Frigiliana

Couple of hours in Frigiliana.

Picturesque Frigiliana

Christy Moore, sings about Frigiliana, in the song entitled Lisdoonvarna.

A cousin of mine goes potholing,
A cousin of her’s loves Joe Dolan.
Summer comes around each year,
We go there and they come here.
Some jet off to … Frijiliana,
But I always go to Lisdoonvarna.

We have all photos of white washed villages and thought, “I want to go there,” well you can, and it is easy to get there. It is called Frigiliana.

Frigiliana, or ‘Friggy’ as it is known locally, is about a 10-minute drive up the hill away from Nerja.

Frigiliana is split into 2 parts, not that you would really know, the old and the new.

This village is full of windy alleyways, cobbled paths with limited driving allowed. Indeed even now a lot of furniture, and supplies are delivered on the back of a mule.
This is also a village where people live so it has all the culture and quirks you would expect.

If you are a rambler, then this is an excellent setting off place for a day’s walking. You can even walk here easily, and this is dealt with below.
Lunch or a drink on the main square is a good way to waste a couple of hours, watching the world go by.

View from Main Piazza/square Frigiliana

A downside is that some of the gift shops and galleries are slightly over the top price wise.

If you go there, you probably don’t need much more than a morning or afternoon in the actual village.

Consider a walk to the very top, to the old ruins where the ‘Moors’ had their castle. There is not a lot left, but you get the general idea.
Additionally there is a 'tour train' that you can pick up from the main bus stop. Great for children, but it seems to cover the new part of town, and a walk may be better.

Tourist Train Frigiliana

Lots of great restaurants and bars, with stunning views.
There is Alex’s chocolate and Churros stall if you are not concerned about a diet. This is situated on the main rounabout in the centre of town, just look out for the white shed.

Market day is on a Thursday. I personally would not bust a gut getting there, but each to their own.

Buses run regularly throughout the day, but finish around 9pm, see timetable below. There are no buses on a Sunday.

As you walk around the old town there are a number of plaques on the walls detailing past events. Take the translation book with you as they are in Spanish.

Historic plaque, Frigiliana

Unlike a lot of daytrips out, this place is best visited in all its majestic royalty on a sunny day to get the white washed village effect.

Getting to Frigiliana.

Buses

Frigiliana to Nerja Bus

There is a bus running throughout the day, which you pick up from the main bus stand in Nerja Town. The stop is on the direction of travel going downhill. The fare is 1 Euro, single. You collect the bus on the return journey where it drops you off in the centre of the village.

You pay on the bus. Do not queue up at the Alsa wooden shed in Nerja.

There are no buses on a Sunday or Bank Holidays.

Bus Frigiliana

Timetable of buses.

Monday to Saturday. No Buses Sunday or Bank Holidays.

Departing from Frigiliana

0700
0800
1030
1130 (Monday to Friday)
1245
1345
1530 (Monday to Friday)
1630
1930
2100

Departing from Nerja

0720
0945
1100 (Monday to Friday)
1200
1330
1500
1600 (Monday to Friday)
1900
2030

Taxi

Taxi to Frigiliana

The taxi is metered, and the price increases once you cross the Motorway A7, going out of town. It is about 12 to 15 Euros each way.

Coming back there is a taxi rank in front of where the bus stops. If late at night, or other quiet period, there is a local telephone number on the board by the taxi rank.

Walking

Walking to Frigiliana

Don’t walk up the main road from Nerja, passing Lidl supermarket as the pavement ends by the motorway, with the obvious messy consequences, especially at night. If you intend to walk, it will take about 2 hours, and is made by walking up the River (Rio) Chillar. Start from the centre of Nerja and take the right hand side of the river. After about 40 minutes you will pass under the main A7 Motorway bridge.

Motorway Bridge A7. Nerja.

Immediately on doing so the river splits, with the right hand path above water (River Chillar) and the left hand mainly underwater (River Higueron). You need to follow the path to the left, it is obvious where the path is. If you take the right hand path you are going in the wrong direction. After about 20 minutes you come to a open flat area with a house in front of you. To the left of the house is a cutting through a ravine, keep walking through here. Again this is an obvious route and the river bed is now obvious. This is a great walk, at one stage you climb a set of concrete stairs in the middle of nowhere, such is the drop of the river. Above you to the left you will see the start of the village. When you see what is clearly a sports stadium, above left, you are nearly there. Eventually you reach a path, and above you is a green water pipe. Turn left here and walk up the steep slope to the village of Frigiliana.
Of course an easier way to go is downhill. Get the bus to Frigilana. Turn to behind the bus and you will see an alley. Follow the path downhill, and turn onto the river and keep walking down towards the sea and Nerja.

Path leading to Rio Higueron from Frigiliana

Don't forget to take some water.