Nerja town is a great weekend getaway destination from Marbella. It’s about 50 km east of Málaga, taking us less than 2 hours to get there from our home. Nerja is a beautiful seaside resort of sandy coves sheltered by the stunning Sierra de Almijara mountains and is often called to as ‘The Jewel of the Costa del Sol’. We stayed at a romantic hotel called Hotel Carabeo. Now it’s closed for the winter season and will reopen in March 2018. It’s a classically elegant seven-room boutique hotel in a prime location. And it has a great restaurant downstairs, called Restaurant 34, where we enjoyed an excellent dinner one night. Do book in advance, as it's a very popular place to dine.
One of the reasons we visited Nerja was because of its stunning beaches and clear water. And just below our hotel was the beautiful Carabeo Beach - a natural cove between Burriana beach and the Balcon de Europa, surrounded by enormous rocks. There is a catch though - the beaches in Nerja are not with white soft sand. They’re more rough, comprising of small stones, but the sea water is truly clean and turquoise, making you forget about the little stones. And after a while, there is also sandy parts in the water. I took my aqua shoes with me, but you’ll be fine also without them if you wish.
Another beach you will definitely visit or at least pass by is the Burriana beach, which is probably the most popular beach in Nerja. It has a pretty setting and a nice combination of natural beauty and practical facilities. We enjoyed some lovely seafood in one Burriana’s chiringuitos on the beach and even though it was mid October, the beach and the restaurants were packed! Nerja has a very cool calm vibe, compared to Marbella’s flashy lifestyle, making it a perfect relaxing weekend getaway.
Carabeo Beach below the hotel
Burriana Beach
