There’s something about Nerja which touches visitors. The climate is certainly one of the best in Europe, the local fruit and vegetables are second to none, and the welcome is undeniably warm. But, in addition, there is a feeling of belonging, of being amongst the contented, of joining a community whose quality of life is of primary importance.

Nerja, originally named Narixa, meaning “rich in water”, has many legends and stories which have been passed by word of mouth across the centuries, stemming from romance between the sun, moon and sea. The sea has always been - and still remains - the soul of the town. Thousands of visitors have chosen Nerja as their idyll; clean, shingle beaches, the charisma of the people, the gentle way of life and traditionally rich Andalusian culture. Nerja’s beaches, El Playazo, La Torrecilla, El Salon, Calahonda, El Chorillo, and Burriana stretch over 16 km of fine sand and clear waters.

The beach at Nerja: O.ver 16km of fine sand and clear waters

Foreigner home owners who live in Nerja for either part or all of the year have chosen to buy property in the least-spoiled area of the Costa del Sol. Unlike so many of the former small fishing villages to the west of Malaga, Nerja’s development over the last 35 years has been slow and measured. It has very few of the concrete tower blocks which litter the coast elsewhere. The town has welcomed foreign residents while it has maintained its unique Spanish character, it has encouraged foreigners to participate in local activities and has enabled their integration rather than segregation.

So, what is the attraction? Why do so many people decide that Nerja is their ideal place in the sun? The climate is a factor, of course. The average annual temperature is around 19°F (about 66°C), with highs in the Summer of over 30 C (86°F) in July and August which enjoy many cloudless days. Even then, in Summer Nerja tends to be 8 or 10 degrees cooler than the searing heat in cities such as Cordoba, where temperatures of over 40°C (104°F) are not uncommon.

In Winter, it can be chilly but there is never a frost Generally, daytime temperatures rarely fall below 10 C (50°F), and even in mid-winter can be nudging past 20°C (68°F). Rainfall is of critical importance in Andalucia where the land still provides employment and income for almost a tenth of the population. After a very dry spell in the early 1990’s, rainfall increased in the Winter of 1995-6 with a maximum of around 300 millimetres (about 12 inches) in one month the following Winter.

The generally fine weather throughout the Winter months encourages a wide range of English-language social activities in Nerja, reflecting the diversity of its foreign residents. The Nerja branch of the Royal British Legion and, nearby, the R.A.F. association look after the welfare of former service personnel. There is ‘The Nerja Players’ for play-readings and theatre, ‘The Serenaders’ for singing and concerts, the Lion’s Club whose weekly car-boot sale raises money for charities, the ‘King of Hearts Club’ for duplicate bridge, as well as Scottish Country Dancing, the ‘American Club’, the ‘International Club’ and dozens more. Several associations run regular fundraising coach trips to Gibraltar, Granada and further afield.

For sport, the “GINS” (Golf International Nerja Society) play at least twice a week from October onwards, while there is tennis, petanque and skiing readily available. Club Deportivo Nerja, the local football team, are placed at mid-position in the Malaga Senior League, with home matches almost every other Sunday afternoon at the soccer ground near the Ambulatorio (Health Centre).

A good social life in Nerja often involves eating and drinking, and there’s no better place for both! The town reputedly offers more places to eat per head of population, than anywhere else in Spain - around 400 bars and restaurants. The benefit to the consumer, apart from choice, is that standards are high and prices are reasonable. Eating places range from “cheap and cheerful” to 3 and 4 stars, from traditional Andalucian cuisine through British, Chinese, Greek, Indian, and others, and from tapas to Sunday roasts - they’re all in Nerja.

Drinking and driving laws are much the same as in other European countries including Ireland, Germany, Italy and Britain. The difference in Nerja is that it is quite safe to walk home late at night after a glass or two of wine, even through deserted back streets. Crime levels are generally low and tend to be opportunistic. So being sensible - locking up the house properly, not displaying your wallet to the pickpocket, and driving carefully - pays dividends.

One of the finest views in the south of Spain can be seen from the Balcon de Europa in Nerja’s heart. This promontory, named by King Alfonso XII in 1885, is the place to be at sunset on a Summer’s night when the curve of the earth can clearly be seen on the horizon across the Mediterranean. On a clear day the coast of Morocco can be clearly defined, confirming the important cultural link between Spain and its Arab neighbours. Nearby, is the 17th century Church of El Salvador, recently restored.

Nerja is a fine town, changing as Andalucia changes and improving as technology improves, which will forever retain a character unique to the Axarquia, that ham-shaped wedge stretching east from Malaga to the border of the Granada province, and north to the Sierra de Tejada. Its position on the coast of this rugged and beautiful area makes a delightful resort to visit and a secure home to live in for its 15,000 residents.

HISTORY OF NERJA

The Arabs called it Narixa or Narija (abundant fountain), and this location is settled on a natural spot on the spurs of the Almijara mountain range.

Its tropical landscape marked out by plantations of sugar cane, offers on the other hand its nearby mountains a great deal of small and big game. 51 kms. away from Malaga and only 25 from the capital of the Axarquia, Velez-Malaga, in a place where simplicity is the protagonist when its more than 13000 inhabitants deal with the visitors. Nerja was inhabited by man. The excavations that have taken place and the different remains found, date the city some 30000 years back. Its urban area was a Roman settlement as its proximity to Detunda(Maro) shows. Its charming popular architecture, with the white walls dotted with flowers, oozes Andalusian flavour and it is in harmony with the marvellous view we can admire from the Balcon de Europa (Balcony of Europe), situated on a cliff where there used to stand a castle. Nerja also boasts a lively nightlife based upon typical restaurants, discos, music cafes, flamenco clubs, as well as shops with articles for all tastes.

As always, past and present come together and all this activities take place under the watchfull look of the remains of the ancient Roman road “Castulo-Malaga” the Hermitage of Ntra. Sra. de la Angustias,dating from the XVII century, and the Baroque Parish-Church of El Salvador, built in the XVII century. Out of its three naves, the central one still keeps its old wooden framework. Maro, the second urban nucleus of Nerja, with its Moorish savouriness, and more than 800 inhabitants, most of them fishermen and peasants, has played a star role in the history of Nerja. This is shown by monuments like el ingenio, trapiche or mill, the XVII century Church of Ntra. Sra. de las Maravillas, the Sugar Factory and the Nature Reserve of Los Acantilados, not forgetting its Acueducto del Aguila, and the world famous ” Cave of Nerja” Maro also has a magnificent beach which is part of the more than 16 km. belonging to Nerja, together with those of Burriana, Calahonda, Playazo, Carabeo, La Torrecilla, El Salon, La Caleta de Maro, Rio de la Miel, or El Cañuelo, all of them with clear waters, and offering the opportunity of practising, among other sports, underwater fishing.

During the year, the traveller can enjoy the Cavalcade of the Three Wise Men, The Feasts of San Anton in Maro, the Carnivals in February, an interesting Holy Week, the Romeria of San Isidro on May the 15, the typical feasts of San Juan in June the Maritime Procession of the Virgen del Carmen in July, the Festivals of Music and Dance of the Cave of Nerja in July-August, the Feasts of the Maravillas in Maro from the 8 to the 10 of September and the Patronal Feasts from the 9 to the 12 of October.

THE CAVES OF NERJA

A few kilometres east of Neija are the Caves of Nerja, beside the charming village of Maro. Between the shores of the Mediterranean and the wild foothills of the Sierra Almijara mountains, hundreds of thousands of visitors arrive every year to the caves, making this unique and valuable historical cavern one of Spain’s most visited sites.

The Nerja Caves were discovered in 1959, when a group of boys from Maro, out playing, made their way in through a narrow passageway situated at the bottom of a small cavity known as “The Mine”. Little did they imagine what they would discover there. In 1960 a proper entrance was made in order to allow visits, The caves were first known as the Caves of Wonders, although this was later changed to the present name, and declared as an Historic Artistic Monument on the 15th June 1961.

Once a year in July, the silence of the caverns is broken by the Festival of the Caves of Nerja, with famous national and international artistes participating.

The Nerja Caves are situated approximately 3 kilometres west of the town of Nerja. They are located on the meridian slope of the Sierra Almijara mountain, with its entrance at some 158 metres above sea level, and less than a 1 kilometre from the coastline. The caves can be reached by turning off the national N340 main road, immediately opposite Maro, on the stretch between Nerja and Almunecar. The caves are spacious inside and not in the least claustrophobic.

CONTACT DATA

Open daily from 1000 - 1400 and 1600 - 1830 (1600 - 2000 in July and August).

Cueva de Nerja, Maro, Nerja 29787 Tel: 952 529 520

LOCATION

Situated in the Andalusia region of La Axarquia, between the Acantilados de Maro Natural Par and the Tejada and almijara Sierras National Game Reserve, about 5 km from Nerja and 1 km from the old municipal district of Maro.

Access is from the N340.

The caves are open from 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 18:30.

In July and August, the evening visiting hours are from 16:00 to 20:00

Length of the cavity: 7 219,28 m.
Levels spread: 67,95 metres
Total Surface: 35 484 m2
Total Volume: 264 379,33 m3

Discovered by schoolboys hunting for bats in 1959, the collection of caverns was soon recognised as being one of the most important cave systems in the country. They provided archaeological proof that Cro-Magnon lived in these parts more than 20,000 years ago and the rupestrian paintings discovered there depicting dolphins are the only known examples from the Upper Palaeolithic era.

It takes about an hour to wander round all the caverns, more if you like caves. And these are quite special. Apart from good lighting , the biggest impression is made by the 60 metre high stalactic pillar in the furthest chamber. You can also see, high in the end wall, a red light which marks the entrance to another bigger system still unopened to the public.

Every June there is a Festival Of Music and Dance held in the auditorium in the first cave which provides a magical backdrop to ballet, classical music and singing. Top names perform and the seating is limited so enquire about tickets well in advance.

It is possible to explore some of the chambers and caverns not yet open to the public by joining a speleological group, consisting of a maximum 10 people over the age of 14. No special physical skills are necessary, so ring for details.

Scientists investigating cave fauna have recently discovered species that were thought to be extinct in the caves. Amongst these, in areas not open to the public, are scarab beetles and blind scorpions. Alberto Atinavt, department head at the University of Granada, is carrying out studies on the interior and exterior micro fauna of the cave.

The Cave of Nerja, which has been declared an Historic-Artistic Monument, is 4,283 m long, of which only a third can be visited by the public. Particularly impressive is the 32 m-tall Hall of the Cataclysm. It has been calculated that this space was fashioned by the fall of 1,000 billion drops of water. The visitor’s attention will also be drawn to the Hall of the Phantoms and the Hall of the waterfall.

Tecky stuff!

These caves are the formation of karstic cavities, with its origin in the chain of the geologic processes occurred within the last 5 million years. In the period of Triassic significant quantities of the calcareous mud settled down on the fond of the ancient Mediterranean sea, later on transforming into the calcareous-dolomite marble, which at present shelter the Caves of Nerja. In the period of the alpine orogeny (the end of Cretaceous – beginning of Miocene), started 65 million years ago and lasting up to 5 million years ago, drifts between tectonic layers of Africa and Europe resulted in the creation of the Beticas mountains, such as Sierra Tejeda or Almijara. The abundance of rain in the last 5 million years (Superior Mioceneand – Inferior Pleistocene) infiltrated the fissures of marbles stimulating its further dissolution. In this way, huge cavities in which the underground waters circulated were formed. Later on, due to the surge of the ground embossment, resulting from the mountain slides in the region in question, the subterranean waters were forced to look for the lower layers to circulate in, so the caves began to refill with carbonate deposits stalactites and stalagmites. In the last 800,000 years (Medium Pleistocene and Holocene) the impressive stalactites and stalagmites have been formed thanks to the further settling of calcite. The settlement processes have created the subterranean scenery of the Caves of Nerja, which can be admired nowadays.

Only one-third of the halls are open for tourists: low galleries (Entrance Hall, Créche Hall, Elephant Eye-Tooth Hall, Ballet Hall, Phantoms Hall and Cataclysm Hall).

The High halls, discovered in 1960 and New galleries, discovered in 1970, are not open to the general public, and are only accessible by joining speleological groups, consisting of a maximum 10 people over the age of 14. No special physical skills are necessary. For enquiries the number to ring 952 529 520.

The approximate duration of the visit to the tourist areas in the Caves of Nerja is around 45 minutes.

These fantastic caves have been sympathetically transformed into a natural theatre where several concerts and ballets are staged during the summer. Every June there is a Festival Of Music and Dance held in the auditorium in the first cave which provides a magical backdrop to ballet, classical music and singing. Top names perform and the seating is limited so book well in advance.