Day Trips From Nerja

As we saw last week, there's penty to do if you’re holidaying in Nerja. However, there are many more places worth seeing a bit further than the beautiful whitewashed village of Frigiliana or the breath-taking Nerja Caves. If you drive west, you can visit the region's capital city, Malaga or celebrity favorites Marbella and Puerto Banus. If you decide to head east, you can find the spectacular Granada with its world famous Alhambra Palace.

Let's take a look at those amazing places:

MALAGA
Distance: 50 km - 1 hour drive
Being a bigger city, Malaga has much more to offer than the coastal pueblos of the region. Nevertheless, we decided to stay in Nerja instead because it's much quieter and therefore relaxing which is what we were aiming for. Still, we couldn't go back to Madrid without visiting Malaga. As we had an amazing beach in Nerja, we swapped the bathing suit for our walking shoes and decided to do some sightseeing.

Malaga's old town is charming. I recommend visiting the main shopping street, Larios, and historical buildings like the city hall, the cathedral or the colorful episcopal palace. Also, the Alcazaba is a palace that is similar to Alhambra but not as spectacular. It used to be the palace fortress of the city’s Muslim rulers. Last but not least, a walk along the port's promenade when the temps go down is also a delight.

WHERE TO STAY:
If you decide that one day in Malaga is not enough, you can spend the night in one of these dreamy hotels.

• El Parador de Malaga Gibralfaro

It's located atop Mount Gibralfaro opposite the Alcazaba from which you get amazing views of the bay and city.

• Palacio Miramar

This stunning 5-star hotel has served different purposes since it opened in 1926. It has been hotel, hospital during the Civil War, Palace of Justice and finally it reopened as a hotel again in 2016. 

WHAT TO EAT:
If you go to Malaga, you need to try the most famous dish: espetos. Pescaito frito (fried fish) is popular all around Andalusia but espetos are typical from Malaga. You may be wondering what that odd word means. Espeto is a traditional way of cooking freshly-caught sea fish, most often sardines. The verb espetar means to skewer. The fish is skewered, seasoned with a bit of olive oil and sea salt and cooked over a pit of coals which are usually in a little boat on the sand as you can see below. You can find this finger food all around Malaga, specially in beach restaurants.

A great place to try Andalusian food is Mercado de Atarazanas. This is Malaga's biggest market where apart from buying produce, meat and fish, you can eat seafood and delicious tapas as well.

BENALMADENA
Distance: 86km - 1 hour and 10 minute drive
In Benalmadena you can take a lovely walk along the marina which offers great shopping and dining. There's also a Sea Life Center where you can see a wide variety of marine wildlife.

MARBELLA
Distance: 128 km - 1 hour 30 minute drive
Marbella has been a favorite destination among celebrities for years. All the glamour has overshadowed the true charm of the city which lies in the lovely old town. Because of that, this hidden gem is often missed by visitors. The maze of narrow cobbled streets full of cute restaurants and bougainvillea hanging from white walls will remind you of whitewashed villages.

PUERTO BANUS
Distance: 9 km from Marbella
If you go to Marbella, Puerto Banus is a must-see. This luxury marina is filled with the biggest yachts and the most expensive sports cars in Europe. The stores and restaurants you can find here are pretty expensive as you can imagine. The place is full of life specially around the evening and at night.

GRANADA
Distance: 1 hour 15 minute drive heading east.
Ah, Granada, the crown jewel. This is the most popular day trip from Nerja. Granada is home to The Alhambra, the most spectacular Moorish palace in the world. To visit the Alhambra you need to reserve tickets well in advance since there is a restriction in the number of visitors per day.

Even though the Alhambra is the main attraction, Granada has much more to offer like the Albayzin -the traditional Muslim quarter- with its hilly and narrow streets or Sacromonte, the gypsy quarter with its flamenco venues.

If you want to head further afield you could visit Seville (260 km) or Cordoba (220 km) but you might want to consider spending the night there.

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