Nerja Spain is a relaxed town on the southern coast of the country. Often overlooked in comparison to Marbella or Malaga, we chose Nerja due to its slower pace and smaller size. We stayed in Nerja during our 2-week Andalusia road trip in March 2024. We spent one full day here (two nights).
While Nerja is usually a beach destination, we were greeted with a lovely haze that blew in from a Saharan desert storm. This meant no beach day for us, and as a result we explored the surrounding areas. We will include a list of extra things to do at the end of the post that we didn’t get to see/do, as well as possible day trips. There is a map of all our suggestions at the end of this post. If you want to check out where we ate during our one day, our gluten free in Andalusia guide is here.
In this guide you will find:
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When is the best time to visit Nerja?
We travelled to Nerja in mid-March and had mixed weather. It was sunny the day we arrived, and would have been sunny the full day we spent there had it not been for the previously mentioned Saharan desert storm. We have family who have travelled there in February with wonderful weather in the high teens to low 20’s (Celsius).
Most travel websites will say to visit between May and September for great weather. However, these months are considered high tourist season, and you can expect crowds. Additionally, during July and August will be hot (think close to 40 degrees Celsius). This is also when locals abandon their city lives to head to the coast for holidays, meaning it will be much busier.
If heat is not your thing, visiting in October or April will still provide decent weather and hopefully be less crowded. You’re unlikely to get rain during these months and should still have sun and warm conditions (20-25 degrees Celsius).
The winter in Nerja will be the cheapest time to visit, as it is generally too cool to head to the area’s beaches. It will likely be 15-20 degrees Celsius though, so the temperatures should still be tolerable. If you’re hoping to avoid crowds and are on a budget, the winter is a great option.
Where to stay in Nerja?
We stayed MB Boutique Hotel, which was walking distance to the main town square and to the beach. The hotel came with free breakfast and parking, but the hotel has limited spaces that are first come first served. Luckily, because we were visiting during the off-season, there was street parking nearby. The bathroom situation is a little odd, with a separate shower stall and toilet stall that are simply in the room and not in a separate bathroom (likely fine for couples but perhaps not for larger families or friends). A note that this hotel is ages 13 and up only. Overall, we would recommend it for a reasonably priced, clean, and convenient option.
Explore Nerja hotel availability below:
Things to Do in Nerja
This is a list of things we did in or around Nerja during our one full day.
1. Playa Torrecilla
One of the main beaches in town, there is a promenade you can walk along if you don’t want to spend time at the beach itself. You can rent beach chairs here if you’re spending the day at the beach.
2. Balcon de Europa
A large structure built into and over top of the rock face. There is a massive patio on top where people gather to watch the sunset and catch a view of the water.
3. Town Center
Explore Nerja’s charming town center. If you’ve found yourself at Balcon de Europa, explore the cute streets that branch out from here. There are tons of cute shops and restaurants!
4. Frigiliana
Beautiful town about a 15-20 minute drive from Nerja. The town will only take about 2 hours to explore once you’ve parked. It is full of white houses, colourful flowers, and beautiful views.
5. Mirador de Cerro Gordo
A small walk from the parking area, you’ll be treated to a beautiful view of the coastline and water. There is a cute café here too where you can have a meal, and the Torre Vigia de Cerro Gordo which you can’t go inside but has plaques with history of the area.
6. Playa La Herradura
In the nearby town of Herradura, this is a large sandy beach lined with patios and restaurants. Many kiosks to rent water equipment here (closed due to weather when we were visiting). A note that it is quite a steep, windy hill to get into Herradura, so if you have a big car be careful!
7. Acueductor del Aguila
An impressive bridge composed of 4 levels of arches.
Extra Things to See & Do (that we didn’t get to)
1. Nerja Caves
We didn’t visit these personally, but they came highly recommended. The caves are about 10 minutes from the town center, require tickets, and you can book tours from Malaga.
2. Visit Malaga
Malaga is a major city on the coast not far from Nerja (45min drive or 1.5hr train). If you are in Nerja for multiple days and are not going to be visiting Malaga otherwise, you could take a day trip here.
3. Church of El Salvador
Picturesque church in the center of Nerja, you’re likely to pass this on your way to Balcon de Europa. You can go inside! We didn’t, we just passed by.
4. Museum of Nerja
Interactive museum, which some reviews say is small, but the fee to get in is not much. Good for a day with poor weather.
More Beaches
Since we didn’t have beach weather, we didn’t explore beaches in Nerja. However, here are some that popped up repeatedly during our research:
- Cala del Canuela (most secluded)
- Playa Burriana (best for water sports)
- Playa Carabeillo (only accessible via stairs)
- Playa Carabeo (one of the busiest)
- El Chorrillo (best for snorkelling)
- Playa Calahonda (next to Balcon de Europa)
- Playa El Salon (most charming)
- Playa El Playazo (largest)
MAP of Things to Do in Nerja
HOW TO USE THE MAP: Click on the Wanderlog logo in the bottom right corner to open the full-size map up in a new tab. There, you can choose to just look at one type of activity at a time or see all the activities on the map at once (click the 3 squares in the top right to choose). You can also export the map to Google Maps, share the map with others, or save the map.
Day Trips from Nerja
While we did not take any day trips from Nerja, we did visit some of these stops on the way to or from Nerja, or elsewhere on our 2-week Andalusia road trip. We visited Granada, Ronda, Frigiliana, and El Torcal de Antequera, but not the other places on this list. Many of these are super slow by train, but a reasonable distance for a day trip by car.
- Frigiliana, for white homes and cobblestone streets (20min drive)
- Antequerra, for a UNESCO heritage site and hiking (1hr 15min drive)
- Malaga, for a coastal city experience (45min drive or 1.5hr train)
- Sierra Nevada, for nature and mountain adventure (1.5hr drive)
- Almeria, for beaches (1.5hr drive)
- El Caminito del Rey, for a hike along gorges and boardwalks (1.5hr drive)
- Granada, for the Alhambra (1hr drive)
- Ronda, for the valley and bridge (just under 2hrs drive)
- Jaen, the olive oil capital of the world (just under 2 hrs drive)
If you’re not comfortable making a day trip on your own, a few tours from Nerja are available, such as to Granada and Caminito del Rey. It is more common for arranged tours to be from Malaga to these destinations, rather than starting in Nerja.
Helpful Planning Tips
I rely on these tools when planning my trips:
- Get Your Guide – book experiences such as the Nerja caves, day trips, and more
- Airalo eSIM – get Spanish data instantly on arrival, without roaming charges
- Stay22 – compare hotels across Nerja at a glance
- Wanderlog – keep track of your trip details, organize your itinerary, and map out your stops
