Nerja, Spain: Beaches, Coastal Views and Whitewashed Streets

Nerja is one of those places that feels like a holiday from the moment you arrive. With its whitewashed buildings, colourful flowers, palm trees and views across the Mediterranean, it has everything you could want from a few days in southern Spain.

We spent a few days in Nerja, taking our time to explore the town, enjoy the beaches and make the most of the warm weather. As always, I took plenty of photographs along the way, particularly of the streets and coastline, which seemed to offer a picture perfect view around almost every corner.

Exploring the old town

One of my favourite things about Nerja was simply walking around the old town. The narrow streets are lined with white buildings, small shops, cafés and restaurants, with colourful flowers and plants adding plenty of character.

It's an easy place to explore on foot, and there's no real need to have a plan. We found ourselves wandering down different streets, stopping to look at the little details and occasionally finding somewhere nice to sit and have a drink.

The whitewashed buildings against the blue Spanish sky are particularly beautiful, and there were plenty of opportunities to take photographs. I especially loved the colourful doors, balconies and flowers that give Nerja so much of its character.

The Balcón de Europa

One of the places we visited was the Balcón de Europa, the famous viewpoint overlooking the Mediterranean.

It sits on a rocky headland in the centre of Nerja and gives you beautiful views along the coastline. Looking down towards the sea, you can see some of the small beaches and coves that sit between the cliffs.

It's a popular spot, but it's easy to see why. We spent some time walking around the area, taking photographs and enjoying the views before continuing through the town.

For anyone visiting Nerja for the first time, it's definitely somewhere worth putting on your list.

Discovering the beaches

Nerja has several beaches and smaller coves to explore, so there are plenty of places to spend time by the sea. Some are larger and busier, while others feel much more secluded, tucked away beneath the cliffs.

Burriana Beach is one of the best known beaches in Nerja and has a good choice of restaurants and places to stop for something to eat. There are also plenty of opportunities for watersports if you fancy doing something more active.

Further along the coast, the area around Maro is particularly beautiful. The combination of clear blue water, rocky cliffs and smaller beaches makes this part of the coastline very photogenic.

I think that's one of the things I enjoyed most about Nerja. You can spend the day exploring different parts of the coast rather than simply staying in one place.

Taking photographs around Nerja

I always end up taking lots of photographs when I'm away, but Nerja was particularly easy to photograph.

There were the obvious views across the Mediterranean, but I also found myself photographing much smaller details. The brightly painted doors, flowers growing along the white walls, old buildings and little streets all had something about them that caught my eye.

The colours are one of the things that really stand out. The bright white buildings, blue sea and sky, green plants and splashes of colour from flowers create the sort of combination that looks beautiful in photographs.

Some of the photographs I took were simply memories of the trip, while others made me think about how nice they would look as prints at home.

Enjoying the slower pace

Although there are plenty of things to see around Nerja, we didn't feel the need to fill every day with activities.

Some of the nicest parts of the trip were simply walking around, stopping for lunch, sitting outside with a drink and spending time near the sea.

The town has a lovely selection of cafés, tapas bars and restaurants, so it's easy to make food part of the experience too. We enjoyed taking our time over meals rather than rushing off to the next place.

In the evenings, Nerja has a completely different atmosphere. The streets become busier, restaurants fill up and people head out for dinner as the temperature starts to cool.

Exploring a little further

If you have a few days in Nerja, it's also worth exploring beyond the town itself.

Maro is just a short distance away and is known for its beautiful coastline and natural scenery. The nearby Maro Cerro Gordo area has dramatic cliffs, clear water and a collection of small coves that are particularly impressive from the water.

There are plenty of ways to explore the coastline, including walking, kayaking and boat trips. Even if you don't plan a full day out, simply seeing some of this coastline is worth doing.

Nerja also makes a good base for exploring more of the Costa del Sol, so you can easily combine a relaxing beach holiday with a few day trips if you want to see more of the area.

Why I enjoyed Nerja

What I liked most about Nerja was that it offered a good balance between exploring and relaxing. There was always somewhere new to wander, another beach to discover or another view to photograph, but there was never any pressure to keep moving.

It felt like a place where you could easily settle into a holiday routine of slow mornings, exploring during the day and long evenings enjoying the food and atmosphere.

After a few days, we had seen quite a lot, but it still felt as though there was plenty more to discover.

Bringing a little bit of Nerja home

One of the reasons I enjoy taking photographs when I travel is that they give you something to remember the trip by. Looking back at a photograph can bring back much more than just the view. It can remind you of where you were, the weather, the colours, the people you were with and how you felt at the time.

Nerja gave me plenty of photographs to choose from, and some of those have inspired prints for Poster Wall.

I love the idea that a photograph taken on holiday can eventually become something you have at home to remind you of that place. It might be a view of the coastline, a colourful street or simply a scene that reminds you of a particular day.

For me, that's what travel photography is really about. It's not necessarily about taking the perfect photograph. It's about capturing the places and moments that make you want to remember them.

And Nerja certainly gave me plenty of those.