Soltalk September 2017 | Page 55

First time in Nerja? Read this and check the map opposite and our guide before you go anywhere... Much of Nerja’s charm comes from its narrow winding streets but they also make finding your way around quite confusing if you are a first-time visitor. Driving is even more confusing because so many streets are one-way and several are pedestrianised so the first rule is dump the car. If you use the main car park (see map), take the south exit and you will find yourself on the Balcón de Europa, the “Piccadilly Circus” of Nerja. This peninsula and the area behind it is a magnet for visitors and a great place to sit and watch the world go by. contained town. Coming back towards the Balcón, there are Playa Carabeo, Playa El Chorrillo and, next to the Balcón itself, Playa Calahonda on one side and Playa El Salón on the other. Further west are Playa La Torrecilla and Playa El Playazo, both of which can be reached down Avda. Castilla Pérez, one of Nerja’s busiest streets. The Caves Discovered in 1959, the Nerja caves are one of the biggest tourist attractions in Spain, visited by hundreds of thousands each year. One of the most beautiful cave complexes in Europe, look especially for the 32m high column in Cataclysm Hall which was formed by an estimated 1,000 billion drops of water. Recently opened are the adjoining Botanical Gardens, they cover 26,000 square metres on a site next to the entrance to the caves. The garden is laid out in four zones, including traditional crops, vegetation linked to climate, vegetation linked to different soils and special collections, with a total of more than 200 species on display. One of the collections features rare and endangered species common to the area. Set around a central lake, the garden also includes a classroom for educational visits and workshops. It is open to the public every day except Sunday from 9.00am to 3.00pm. Admission is free. Stand with your back to the sea and it’s shopping to your right up Calle Pintada and Calle Cristo (also known as Post Office Street). The biggest concentration of restaurants is also on Calle Cristo and off to the left on Calle Gloria. To your left from the Balcón you go past Plaza Cavana and along El Barrio to the left or Diputación to the right for more bars and restaurants. There are, of course, many exceptions but use this as a rule of thumb. Night life Night life in Nerja is on Antonio Millón and the adjacent Plaza Tutti Frutti which are wall-to-wall with bars, many of them with dancing. The area doesn’t come to life much before midnight and bars stay open until 3.30 am Sunday to Thursday and 4.30 on Friday and Saturday (one hour less in winter). For live music check out both Buskers and Fitzgeralds - they are both on Antonio Millón. There are other bars which stay open later but then it’s mainly on to the discos. The caves lie on the outskirts of Nerja near the village of Maro and are served by a regular bus service or not too far to walk if you’re fit and energetic. If you’re here in July, try to get tickets for the annual festival when famous national and international artists perform in this beautiful underground setting. Opening hours are 10.00- 14.00 and 16.00- 18.30 (20.00 in July/August). You can also visit the caves on the red train – a new transport service. It’s a tourist train that makes a tour of the most iconic places in the town. It has four stops: Caves of Nerja, Barco de Chanquete, (a replica of a boat made famous in Spain by ‘Verano Azul’, a children’s TV drama from the 60s), Museo of Nerja and Maro Plaza. A €15 ticket is valid all day, and you can get on and off the train as often as you like. It has an audioguide in Spanish and English which explains the monuments and places along its route. The price includes a free visit to the Nerja caves (it is essential to book a time when purchasing the ticket) and the Nerja Museum. Sports bars There are many bars in central Nerja and on Burriana which show British football, rugby, cricket, horse racing and other sports. The Spanish Via Digital carries a Premiership game live every Saturday afternoon so you can watch even if you can’t understand the commentary (if Radio Five Live covers the same match, bars general