Nerja

Nerja is one of those gorgeous villages of the Costa del Sol which are favoured by the British as a holiday or a retirement destination. Thanks to this we were slightly apprehensive about the place and it seemed we heard just as much English on the street as Spanish. Later however we warmed up to it and enjoyed walking on its streets.

Nerja is built on the side of a hill so some of its roads are a bit steep. It is a starting point for many lovely walks in the area thanks to the gorgeous mountain scenery that can be found in its vicinity. The village has a few little sandy beaches which I imagine get very crowded during summer however when we were there they were empty. We loved walking on its streets and popping in to try a few of its 400 bars and restaurants. Thanks to our hotel´s suggestions we found the ones where they served us ‘free’ tapa with our drinks.

The most important place in Nerja is the Balcón de Europa or Balcony of Europe which is a spectacular viewpoint over the sea and the village. The name was given by nobody else but King Alfonso in 1885 who according to the rumors was so stunned by the beauty of the scenery that he claimed that this is the Balcony of Europe. Here’s a photo of King Alfonso and Paul enjoying the vista together.

I personally think even though it’s a place definitely overrun by the British it does have its advantages. The town looks very scenic, the roads are clean and the houses are all maintained very well. There is an abundance of shops and a great variety of restaurants that caters for British tastes meaning you can have your English fry-up for breakfast if you feel like it. Don’t dismiss it so easily, it’s definitely worth a stroll.