Driving/Parking in Nerja.

Driving/Parking  in Nerja.

Some people find the thought of driving on the wrong side of the road, whilst whacking their left hand on the door trying to change gear in their hire car, a little daunting. Fear not, it is not as bad as it sounds.

On this site we have dealt with hiring cars. If you have not read that part, then a couple of quick points. Do get the tyre and window insurance. Certainly, with the extra insurance, at www.malagacar.com the staff do not even bother to check the car when you bring it back. A little extra, but great peace of mind.  If you bring your own car over, then don’t stay for more than 6 months in Nerja. This is a small town and the police will notice you.

Whatever you do drive, then please try to remember the following:

Do not cross the double white lines. If caught by the police, you incur an instant fine.

There is a Police helicopter up most mornings and they will catch you on their camera if speeding.

Spain requires you to have certain items in your car at all times, ie Hi Viz for ALL passengers, emergency Tri Angle. Lights adjusted properly.

Motorcyclists must wear a crash helmet, and have their lights on.

All drivers must have with them their driving licence, proof of Passport (I keep a copy), log book and car insurance.

Tip  Although the driving age is 17 in the UK it is 18 in Spain.

I suggest you look at the RAC website for full details.

www.rac.co.uk/travel/driving-abroad/spain

Be prepared for the locals to make up their own rules at roundabouts. They will stay in the inner lane on a roundabout, and without any indication, suddenly pull off the roundabout.

Tip If you have a hire car then consider pulling the sticker off the back, there is no point in letting everyone know you are a tourist.

Parking in Nerja is not too much of a problem in the winter. However the summer months can be difficult to find a spot. For the town centre, I suggest the ‘dust bowl’, which is accessible just before the bus stops in Central Nerja in Calle Avda Pescia. This is a huge area with free parking overnight for cars as well.

Dustbowl

If going to the East of town then consider the underground car park at Plaza de Espana. This is accessible from Calle Animas or Calle Cruz.  There is also a huge fee paying open air car park between Calle Los Huertos and Calle Carabeo, accessible from Calle Frigiliana.

Open air car park Calle Los Huertos/Carabeo

Further to the East, at Burriana Beach, parking can be problematical in the summer. There is an underground car park on the main approach road, Calle Filipinas, which should resolve the difficulty. However it is slightly on the costly side, 10 Euros for 6 hours, or 22Euros all day. There is additional on street parking, but it is sparse and quickly filled. I would suggest you walk or get a taxi to the beach.

Burriana Beach car park

There are 3 Motorway (Auto Via) access points to Nerja. Junction 292 is the main entrance from the Motorway A7. The junctions are marked with the kilometres travelled from the start of the Motorway, which begins near Algeciras. So Torrox, the town prior to Nerja, when travelling from Malaga direction is 285, (7 kilometres before). Access is also further along the A7 by the Caves of Nerja. Junction 295. Finally access is found along the coast road on the N340. This runs from Malaga towards Almunecar. A lovely route but much slower.