Over the last 10+ years we have stayed at a number of these properties so this is by means of a quick “thumbnail” guide.

The owners are very friendly and will do everything they can to help and advise you, preparing and during your stay.

All the properties are clean and well decorated; with well equipped kitchens and comfortable sitting-rooms and bedrooms. They all have a good number of bathrooms according to the number bedrooms and we have never yet run out of hot water and had to wait for the tank to reheat. There are usually a washing machine and iron; an electric kettle, toaster, coffee machine, microwave, halogen hob and electric oven. Of course there are pots and pans, cutlery, plates, glasses, etc that are more than ample for the number of people who will be staying.

The properties have dual purpose air-conditioning that will cool the air or heat it as required.

All are quiet and very private. Even the apartment blocks in Burriana Beach (The Penthouse and Casa Gloria) have been cleverly designed so that none of the terraces are overlooked.

There is always a bottle of wine and/or some beers in fridge to refresh you from your long journey, and I’m sure a welcome pack of other essentials could be arranged. But with an Eroski superstore about halfway between Malaga and Nerja, and Lidl just on the outskirts of the town, we stop off to shop en route from the airport & phone ahead to confirm when we’ll be arriving.

We have stayed in February, May, early June and September. We are able to avoid “high season” because we aren’t tied in to school holidays; so I can’t really comment on facilities or activities for children.

The Penthouse. This one has central heating so it’s ideal for a Winter break, but we have rarely had to use it because it is South facing and has two terraces that catch the sun all day. It is nice to have it for the evening if it does turn cooler. The walk down the steps to Burriana beach or into town isn’t too strenuous. The walk back after a good meal and some wine may be little slower.

Casa Gloria. “the upside-down house” with the living room and kitchen on the ground floor and the bedrooms underneath. The terrace is above via a spiral staircase. Again this is in the valley leading down to Burriana beach, but go a little way back up the hill and across, rather than straight down to the beach and up the steep hill to the Parador, and the walk into town (and back) is a very pleasant stroll.

Villa Nueva Nerja. A Beautiful property with lots of space indoors and out. Even in February the temperatures meant that we had to retreat to the shade in the mid-afternoon. We were very lucky. You can get a week of sunshine, but rain or showers can happen at that time of year. It is very close to the town but in a quiet street with easy parking. The walk into town is very pleasant and there are no hills unless you choose to go down to the beach.

The final two are our favourites but they are further out of town so a car is recommended (as said on the website)

The Cottage and Villa Cecila are both very nice properties and lend themselves well to larger groups. They divide nicely into separate bedroom areas with the living room and kitchen in the centre, so if you want a bit of peace and quiet; shut the door, read a book or have a siesta.

My personal favourite is The Cottage – it has a really good fireplace, and in the winter what could be better than a enjoying a sunny day and then relaxing in front of a log fire as the evening starts to get a little chilly. The wood seller is really close and much cheaper than the small bundles of logs that the supermarkets sell.

One of my greatest pleasures is last thing at night. Making a coffee, turning out all the lights and going outside to look at the stars, which are so much clearer than in the UK.

General Tips
The satellite TV can be temperamental in bad weather or later in the evening – the Sky signal is not that good so far south. That’s why the dishes have to be so big. If you want to keep up with your local news back in the UK the BBC local channels are somewhere up in the 700’s.

The power will “trip out” if the oven, the hob and washing machine, etc. are all on at the same time especially if you are also using the iron provided or drying your hair. Just make sure you know where the panel is to reset the circuit breakers. They are all accessible and easy to reset. The electricity supply is safe but the circuit breakers are sensitive and will trip if too much current is being drawn.

The Cottage and Villa Cecila both have quite steep driveways but we have been OK with automatic and manual cars. So nothing too daunting. The advantage is that being lower down in the valley makes them more secluded and quiet.

The car boot sale on Sunday morning is worth a visit if you like that sort of thing. If you are heading out of town towards Maro you will get to the roundabout with Burriana Beach the first exit downhill to the right. The car boot sale is the third exit uphill to the left, and then just follow the general flow of people until you get to the Market Place.

The market at Almuñécar (Friday I think, but check the information book in the villa/apartment) is probably the best one in the area, but the town itself is well worth a visit on another day when the parking is easier. The drive along the coast road has become very pleasant and quiet now that the motorway has been extended, but it is quite sad to see the “truckers cafes” that were thriving 10 years ago either struggling or closed because the traffic goes by the faster route.

Off the coast road between Nerja and Almuñécar is Playa Cantajarran. It is a naturist beach but that’s optional, and has two good restaurants; one of them is open all year, which makes it a very nice place for a quiet lunch on a sunny winter day. It was also good midweek in May when a group of us sat down for a pre-departure lunch and watched a school of dolphins jumping and diving out to sea.

The best weather forecast for the area is the 10 day one from www.weather.co.uk We generally choose the forecast for Motril rather than Malaga. It seems to be more accurate, but Nerja has its own micro-climate and the actual weather will usually be better than the forecast i.e. warmer and drier.