Soaking up the sun in Costa Del Sol // Nerja, Spain
Jackpot! We NAILED it with our weekend in the Costa Del Sol in Nerja, Spain.
I had wanted two very basic things: sunshine and water. What we got was: a charming Spanish town, stunning views, ridiculously yummy tapas, culture, AND a sunny beach. A blissful weekend before our final days in our wedding countdown (ONE month from today I’ll be a Mrs., ah!).
Here’s the deal. Getting to Nerja is actually a CHEAP cake walk. We flew via RyanAir into Malaga, took the train to the city center then hopped a local bus for 4E to Nerja. (Yes, yes, that’s already three forms of transportation but I swear it’s straightforward!)
Upon arrival, we checked into our hotel right in the town center (highly recommended, only 75E/night with breaky and a gorgeous rooftop deck & pool), changed and headed down to the beach!
(cue uber-relaxing beach pics)
A beach cabana and cushy chair for 4 euro a day? Yes, please!
If it’s not obvious, all of these pictures were been taken in between beach-side naps…
Yawnnn… our tummies started grumbling. We stroll up to the boardwalk and check out our options.
The highly rated Sabor de Amor (Tapas Plaza) was an absolute win! Whoopsies, no pictures of the shrimp cakes and tapas that we quickly devoured!
Back to beach for another nap AND a 45 massage (for 15 Euro!), then a stroll into town.
Sighh, vacation-life is good-life.
Wrapping up our afternoon, we ducked into the hotel for showers then strolled to the main square to find a huge celebration for Dia de la Cruz taking place.
“Dia de la Cruz” (Day of the Cross), is said to have begun back in 1878. Traditionally the young men of Nerja and surrounding villages would sing to the marriable girls after midnight on April 30th. This tradition has now become an opportunity for the various localities of the town to get together as a community and enjoy music, food and dancing. (via)
The square was filled with groups of ladies in matching flamenco dresses and on lookers. In front of the church a stage was setup where the groups performed songs and dances. We lingered for quite awhile but at the time we were completely unsure of what was going on, it sure did add to the charm of the place though!
That evening we popped over to Maria Bonita for their infamous seafood paella. Color me delighted. It’s hard to tell but we shared the one side of the table (we do this often) so we could enjoy the ocean views at sunset. You really can’t beat a meal like that.
Paella in Spain is a hands-on ordeal – peeling locally caught shrimp, fresh mussels and squid in between generous scoops of rice smothered in a seasonings, squeezes of fresh lemon juice, and veggies. YUM. You can bet we cleaned our plates.
Let’s cut to the chase here – pencil in Nerja at the tippy-top of your beach bucket list. Cinque Terre, Almalfi, these destinations are GREAT but Nerja is off the map in an especially appealing way. Aside from the beauty of the landscape, it’s filled to the brim with authentic Spanish culture and tradition. We loved Nerja and will definitely return.
Have you gone somewhere with low expectations only to have your socks completely knocked off?