We recently visited Spain to see family in Sedella, a beautiful white mountain village, and stayed about 30 minutes away in Carraspite. Since we were surrounded by mountains, we wanted to experience one of the nearby beach regions during our stay.

For a quick half-day trip, we headed to Nerja, a well-known coastal town famous for its scenic beaches, vibrant town centre, and stunning viewpoints. We indulged in some vegan junk food, explored beaches, let the kids enjoy play areas on the sand, and wandered through the picturesque streets.

Here’s what we got up to during our short visit—along with plenty of photos to help you get a feel for Nerja yourself!

Parking in Nerja: A €1 Bargain!

Before arriving, we were recommended a super cheap car park that costs just €1, no matter how long you stay, up to an entire day! It was an absolute bargain, especially since parking in busier areas near the beaches is much more expensive.

The car park is located just on the outskirts of town, which worked perfectly for us since we enjoy walking and exploring. If you’d prefer to park closer to the centre, expect to pay substantially more.

💡 Tip: Bring cash, as you’ll need to pay the attendant on arrival to receive your ticket.

📍 Here’s the location of the €1 car park:

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First Stop: Balcón de Europa & Vegan Junk Food

After parking, we wandered into town and, by this point, we were all quite hungry since we had arrived after lunchtime.

We first headed to Plaza Balcón de Europa, a lovely tree-lined square leading to one of Nerja’s most famous viewpoints overlooking the sea. While walking to enjoy the stunning coastal views, we heard many noisy birds in the trees above!   At first, we weren’t sure what was making the sound but realised it must be birds as the noise was from the tops of the palm trees. We later discovered they were green monk parakeets, well hidden among the leaves!

Vegan Junk Food at Albi Urban Café

From the Balcón de Europa, we searched for a vegan-friendly eatery and found Albi Urban Café, which had an amazing selection of vegan options.

🍔 The vegan menu included:

• Vegan burgers
• Vegan hotdogs
• Vegan nuggets & fries
• Vegan pizza

We treated ourselves to burgers, hotdogs, and a generous portion of fries to share. After days of eating home-cooked meals and fresh salads, it was the perfect junk food treat!

To drink, Ben had a beer, while the kids and I enjoyed a delicious freshly squeezed orange juice, likely made from the local oranges often seen growing in southern Spain.

If you need somewhere to eat then there are many restaurants serving all types of cuisine on the Balcon De Europa.

Beach Walk: Playa Carabeillo to Playa Chula Nerja

After lunch, we strolled through some of Nerja’s charming streets before heading to the beaches.

We admired many homes covered in lush greenery—a plant lover’s paradise! The town’s whitewashed houses and vibrant flowers created a beautiful Mediterranean atmosphere.

Walking Along Nerja’s Beaches

From Carabeo Beach, we enjoyed incredible views over the coastline before making our way down to Playa Carabeillo. From here, we walked along a stretch of beaches including:

• Playa Carabeillo
• Playa de Burriana
• Playa Chula Nerja

It’s not quite golden sand here, but rather coarse sand and small pebbles, so not too comfortable in bare feet, so I walked along the shoreline with my feet in the water which was softer, though the water did feel freezing in February!

It reminded me of the cold waters back home in Newquay at this time of year! Despite the chilly sea, the weather was warm and sunny, and we were comfortable in shorts and T-shirts.

📍 Here’s a Google Maps image of the beaches we walked along:

📍 Here’s where we were in the world:

If we had more time, we would have loved to explore the hiking trails along the right-hand side of the map, away from the busier areas. Though it was February and off-season, Nerja still felt lively, and I can only imagine how packed it gets in the summer!

Family-Friendly Fun: Beach Play Areas & Promenade Walk

After reaching Playa Chula Nerja via the beach itself, we took a different route back along the promenade, which offers a mix of restaurants, ice cream stalls, and tourist shops.

🍦 Ice Cream & Snacks: We only noticed that one restaurant was closed for the winter season, but everything else was open — including ice cream kiosks selling gelato and cold drinks.

Playgrounds on the Beach

A lovely surprise was the number of play areas on the beach for children! We counted at least four and let the kids stop to play at a couple of them. It was a perfect way to break up the walking and let them have fun. Especially after we’d already had a couple of long mountain hikes in the week (which the kids are always thrilled about 😉)

Exploring the Shops in Nerja

On the way back to the car, we took a different route through Nerja’s shop-lined streets.

🛍️ Shopping in Nerja includes:

• Tourist souvenir shops
• Traditional Spanish & Portuguese cork products
• Clothing stores
• Luxury & upmarket boutiques

If you love shopping, Nerja offers a great mix of local crafts and higher-end stores.

Final Thoughts: A Lovely Short Visit to Nerja

Although we only spent half a day in Nerja, it was a great chance to:
✅ Enjoy the coastal views & beaches
✅ Treat ourselves to vegan junk food
✅ Explore charming Spanish streets
✅ Let the kids have fun at beach play areas
✅ Get a taste of Nerja’s lively atmosphere, even in winter

It was refreshing to see the sea during our mountain stay and explore another beautiful part of Andalucía.

Have you been to Nerja? What were your highlights? Share your thoughts in the comments below!