Nerja

Nerja
Municipality and town

View from Balcon de Europa in Nerja

Coat of arms

Municipal location in the province of Málaga
Nerja

Location in Andalusia

Coordinates: 36°44′49″N 3°52′44″W / 36.74694°N 3.87889°W / 36.74694; -3.87889
Country  Spain
Autonomous community  Andalusia
Province Málaga
Comarca Axarquía - Costa del Sol
Government
 • Mayor Ms. Rosa Maria Tellez Arrabal
Area
 • Total 85 km2 (33 sq mi)
Elevation 26 m (85 ft)
Population (2009)
 • Total 21,811
 • Density 260/km2 (660/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Nerjeños
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 29780
Website Official website

Nerja (pronounced: [ˈneɾχa]) is a municipality on the Costa del Sol in the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It belongs to the comarca of La Axarquía. It is on the country's southern Mediterranean coast, about 50 km east of Málaga.

Under Muslim rule, its name was Narixa, which means "abundant source" and is the origin of the current name.

History

Nerja has a long history, evidenced by the primitive paintings found in its famous Nerja caves, discovered in 1959. These caves are now believed to be just one entrance to a linked series of potholes stretching many miles into the mountains between Nerja and Granada, and which may yet prove to be one of the most extensive unexplored systems in Europe. Visitors to the caves will be able to view the remains of one of the ancient inhabitants of Nerja.

The Romans built here three settlements, including Detunda, of which now large remains can be seen. The area was later taken over by the Arabs in the early 8th century. Under the Moors, the town was known as Narixa, which means "abundant spring", from which the present name derives.

Aqueduct of Nerja.

Its agricultural and silk products are said to have been famed throughout the Muslim world and in the markets of Damascus as early as the 10th century.

Capistrano Playa, Nerja.

The Balcón de Europa, a mirador or viewpoint which gives stunning views across the sea, is in the centre of the old town. Its name is popularly believed to have been coined by King Alfonso XII, who visited the area in 1885 following a disastrous earthquake and was captivated by the scene. Local folklore says that he stood upon the site where the Balcón now stands, and said "This is the balcony of Europe". Local archive documents are said to show that its name predated this visit, but this has not prevented the authorities from placing a life-sized (and much photographed) statue of the king standing by the railing.

The Balcón area was originally known as La Batería, a reference to the gun battery which existed there in a fortified tower. This emplacement and a similar tower nearby were destroyed during the Peninsular War. In May 1812, the British vessels Hyacinth, Termagant and Basilisk supported Spanish guerrillas on the coast of Granada, against the French. On 20 May, Termagant or Hyacinth opened fire and the forts were destroyed. Two rusty guns positioned at the end of the Balcón are reminders of these violent times. The huge lumps of rock, the remains of La Batería, visible in the sea at the end of the Balcón, are further evidence of this action.

Main sights

Modern Nerja

In more modern times, sugar cane production has given way to more valuable cash crops, particularly semi-tropical fruits such as mango and papaya and widespread avocado plantations in what is one of the major avocado growing regions in Europe. The sugar cane factory is still on the eastern edge of town, but is now empty, as the main industry is tourism.

It is the eastern-most town in the area known as the Axarquía and has an official population of around 22,000 (in 2008) — nearly 30% of which are foreign residents, including around 2,600 British — although the true expatriate population, who for the bigger part are pensioneers, is probably at least twice that.The white villages climbing the mountains around Nerja are relatively new, and inhabited by foreigners. In the summer months, tourism swells the population several times more. The streets are narrow, some one way and some are pedestrians only. Cars line many streets and there are two main car parks to take the overflow. On the Plaza Europa there is a small archeological museum.

The town is situated on a fairly steep hill. It has several small beaches set in coves beneath cliffs. It is also becoming a significant centre for walkers, thanks to the mountain scenery of the nearby Sierra de Almijara and Sierra Tejeda. The Sierra de Burno overlooks the town. Nerja is also the centre of scuba diving on the Costa del Sol, with the Natural Park of Maro - Cerro Gordo nearby.

The town has 400 restaurants, bars,cafés and five supermarkets, a Lidl and many mini-marts spread around town. Nerja does not have any large stores of the main chains of shops in Spain. Nerja has a small exhibition hall in the High Street and February or March there is a parade of bicycles which attracts a few thousand cyclists, including people of all ages. During Mardi Gras, there is a carnival parade through the town with people lining the streets.

Public transport

Nerja is not integrated in the Málaga Metropolitan Transport Consortium.

As well as two local bus routes, around town (from the Riú Mónica Hotel), there are buses from the top of the High Street by the Alsa ticket office to Málaga, Caves of Nerja, Frigiliana, Maro, Almuñécar, Vélez-Málaga, Torre del Mar, Granada, Córdoba, Seville, Almería and Motril.

Twin towns

Tour into of the Balcón de Europa.

Cultural references

Nerja has been a source of inspiration for expatriate writers and artists, such as Scottish novelist Joan Lingard and French-born author André Launay; Jorge Guillén and Federico García Lorca were longtime visitors and residents of the town. The town was also the main setting for the filming of Verano azul,[1] a popular Spanish television series later exported to several countries.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Localizaciones de rodaje de la serie Verano Azul".
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nerja.
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