on the beach sells refreshments, and there are also showers, toilets, a lifeguard and sunbed rentals.
This popular beach is bang in the centre of Nerja! The beach is on the western side of the Balcón de Europa, and although it’s directly in front of the Hotel Balcón de Europa, it’s not a private beach, it’s also very much accessible to the public!
To get here, access the beach via a footbridge from Calahonda beach (below) or walk down past Chochrans.
It’s a small, well maintained beach, however good things come in small packages and this is a fantastic, sandy little cove with direct access to the water; ideal for families with children! There are showers, and you can park just a few minutes walk away at Parking Balcón de Europa (Plaza De España).
This often very busy space, once known as ‘Plaza Paseo Nuevo’, is a large square in the very centre of town, with the Balcón de Europa municipal car park underneath.
Plaza de España is often used for community events and markets, and is lined with places to eat, drink and stay on the ground floor, with many apartments on the top floor.
As you walk out towards the Balcón de Europa, you pass by Nerja Town Hall.
Playa de Calahonda
Look to the left from the top of the Balcón De Europa and there it is: Calahonda beach, a small sandy beach, right there in the centre of Nerja amongst all of the amenities! Once the site of a much-enjoyed night club, ‘Papagayo’ (with a brilliant music policy, this was years ago now…) – these days you’ll find only a restful beach with lapping waves, sunbathers, and fishermens’ boats bobbing up and down on the shoreline.
Subject to the tide you can walk there from Burriana Beach, but otherwise, this small cove of about 120 metres sits at the bottom of a set of steps so it may not be suitable access for all – however it’s a treat once you get down there! To get there simply head down Calle Carabeo (where Little Italy is), walking away (heading east) from the center of Nerja, and you’ll come across the top of the steps. Peaceful, usually quiet and tucked away between the cliffs – perfect!
Just outside the centre to the east, to get there you walk down Calle Carabeo away from the centre, and when you come out near Bakus restaurant and the viewpoint, you cross over the roundabout and keep heading East, and there you’ll see the Parador Hotel.
Situated to the east of the centre, it’s one of the most popular beaches in Nerja, and you can see why! A long, wide beach stretches out in front of the glistening blue waters, with all kinds of attractions on offer for beach-goers! You can do everything from volleyball, to hiring a paddle boat! Sunbathe, sip a mocktail or cocktail whilst relaxing on the sofas in a beachside bar, browse the shops or take a bite to eat in one of the many beachside restaurants! A holidaymaker’s dream!
To get there, you walk from the centre of town, down Calle Carabeo (where Little Italy is), and then you come out, past Bakus restaurant to a large viewpoint. Here you continue on past, passing the roundabout and walking towards the Parador hotel. You walk past the hotel up an alley, and out to the top of what locals call ‘Cardiac Hill’, which looks out over Burriana Beach!
You’ll find this beach just at the end of Burriana beach, between Carabeo Beach and Burriana. It’s usually quite quiet, and you should probably take your own refreshments to save having to walk up the many steps to the shops, or along the beach to Burriana where you’ll find anything and everything you need!
Torrecilla Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Nerja, to the west of the centre, offering the perfect locale just a short stroll from the centre, for a spot of sunbathing, or paddling with the kids in the refreshing, shallow waters. In fact, this beach is one of two in Nerja that regularly receives the prestigious ‘Blue Flag’, awarded by the European Union, and also the ‘Q for Quality’ flag that’s issued in Spain.
There are toilets and showers, and you can hire sunbeds and parasols here – or it’s easy to bring your own with you if you prefer, with the beach being so central. Around the beach you will find a wide range of shops, restaurants and cafés, all within just five minutes walk from the centre of town! Perfect for a cool and refreshing drink in the sunshine, taking in the view of the beach, or even a glass of wine watching a stunning sunset.
To the far west of the town, this undeveloped area is Nerja’s longest beach – so there’s plenty of room for beach games, swimming and sunbathing! If you’re looking for all of the frills and spills of a well-serviced beach you should probably look at Burriana or Torrecilla instead – whereas if you value space and peace, and perhaps a very reasonably priced meal in a beachside chiringuito, then this could be a good place to head to!
This square hosts the late-night nightlife in Nerja, and it’s where you’ll find ‘the party’ when most other places are closed after hours.
Also Of Note:
This is a residential development slightly outside of the centre of town, which offers residents the feel of a traditional Andalucian white village, or ‘pueblo blanco’, boasting narrow cobbled streets and pretty, colourful gardens with trees, flowers and plants, creating a year-round tropical feel. There are now multiple developments, all built in the same traditional style but with all of the modern conveniences inside – in fact residents enjoy such amenities within the grounds of the developments, as bars, swimming pools, a café and restaurant, and even a supermarket!
You’ll probably hear this mentioned quite a bit; Verano Azul is an enclosed complex located just off Avenida de Pescia, the main road (where the bus station is located) – only 500 metres (or 10 minutes walk) from Burriana beach and about 1500m from the centre. Residents benefit from tropical gardens, communal pools as well as a restaurant. It’s very popular with families being enclosed, and with lots of attractive outdoor space (and no cars!), and there are plenty of shops and cafes nearby on Avenida de Pescia, including a great supermarket.
This hillside urbanisation can be found on the western edge of Nerja, opposite the Marinas de Nerja Hotel and apartments. At the Punta Lara development you will find residential homes and short term holiday rental villas and apartments, alongside a communal pool, poolside bars and a restaurant. To get there you could take a tax for about 8 euros, or hop on the bus – you could also walk it if you enjoy a long walk, it’s about half an nour from the centre, but the hill on the way up is very steep!.
This peaceful development of detached villas is situated approximately 3km from the centre of Nerja slighly north and to the west, with multi-level houses built into the hillside, boasting beautiful terraces, balconies with enviable sea views and often private swimming pools!
Named after the Sierra Almijara mountains that sit behind Nerja, this group of residential developments is situated slightly to the north of Nerja and includes Almijara, Almijara II and Almijara III.
