Blanca & Ian's Travels

Spain

Trip Report - June 2005

Searching for Moors

Madrid & Andalusia

Almagro, Jaén, Granada, Sevilla, Nerja, Madrid

Part 5 - Nerja

The view from our balcony @ the Paraiso (south)

Paraiso del Mar 130€ Jr Suite           http://www.jpmoser.com/paraisodelmar.html

It was fabulous!  Enrique, owner?/manager gave us the grand tour & told us it was our home for our stay.  It was a villa built in the 1940s & gradually enlarged.  There are now 3 buildings with only 16 rooms & indoor parking (via a car elevator no less) under the newest building.  We had rented the junior suite - Rm 207 - 130€ per night - the old master bedroom with a sitting area & a monstrous bathroom, located on the 2nd floor of building #2.  B. forgave me for the bathroom at the Amadeus when she saw the size of this room's facilities.  The balcony looked over stunningly beautiful grounds, right on the cliff overlooking the multi-hued Mediterranean.  Wow!  Our balcony faced due south & I swore I saw Africa in the haze - although it might have been the wine & Sangria . . .  Mountains bounded up from the sea to the east & framed Nerja to the north.  Just a gorgeous spot.  The public beach was accessed via 141 steps with numerous small patios to break up the walk down & for private sitting areas overlooking the beach.  You have to buzz in & out of the gate below to keep the beach riffraff off the hotel grounds.  A big WOW again.  I felt sorry for the people in the Parador that looked longingly at the Paraiso & wished that they had stayed there.  They had an elevator to get down to the beach but we had semi-private lounging decks. Btw . . . at the Paraiso, English was spoken by all & the bulk of the clientele was British or German.
 

Our bedroom

Day 9 Sevilla to Nerja

After a street breakfast in a café - 5€ each (very near the Amadeus in the small plaza on Santa Maria la Blanca) we loaded the car & paid the parking bill - 14€ per day.  With some expert driving maneuvers (a couple of u-turns wink, wink) we got turned around & easily found the Ave Andalusia, which turns into A92 for the trek east for our beach idyll.  We were really looking forward to some sea breezes to cool us off after the baking & broiling we had experienced since we landed in Spain.  There was slight cloud partway, which was the first we'd seen & this shade made it a very pleasant top down drive.  We turned south on N331 at Antequera but alas, since it was Monday, we couldn't stop & see the dolmens as they were closed. 

It was time for a bit of mountain climbing.  B. was in her usual mountain-induced white knuckle state.  Malaga popped into view briefly with its rampant high rises & I thanked the travel Gods that we didn't stay there.  I was after peace & tranquility, not resort central.  The coast highway was not your typical follow-the-coast road, but darted in & out amongst the mountains & thru tunnels.  I thought it was great fun but B. didn't.  I threatened to lock her in the trunk.  Numerous towns were viewed in the distance on the coast - many looked as bad as Malaga.  I started to question my judgment to go to the coast for a beach vacation fearing the over development that I had read about.  We arrived at Nerja in about 3 hours & followed the Parador signs to our hotel - Paraiso del Mar - right beside the Parador.

We unpacked & walked up the big hill to N340 to find a Supermercado to buy supplies - Coke, vodka, Kleenex (absent in most European hotels & B. is addicted).  We stopped for a hamberguesa & fries & Sangria (cheap) at a ratty restaurant.  The heat was coming on but it was noticeably cooler here due to the proximity of the ocean.  However, it was still rather warm - 36C - so we made our way back to the hotel & then down to walk the beach.  Playa Burriana is about 3/4 km long & well serviced with lifeguards, restaurants, rental sun bed enclaves & tourist ticky-tacky.  It ends at an abrupt mountain bluff at the east end.  It sported coarse sand & lots of people, but it was never packed while we were there.  August would probably be a different case however.  The Med was freezing btw.

For dinner, we followed the Enrique's map & wandered into the 'tourist' zone in Nerja Queste.  Bars, restaurants, shops - all aimed at the British tourists who holiday here or own holiday/retirement condos.  I had no idea it was there when I investigated Nerja.  Only a 10 minute walk from the Paraiso, it was close enough, but also far enough away.  We settled on the Paellador(?) which is in front of the Balcon de Europe hotel, in the heart of this area.  This hotel  is always highly rated in Foder's posts, but I wouldn't stay there due to the street circus outside.  I had a steak with pepper sauce (btw medium is our rare) & B. had sole.   at the Paellador (?) in  ().  55€ including a bottle of Vega de la Reina Reserva 1989.  B. amused herself by feeding stray cats that were wandering around amidst the hubbub.  Carriage rides, street artists, musicians etc etc swirled around us in the square.
 

Day 10 Nerja continued . . .

I was up early & I watched fishing boats trawling in the sea as the early morning haze dissipated.  We greatly enjoyed the included breakfast buffet in the wonderful outdoor eating spot & got ready for . . . nothing.  This was a very lazy day.  Sun.  Pool.  Relax.  The Paraiso proved a great place to sit & do nothing.  Wonderful.  Peaceful & quiet with not a cloud in the sky - still a very warm 34C again.  The beach was red-flagged due to surf but up high on the bluff there was just a soft breeze. We had a late lunch (hamberguesa & fries for me & jamon bun for B.) & Sangria on the beach below.  14€ or so.  A siesta wrapped up the day.  We trekked into the 'tourist' zone for dinner in the 'food court' area again near the Balcon.  We both had swordfish (very good) & a bottle of wine (as usual). About 50€ or so.
 

Day 11 Nerja continued . . . 

Adventure day.  After breakfast, we regained the car to investigate a little of the coast.  We skipped the white villages, because we had already seen many of them throughout Andalusia & La Mancha.  We did stop at the Cuevas Nerja & paid our 6€ or so & saw this natural wonder.  Nice & cool inside.  The rock art section was closed but the caves were nice & well lit.  We then set off to find a pocket beach to relax on.  We settled on Playa Cantarrijan, which is accessed via a very bumpy, winding dirt road (with no guards rails) that is just west of the Cero Gordo tunnel before Almuñécar.  B. was not happy with the road (to put it mildly).  Cantarrijan is a 2-part naturalist beach that allowed us to tan the 'private' areas.  We stayed in the more private eastern section, but there were sun bed rentals in the western section for those inclined.  2 restaurants & washrooms & 3€ parking charge (although you can park on the road heading out for free).  Only about 100 people were there by mid-afternoon when we left having baked enough.  No sand, but small pebbles that you can form to your body under the beach blanket.  It was hot but the water was very, very cold.  The setting was beautiful & private.

Back to the hotel & then down Playa Burriana for lunch at the same spot as yesterday.  Same price, similar fare was consumed.

For dinner, we strolled into the Portofino restaurant in the 'tourist' zone again.  Overlooking the water, this was the nicest restaurant we found in Nerja.  I had a great steak & B. had prawns I think.  Another bottle of Rioja Reserva - Marqués de Varga Reserva 2000 - bit the dust also.  Around 75€ total.  The wait staff was French & Spanish & very good.
 

Cuevas Nerja

Day 12 Nerja continued . . . 

Another lazy day for me, but B. went on shopping missions.  I went down to one of the patio areas & lounged all morning while she perused the variety of wares in the 'tourist' zone.  That made both of us happy.  I'm your typical man & I buy, she shops . . . well, you know . . .

Lunch on the beach at the same spot - now we're regulars.  Sangria & siesta somehow really go together.  After the first day or so, we fell into the Spanish routine.  Breakfast before 10.  Lunch around 3.  Dinner around 9.  When you visit Spain, don't fight it.  With the heat in the mid-afternoon, you can't do much anyway (shops & most sights close), so eat late & have a Sangria & a siesta.  You'll like it.  And that way, you can last until dinner & other night time pursuits.  On our first trip to Spain (Catalonia region) five years ago, we never fell into the routine & got frustrated with opening times etc.  This time it worked well. 

For dinner, we repeated last nights success & went to the Portofino again.  We both had the veal (which was a little too balsamic) but our La Vicalanda Reserva 1996 wine was delicious & we enjoyed it.  75€ or so.  We staggered back to our hotel for our last night in Nerja.
 

Proceed to Part 6 - Madrid