Nerja is a seaside resort of sandy coves sheltered by the impressive Sierra de Almijara mountains and is often referred to as ‘The Jewel of the Costa del Sol’.
There are over nine kilometres of beaches, from small secluded coves to large sandy areas, which means there is something for everyone. Most of the beaches are sandy – coarse sand mixed with some smoother stones. This of course means that it isn’t the kind of sand that gets everywhere and is hard to remove after wallowing in it all day. It is quite user friendly.
The main beaches within Nerja town are:
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. It has some great beach restaurants (chiringuitos) including “Ayo”, famed for its Paella, cooked over wood in a rather spectacular way. It is probably the most photographed Paella in Spain! It can get very busy in the summer months but out of season remains quite quiet.
Calahonda Beach – a smallish sandy beach just to the left of the Balcon de Europa.
Carabeillo Beach– a lovely sandy beach tucked between Burriana and Calahonda beaches.
Carabeo Beach – another of the natural coves between Burriana and the Balcon de Europa, surrounded by enormous rocks.
El Chucho Beach – in between Torrecilla and El Palyazo, El Chucho is failry sheltered sandy beach with a man-made promenade behind. 280m long and 30m wide, it’s the last beach on the promenade to the west of Nerja.
If you fancy a day trip there are plenty of beaches in Málaga province:
Algarrobo: Mezquitilla, Algarrobo-Costa
Benalmádena: Las Viborillas, Malapesquera, Melilleros , Benalnatura, Bil-Bil, Fuente de la Salud, Torrevigía, Tajo de la Soga, Santa Ana, Viborilla, Las Yucas
Casares: Playa Ancha, Playa Chica
Estepona: Bahía Dorada, Playa Bella, Playa del Cristo, El Castor , Guadalmansa, Guadalmina, El Padrón, La Rada, El Saladillo
Fuengirola: Torreblanca, Las Gaviotas, Del Castillo, La Cubana, Los Boliches, Carvajal, Santa Amalia
Málaga: Baños del Carmen, El Palo, La Araña, La Caleta, La Malagueta, Misericordia, Las Acacias, Peñón del Cuervo, San Andrés, San Julián, Guadalmar
Manilva: Punta Chullera, Sabinillas, Tubalita
Marbella: Las Cañas, La Víbora, Río Verde, Calahonda, El Ancón, La Venus, Nagüeles, Guadalmina, San Pedro, Linda Vista, Casablanca Nueva Andalucía, Real de Zaragoza, El Faro, Artola, Bajadilla, Puerto Banús, El Alicate, El Cable, La Fontanilla, Las Chapas, Venus, Playa de Levante, Cortijo Blanco, Costa Bella, El Duque
Mijas: La Cala , El Faro
Nerja: El Chucho, Alberquillas, Calahonda, Carabeillo, Carabeo, El Salón, Burriana, El Cañuelo, La Caletilla, Maro, La Torrecilla, Playazo, Torre del Pino
Rincón de la Victoria: Benagalbón, La Cala del Moral, Rincón
Torremolinos: Saltillo, Costa Lago, Los Álamos , Bajondillo, La Carihuela, Montemar
Torrox: El Morche, Ferrara, Vílchez, El Peñoncillo
Vélez Málaga: Torre del Mar, Las Palmeras (Caleta de Vélez), El Faro (Caleta de Vélez)