Nerja is located 8km along the coast from Torrox within Andalucia and has thankfully held out from the tower-block image of nearby Torremolinos. It has retained its reputation for mainly villa residences. Nerja has a wonderful setting, at the foothills of the Almijara mountain range, fronted by some 9km of splendid beaches. The old town of Nerja looks over a rocky coastline and the small, narrow streets are packed with visitors, all summer long. Tuesday morning sees the entertaining weekly market that draws huge crowds. If you wish to escape the crowds then head for the nearby caves, where you are able to see the world's longest stalactite at 63m in length. There is a bus from Nerja to the caves, approx. hourly, the ride being just 3km. The caves were discovered in 1957 which coincided with the start of local tourism. The discovery was a boom for tourism, with its cave paintings and artefacts dating back 30,000 years. The discovery turned from a local to national sensation. The paintings are currently not on public display and maybe never will be.

The centrepiece in Nerja is the Balcon de Europa which perches on the cliff edge between two tiny coves. The 'balcony' consists of tiled pavements with seating conveniently placed beneath tall palms, for shade. It is a pleasant place to rest and admire the views. The balcony was constructed in 1487 on the site of a 9th century castle. There are ample cafes and bars here to while away the hours.

Nerja's beaches consist of small, rocky coves with sharp sand. Much of the tourism in Nerja consists of the older generation. Local shops are filled with tourist gifts and you must sample the local sweet wine and olive oil. At the beach, the restaurants specialise in fried, local fish.

Lovers of the countryside will find everything here with camping sites in natural surroundings, horse riding and cycling tours. When it comes to sport you can find all the popular water sports as well as tennis, hiking and paragliding.

The tourist office have a wonderful leaflet entitled 'The 12 walks of Nerja'. There are guided tours November to May.

A great way to see the town is by horse and carriage which costs around 20 euros. You will find them on the Balcon.

You will also find several good restaurants in this area.

Near to the Balcon is the church of El Salvador, dating from the 17th century. A plain but very attractive church. Take a look inside.

There are plenty of places to visit for day trip if you use Nerja as your base. The caves are well worth a visit, as is the tiny hilltop village of Frigiliana.