Nerja Walking Tour: From the Balcón de Europa to Burriana Beach

Rugged mountains separate Spain’s southern coast from the rest of the country, so historically this region has looked more towards the Mediterranean than to Madrid. On this tour, you’ll find out how Nerja’s history has been shaped by valuable exports like silk and sugar, as well as by the threat of pirate raids.

The tour begins at the Balcón de Europa, where on a very clear day, you can catch a glimpse of Africa. We’ll start by walking around the rocky headland to Playa del Salón and Mirador de Chanquete. From there, we’ll head up to the Church of El Salvador and continue through the historic centre towards Burriana Beach. Along the way, I’ll explain how a small hamlet and defensive outpost developed into a major producer of cane sugar.

You’ll also hear how the discovery of Nerja Cave put the town on the tourist map, and how it received a boost from the popular Spanish TV series Verano Azul. You’ll return along a picturesque path that hugs the cliffs, before ending the tour at a viewpoint overlooking the Mediterranean.

On this 75-minute tour, you'll have a chance to:

• Learn what “mortadella” rock is, and how it explains why Nerja has so many sandy coves
• Find out why Nerja’s castle was built, and why the British blew it up
• Learn about one of the great disasters in Spanish naval history, which happened just along the coast
• Discover a darker episode in Nerja’s history, when it was involved in one of the great tragedies of the Spanish Civil War
• Hear about Nerja’s culture and festivals, including a peculiar funeral procession

By the end of the tour, you’ll have a sense of how Nerja has transformed itself from an agricultural and fishing community into a popular seaside resort famed for its beautiful natural surroundings.