Well, we are now home and finally over our jetlag.… which was a rough one. I once heard that the rule of thumb for jetlag is you suffer one day for every week you are away. Given that we were away for nine weeks, and it lasted at least nine days, I would have to agree with that sentiment.
All the tasks that we had to pounce on when we got home are done as well, so it is time to return to writing about our stay in Nerja. Thus, we come to part three… the final part… of the “stuff” that you need to know about snow-birding in Nerja.
“But Mr. Retiree guy. You said you would be talking about the waterfront, and it does not appear as though you’re going to get that covered in this final segment.”
That is true, I am going to do a totally separate post about the waterfront, beaches, and walking trails to wrap up the long series of wintering in Nerja articles.
But, we are going to start this final segment off with something just as interesting as the waterfront. One of my favourite Costa activities, living the patio dream. 🙂
PATIO LIFE
Of course, we have patios in Canada, and most people will sit out on one or two over the course of the summer, I am sure. It was during the pandemic that they became very popular in most towns and cities. Where we live, one entire street was given over to a strip of restaurants during the warm months, and that ritual has continued… so far.
In Europe, it is definitely “a thing”. And the Costa del Sol is simply awash in patios. Most restaurants and bars have one.
When we are on the Costa in the winter, it is not unusual for us to say, “let’s go over to XYZ bar and have a beer on the patio”. We never do that at home. Yes, sitting on a patio, staring at the Mediterranean on a sunny warm day is appealing all on its own, but I think the price of beverages in Spain has a lot to do with their popularity as well. We can sit on a patio, have a couple caña (small beers) each, and it will cost us about $12 CAN… and not require the leaving of a tip.
If you do end up wintering on the Costa at some time in the future, embrace this feature of the local life. Have at least one meal a week out on a restaurant patio. Pause a walk to sit down on a patio and have an adult beverage or a sparkling water. Patios are also great places to strike up conversations with other people.
Many great patios can be found in Nerja. Let’s look at a few, including a new personal favourite, Cochran’s Irish Pub, which sits right on the edge of a low cliff overlooking the Mediterranean.
“Photo Carousel” – Once again, I am using the “Carousel” format to present the photos in the best possible manner. You click on the first photo (top-left) in a grouping to start the Carousel.
SHOPPING
Neither the Love-goddess, nor I are big shoppers, so you’re not going to get much out of me in terms of favourite shopping “highlights”. In truth, Nerja does not appear to be much of a “shopping” town. Of course, I could be way off the mark because I’m just not ever paying attention and looking for shopping opportunities. 🙂
But, let’s dive down into the shopping attributes that we have noticed that might be of interest to you, and a few shops that were of importance to us.
General
Nerja doesn’t have a big indoor shopping mall like in many other places up and down the Costa. So, if that is your thing, you will have to go elsewhere for your retail therapy.
There is an indoor shopping mall not too far away in the town of Torre del Mar called “The Shopping Center El Ingenio”. You can check out their website to see what stores are available. It is about a 20-minute drive from Nerja, so probably doable by taxi.
Lots of intense shopping experiences can be had up and down the approximately 185 KM length of the Costa del Sol, just not in Nerja. If you want a real high-end shopping locale, it can be found in Puerto Banus, which is part of Marbella. If you are good with simply shopping at a lovely mid to high-end department store, a number of El Corte Inglés outlets are in the area, including locations in Malaga, Fuengirola, Marbella, Puerto Banus, and elsewhere.
So, Nerja is probably not the best town to winter in if your major interest is shopping, but I think it’s probably worth mentioning what is available. Most of the shopping appears to be individual, mom-and-pop, mid-range, retail businesses.
Leather Shops
If you enjoy shopping for leather products a number of leather shops can be found in town. Many of these are grouped closely together on or near the pedestrian street, Calle Málaga. I wouldn’t say that Nerja specializes in leather because you will find all sorts of other outlets up and down the Costa.
Bazars
As you may recall, I wrote about one particular “bazar” in passing last year when we were in Marbella. In Spain, they are referred to as “Chinese Bazars”. Most of the operators do appear to be Asian, but whether they are Chinese or not remains unknown. In Canada we would probably identify them as “dollar stores”.
No, that does not sound like terribly glamorous shopping, but I can tell you when you are renting and living in Spain for the winter, they are invaluable. They are a well-stocked inexpensive option where you can pick up items you consider to be missing in your rental unit. This year I bought a frying pan and a glass lid, some kitchen tongs, and a few plastic storage containers to augment what was provided in our rental kitchen.
The one we frequented pictured here, Bazar Beijing, is enormous compared to most we have ever been in. Very “rabbit warren like” for sure, but anytime we went looking for something specific, we found it there.
Books
Books! The other shopping items that are very important to both the Love-goddess and me are books – English language books to be specific. We have found one true English bookstore in Puerto Banus over the years, but it is the only one we have come across so far.
Fortunately, in Nerja there is a fantastic used bookstore that mostly deals in English books; it is called Nerja Books. My favourite section, Science-fiction and Fantasy had a lot of great choices, including some fairly recent titles.
The owner is very knowledgeable and helpful. He even gives you back a store credit when you return your books after you have finished reading them. The credit is for about half the price of what you paid for them.
Another bookstore called Liberia Europa has a few current English titles. It is on the same street as Nerja Books, but closer to the action.
Others
And yes, there are other “specialty” stores in town. These might be of interest to “discriminating” individuals. 🙂
OTHER “STUFF”…THINGS WE’RE NOT LIKELY TO DO 🙂
There are lots of things to see and do in Nerja that we either haven’t bothered with yet, or simply don’t plan on doing either. Here are a few.
Nightlife
Yes, as for many of you, our clubbing days are over. But there is a section of Nerja that is specifically planned and laid out for late night partying. It is called “Tutti Frutti”. All the bars face onto a plaza, so there is lots of outdoor space to mill around in. It starts at one street and continues until it stops at another street – so well defined.
I have walked through the plaza several times during the day, and there is absolutely nothing going on. And given that I have no intention of walking over there at 1:00 in the morning to see the action, I really can’t report on how exciting it may or may not be.
Apparently, this is what it looks like when it’s hopping. This video was shot in the summer I believe.
Hiking & Biking
Hiking or biking might be something that, in the past, we would be inclined to do, but not quite as much now. Perhaps when my feet have fully recovered, we’ll try doing a little hiking, and possibly even some biking should we come back here again.
Hiking
I know there are some incredible hiking trails up in the mountains. Here are a few resources that you can check out.
The first is a video clip of one of the most interesting looking hiking trails accessible from Nerja the “Chillar Gorge Walk”. This is definitely one I can see myself doing in the future.
The second is an offering from Koormoot.com that identifies the “twenty best walks and hikes around Nerja”. Looks interesting.
And finally, the most famous walking trail in Nerja, the “Caminito del Rey”. I will definitely not be doing this one. I get squeamish just looking at this picture. LOL!
Biking
All I’ve got is this link to a page offered by bikemap.net that identifies the best biking routes around Nerja. Report back to me if you try some of these trails or find a site that identifies them better. Some people bike along the paseos or boardwalks that line the Mediterranean coast, as most of these trails are accessible for both walkers and cyclists.
Next up: Restaurants we have enjoyed in Nerja.
