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Having previously visited the more well known resorts of the Costa Del Sol I decided to visit Nerja, pronounced “nerha”. Nerja is around 1 hours drive from Malaga airport, car hire is probably the best option although taxis are readily available at around 70 euros each way.

The resort was once a very quiet fishing village but now has grown dramatically however has managed to escape the high-rise brigade as most new builds are built in Moorish style, low rise and whitewashed to keep in character with the old quarter of the town. The resort is split into different areas and has 7 beaches, the best, in my opinion being Burriana Beach. I found the resort to be very very steep in parts and if you have walking difficulties and are staying outside the town then car hire is recommended, otherwise make sure you have comfy shoes and be prepared to work your calf muscles!! At the centre of the resort is the old quarter and the fabulous Balcon De Europa, the balcony of Europe which used to be a Moorish castle and now has a lovely tiled long promenade and offers a wonderful view over the sea. The old quarter has winding narrow streets with whitewashed houses and is full of restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. As well as the Sierra Almijara Mountains which provide the backdrop to Nerja, another spectacular sight are the Nerja Caves. They are around 3 kms from the centre and run around 5 kms in total - in fact they house the worlds widest column. I would definitely recommend a visit to the caves and if you are lucky enough you may be able to attend a concert as one of the caverns has been transformed into a natural theatre.

Sightseeing options are endless with trips to Granada, Seville, the Rhonda Mountains and Morocco. I decided to visit Gibraltar, and after a very early departure I arrived in Gibraltar around 3 hours later, not much to see along the way as most of the journey is motorway but as you get nearer you catch glimpses of this giant rock. The border is whacky and wonderful as you have to go through Spanish and British customs both ways, don’t forget you will need your passport. Once over the border you drive across the airport landing strip to get to the town. There is a cable car to the top of the rock and this takes around 10 minutes from top to bottom stopping at various points. The operation does depend on weather conditions, the day we visited it was closed so decided to take a minibus tour, this was a great option and the drivers have to be commended on how they manage the steep narrow roads of the rock!! In fact I commented on a vehicle coming down the road the wrong way and was told the road was a 2 way road. Views from the top are fabulous and on a clear day you can see across the straits to North Africa. There are the Caves of St Michael to stop at half way up but for me the highlight was the free roaming Barbary Apes; they get on with their business oblivious to all the onlookers. Gibraltar is definitely worth visiting, tax free and everything is priced and sold in British pounds. For me I was a little disappointed as I expected more of a colonial influence than there was.
If you decide to visit Nerja I would recommend bed and breakfast or self catering as there are a huge amount of choices for eating out ranging from Mexican, Chinese, Indian, English food, tapas bars but my favourite and my top tip for Nerja is AYO situated on the Burriana Beach. Ayo is well known in Spain for his Paella and this is cooked everyday, outdoors on huge wood fires and priced at 6 euros with free top ups, it is amazing! I visited for Sunday lunch and the atmosphere was wonderful with locals coming from very far a field for the Paella and situated right on the beach the view is great – make sure you eat there.

I will definitely holiday in Nerja again.