Nerja, Coastal municipality in Málaga Province, Spain
Nerja is a coastal municipality in Málaga Province, located about 50 kilometers east of the capital. Beaches alternate with rocky cliffs, and behind them the slopes of the Sierra de Almijara rise inland.
Three Roman settlements stood on this land, including Detunda, before the Moors arrived and named the place Narixa. After the Christian reconquest in the 15th century, the Church of El Salvador was built on the remains of a mosque.
The name comes from the Moorish period and means abundant source, referring to water that once flowed through the area. Visitors today come mainly for the beaches and the narrow lanes in the old town center, where restaurants and shops line the streets.
The A-7 coastal highway links the town with Málaga Airport and neighboring coastal areas through regular bus lines. Walking or driving works best to explore the different beaches and the center, as distances between coves vary.
The caves discovered in 1959 contain prehistoric paintings that rank among the oldest artworks in Europe. The underground cave system extends for kilometers toward Granada and connects to the surface through several sinkholes.
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