Nerja • Location and climate • Landscape and nature • History • Balcony of Europe • Nerja Caves • Going out in Nerja • Festivities • Beaches in Nerja • Plaza de los Cangrejos • Maro • Supermarkets • Nerja Map

History

The name Nerja comes from the Moorish Narixa which means ‘start of well/spring’ or ‘abundance’. They think Nerja was founded around 917. The town was situated further inland originally according to ruins they just found near the road to Frigiliana.

Agriculture has been the main source of income for the last 1.000 years and Nerja was famous for its silk and sugar production. The old sugar factory near Maro and the old aqueduct still remain. Of course there has always been fishing in the Mediterranean sea. Close to Maro they found ruins of the old Roman town Detunda (graves, pots, coins, a bridge and an important road).

The 5 historical Almena watchtowers along the coast formed a belt warning system against Northern African pirates. In the old town you can find 3 historical churches: the Barok ‘El Salvador’ church (1697), the Barok ‘Chapel de La Virgen de las Angustias’ (1720) and the recent build ‘San Miguel’ church (1977).

In 1487 the Christian inquisition brought an end to Moorish ruling. The biggest part of Spain has been in the hands of the Northern African Mores for 800 years and they brought economical and intellectual prosperity. The beautiful Alhambra in Granada was the last Moorish places to be re-conquered by the Spanish during the inquisition. About this time also the current centre of Nerja has been founded.

In 1884 there was a big earthquake that ruined a lot of places in the Axarquia (eastern part of the Malaga province).

In 1980 Nerja was the film set for the popular Spanish television series ‘Verano Azul’. The fishing boat ‘El Barco’ in the programme was placed in the park of Verano Azul on the west side of Nerja.