Villas in Nerja, Spain: Where to Stay and How to Book

Nerja town is the obvious choice if you want to walk to the sea. The Balcón de Europa and beaches including Playa de Burriana, Playa del Carabeo, Playa de la Calahonda and Playa El Salón are all about half a mile from the centre, with El Playazo a little over a mile out. Heading east, the Cueva de Nerja is around 2 miles away, and the beaches at Maro, Playa de Maro and La Caleta de Maro, lie about 2 to 2.5 miles from town, with Playa de las Alberquillas roughly 4 miles out.

Frigiliana suits travellers who would rather wake up in a small village than a resort town. It is about 2.5 miles from Nerja, has its own Castillo de Frigiliana and Palacio de los Condes de Frigiliana, and sits closest to the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama Natural Park, roughly 5.5 miles away, which makes it a natural base for walkers.

Most British travellers searching this stretch of coast are after villas to rent in Nerja and self catering in Nerja, Costa del Sol, rather than large all-inclusive complexes. With a town of over 20,000 people on the doorstep, there are shops and restaurants close by, so cooking for yourself some nights and eating out on others works well here.

Frigiliana is a small village, so expect a quieter, more independent kind of stay, where a car is useful for reaching the beaches and the caves. In Nerja town, staying close to the Balcón de Europa puts the central beaches within walking distance. The hotel prices shown on this page let you compare both areas side by side.

For self catering holidays in Nerja, Costa del Sol, April, May, June, September and November give the most comfortable balance of warmth and dry weather, with highs from 22°C to 28°C. July and August reach 32°C to 33°C and fall in the UK school holidays, when prices across the coast generally rise, so booking early pays off for families. March and October are the wettest months, with 140mm and 101mm of rain respectively.

If you book a package, the flight, accommodation and transfer are arranged together; allow around 50 minutes from Málaga or 43 minutes from Granada to Nerja, slightly less to Frigiliana. Villa stays often suit car hire instead, especially in Frigiliana. You can compare package providers, hotel prices, tours and car hire here.