But Nerja is also the apotheosis of eighties nostalgia: it was filmed here Blue Summera legend of Spanish series. Because Pancho, Javi, Desi and company were The Spanish Goonies…a few years before the release of the myth of Hollywood youth cinema.
An unforgettable summer in Nerja
Before setting out into the Mediterranean, a stroll through the urban area of Nerja to remember those blue summers that marked several generations of television viewers. And what better way to start this walk than in front of the Dorada, Chanquete’s boat, which is located in the Blue Summer Parknext to Antonio Ferrándiz ‘Chanquete’ street: yes, there is no doubt, Nerja is proud to have been the setting for that series that premiered on Spanish Television in 1981.
If we continue towards the center of the town, we will soon reach Spain Square where you will find the Nerja Museum which reminds us that life in this town did not begin with the arrival of Antonio Mercero and company.
The treasure of this museum is something a little more disturbing (and older) than the innocent adventures of Piranha and Tito: the “Nugget”one of the best-preserved skeletons in Europe, almost 10,000 years old.
And after passing by the Church of El Salvador, which was completed at the end of the 17th century, the “golden century” of Nerja that marked the town’s greatest period of splendour, we arrive at the Balcón de Europa.
Legend has it that when Alfonso XII visited the area after the 1884 earthquake He was fascinated by the landscape that could be seen from this promontory between Calahonda beach and El Salón beach: “it looks like the Balcony of Europe,” he said. Or they say he said, because The story might not be exactly like thisIn any case, this place is a true emblem of Nerja.
By the way, until two years ago, the statue of Alfonso XII was accompanied by one of Whitebait which has been moved to a new viewing point between the beaches of La Caletilla and El Salón.
The beaches of Nerja
And since we’ve come this far, we can’t help but take a dip. Because Nerja has 13 kilometres of coastline divided into 16 beaches: almost nothing! From west to east, you will first find The Beachthe longest with its more than two kilometers in length.
The eastern end of Playazo past the mouth of the Chíllar is known as the Chucho beach which is protected by the first viewpoint of Nerja, which also has plenty of views as we have already seen: it is the viewpoint of The Little Tower which gives its name to the beach located to the east of the viewpoint.
Right in front of the urban centre of Nerja you have the most popular beaches in the town: The Hall, La Caletilla and CalahondaThe latter is the most photographed due to its magnificent rocky setting: the Almijara mountain range overlooks a large part of the Nerja coastline, offering this abrupt nuance, very far from the peaceful appearance of other enclaves on the Malaga coastline.
The Chorrilo, Carabeo and Carabeillo are the three beaches that precede Burrianathe most famous and busiest in Nerja where there is no shortage of beach bars like the famous Ayo, the restaurant that was the center of operations for the filming team of Blue Summer.
The Cave of Nerja and ‘Pancho Panza’
But we still have a few more treasures to discover in Nerja, beyond its blue summers. Although the story of the discovery of the Nerja Cave (located in Maro, the eastern district of the Nerja municipality) seems to have been written by Mercero himself… with one caveat: It happened in the middle of winter.
It was January 12, 1959, when five boys decided to go and catch bats in a well known as the Mine, where many of these animals came out at dusk. After entering the cavern, one of the boys noticed a current of humid air coming from a crack that they could not cross because of the presence of stalactites.
But it was not to be left like this, of course. Luckily for the poor bats, the next day’s expedition arrived with another objective: to open a bigger hole in the wall in order to get through to the other side. And what did they find there? A huge gallery, along with several skeletons and ceramic bowls: it was time to share the discovery.
A year and a half later, the cave was opened to the public, becoming the new emblem of the town where the festival is also celebrated. Nerja Cave Music Festival which celebrated its 63rd edition at the beginning of August.
On the other side of the A-7 we cannot forget the famous Eagle Aqueductbuilt at the end of the 19th century to bring water to the San Joaquín sugar factory located in Maro.
But our walk through Nerja must end a little further south, in the La Caleta beachyes, the Cala Chica of Blue Summerthe one in which ‘Pancho Panza’ arrives with the “best mare in Andalusia” to give a Romantic walk with Bea under the watchful eye of Chanquete, Julia… and Ayo. What summers those were!
