In October, our family and my younger brother’s family went on vacation to Nerja, Spain. We traveled with 4 adults and 5 children ranging in age from 7 to 11. Our trip started off on a great note for the kids, because what is more fun than being woken up in the middle of the night and driving toward the airport? Personally, I am not a fan of getting up in the night, but my kids see it differently. "That's when it truly feels like vacation, Mom," they always say.
Our flight departed on time, allowing us to arrive in Malaga as early as 8:30 AM. What gorgeous weather! We were greeted by a wonderful 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius). That’s a great start. Our luggage and rental car were also ready quickly. On to our destination, Nerja! After about a 45-minute drive, we arrived at our vacation rental in the charming Oasis de Capistrano neighborhood. We were in luck, because it had already been cleaned and we could move right in. And what is the very first thing you do when you have a pool at your house...? Exactly, jump right in! In the afternoon, we went to check out the lovely Playa Burriana, where we immediately had lunch at one of the cozy beach shacks. Of course, we also tested out the seawater, which was quite chilly at first, but after a few minutes, we were used to it. At the end of the day, we headed back to our house and wrapped up the day with some snacks and games. What a wonderful beginning to the vacation!
On day 2, we once again enjoyed gorgeous weather and, to top it off, celebrated the birthday of our oldest son, who turned 11. Afterward, we naturally took another quick dip in the pool. By late morning, we headed out to the small and authentic village of Frigiliana, located about a 15-minute drive away in the mountains. We hopped on the local tourist train and chugged right through the village, with the driver pointing out all sorts of fun facts and trivia. For instance, mountain goats regularly walk across the rooftops here, and there are several nearby caves you can visit. Afterward, we took some pictures of the stunning view, because from the village you look straight through the mountains out to the sea. We also took a walking tour through the narrow streets, and since it had gotten pretty warm, we grabbed a delicious ice cream from the local ice cream parlor, which still sells traditional homemade ice cream. Shops were definitely not lacking here either, and we happily strolled from small clothing shops to souvenir shops until we got thirsty again and went for a drink at a terrace with a view. The kids played in the nearby playground and had a great time. What a charming village this is! Because it was our son’s birthday, he got to choose where he wanted to eat, and so at the end of the day we ended up back in Frigiliana for a fantastic dinner at Pura Cepa Frigiliana. Now it was dark, with atmospheric lights all around. What a celebration today was again!
On the 3rd day, we got up early and headed to Granada to visit the Alhambra. We had booked this several months in advance to guarantee our entry and the visit to the Nasrid Palaces. The drive took about an hour, and we took a scenic route through the mountains and past the Rules Reservoir with its blue water and dam. Upon arriving at the Alhambra, we first visited the Generalife Gardens. This was also a lot of fun for the kids; it’s just like a maze, so they ended up playing hide-and-seek. Following a walking route of about 15 to 20 minutes, we strolled through the gardens, past fountains, and via small steps back to the starting point. Next, we headed toward the Nasrid Palaces. Along the way, we passed various historic buildings, where we let the kids take charge of taking the photos. Before we knew it, we had walked another half hour or so to the Nasrid Palaces. At our chosen time slot, we were allowed inside and enjoyed all the splendor of Moorish history. This complex was the official residence of the sultans of the Nasrid dynasty and consists of three palaces: the Mexuar, the Comares Palace, and the Court of the Lions. We only visited the main palace area, as this was plenty of culture-vulture activity for our kids and we wanted to keep it fun for everyone.
After our visit, we headed toward the Moorish neighborhood of Albaicín, which is situated on a hill opposite the Alhambra. Here we walked through charming streets and regularly encountered street musicians who entertained the public with their enthusiastic guitar and vocal skills. From the top of the neighborhood, at the Mirador de San Nicolás viewpoint, we had a beautiful view of the Alhambra, where we had just been. As we walked back down, we came across many shops with Arabic influences. Here we ended up at a small street-side table at a packed little restaurant, where we asked the very friendly waiter to surprise us with a lunch of house-specialty tapas. We had a wonderful meal and tasted everything; the kids thought it was fantastic too! After lunch, we walked back toward the car and drove back to Nerja, tired and satisfied after a day full of Moorish impressions.
The next day, we were once again welcomed by a lovely sun and, after breakfast, decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood. We didn't get far before we discovered that Oasis de Capistrano also has a very nice pool tucked into a sort of basin in the center of the neighborhood. It was very quiet and idyllic, surrounded by swaying palm trees, green grass, and blue pool water. We stayed there for quite a while, after which we split up for a bit so that groceries could be bought for the BBQ. This day we played a lot of games, swam a lot, and spent the afternoon once again at Playa Burriana. The waves provided a spectacular afternoon for all of us. The kids made a little shop out of shells and stones and actually managed to sell some things to fellow beachgoers! We wrapped up the day with a BBQ at our vacation rental. It was another gorgeous day, right around 84 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius)!
On the fifth day, we split up. The kids went with their aunt and uncle to Aqualand in Torremolinos near Malaga to enjoy swimming, sliding, and chilling. My husband and I went to Malaga and had booked a guided bike tour there. Malaga turned out to have a compact downtown area where everything is easy to reach. We visited the rose garden, learned about the Alcazaba de Málaga fortress (which is visible on a hill from a large part of the city), and biked past Playa de Malagueta and the marina. We tasted olives at the Mercado de Atarazanas (the market hall) and quenched our thirst with Moscatel wine at Malaga's oldest bar, Antigua Casa de Guardia. What another fun day! We arrived back at our vacation rental around the same time and decided to grab some pizza at the nearby Restaurante Deolinda.
The vacation was already drawing to a close, and we hadn’t even seen downtown Nerja yet! We were going to change that today. We went to the Balcón de Europa, a stunning viewpoint on a protruding rock that offers a magnificent view over the Mediterranean Sea. On both sides of the rock are small beaches accessible by stairs. From the balcony, you can also walk straight into the typically Spanish downtown area with its narrow alleys and many shops. In the evening, we ate at a very cozy Italian restaurant here and sang along at the top of our lungs to "Baila, Baila" when Spanish musicians came in and started playing a cheerful tune. What a fun evening!
On the final day, our flight wasn't until late, and we were in luck! We were able to stay in the house until 4:00 PM for a small fee. We enjoyed a relaxed breakfast, packed our bags, and went for one last swim. Then, on our way back, we stopped by the shopping mall near Malaga. How much we enjoyed this vacation! We decided right then and there that we will definitely go back to Nerja someday! After a smooth flight, we landed back in the Netherlands in the middle of the night—fully recharged and already looking forward to our next vacation in beautiful Spain!
