Nerja News

The Plaza de Andalucia was the first of the popular squares in Nerja to undergo major renovation as the Central Government pours money into municipalities under such schemes as the State Plan for Local Investment (FEIL), more commonly known as the ‘Plan Zapatero’.

Currently undergoing renovations are Plaza Cavana, Plaza de la Ermita and Plaza Cantarero.

Plaza de Andalucia, tucked away in the old part of the town, is dominated by the Iglesia San Miguel – St Michael’s Church.

The renovations have not changed the character of the square, or the area, and it remains a peaceful little outpost, a place to relax. more »

February 28th is Andalucia Day and in Nerja, in addition to the official commemorative acts, it is also Dia del Pedal – Day of the Bicycle.

It has become part of the local tradition and each year, the number of entrants is a new record. In 2009, around 1,600 people took part. In 2010, the number of entries was almost 1,900.

The Dia del Pedal now starts and finishes at the Plaza de España (formerly Plaza Paseo Nuevo), just behind the Town Hall and participants are of all ages and the bikes are of all shapes and sizes.

The route is not strenuous and it’s not competitive, it’s just a leisurely bit of fun cycling round the town with food and refreshments when you get back.

Several local establishments and organisations, such as the Taller de la Amistad, offer bicycles in a prize draw held at the end of the event. Photos from this year’s event can be seen HERE.

The 4th Nerja Festival de Arte is currently taking place in the Sala Mercado on calle San Miguel in Nerja, a multicultural event with artists, artisans and organisations from a variety of nationalities taking part.

The opening day, or evening to be more accurate, saw a performance by the Frigiliana-based band ‘Not to Fall’, a four-piece outfit who play at a number of venues in the area and are always well worth going to see.

The festival is a bit like an indoor street market in some ways and it also seems to have more of a ‘buzz’ about it this year. Smiling faces and an atmosphere that gives the impression that those participating are actually enjoying themselves rather than going through the motions of putting on ‘another exhibition’. That’s my impression, anyway. more »

Sunday February 14th was not only ‘St Valentine’s Day’ but also the ‘Burial of the Sardine’ (Entierro del Chanquete), an integral part of the Carnaval celebrations in Nerja.

Lucky breaks in otherwise bad weather allowed both the normal Carnaval procession and ‘Burial of the Sardine’ to take place almost as scheduled. That is to say, as on time as any event in Spain.

The sardine, bedecked with hearts, departed from Plaza de España and was then carried through the streets of Nerja accompanied by the official mourner and the requisite cohorts of wailing widows before being taken to sea at Calahonda beach for burial.

It may have been cold, but least it was dry, and the atmosphere was excellent, probably one of the best Carnaval’s for many a year.

An extra bonus was a last-minute clean-up of the various building sites in the area which allowed the processions to follow their originally planned, and traditional route. more »

The Municipal Exhibition Hall in calle Cristo, Nerja, is currently hosting an exhibition of paintings by Conchi Cobos, Loli Garcés and Ana Martín.

The exhibition is open mornings (11:00 to 13:00) and evenings (18:00 to 20:00) and continues until February 26th.

The artists are donating 30% of the sales of canvases to the Taller de la Amistad, a charitable organisation noted for its work with the mentally disabled, particularly children.

In addition to the paintings, there are a number of other items on sale including books, gift cards made by the children, diaries, fans and jewellery, the proceeds going towards projects to help the less fortunate within the community. more »

After a couple of beautifully sunny days it’s back to rain, but it was a very good weekend and wonderful just to sit by the shore and watch the sun go down.

The sound of the sea lapping onto the shore is very relaxing and the stresses and strains of everyday life just seem to evaporate, leaving you refreshed and ready to take on the world again.

On Sunday evening, there was just the right amount of cloud cover to provide a colourful sunset, the sun shimmering on the calm sea. more »

Arriving at Gatwick airport in the dead of night, one of the perils of using budget airlines, it was certainly cool but it didn’t seem overly cold.

After waiting for over an hour staring at empty baggage conveyers – either the staff had gone home or there was a go-slow, never found out which – we were on our way to Hampshire. The temperature was getting cooler all the time.

Tuesday morning was frosty and a trifle on the nippy side, to say the least, but in the evening it began to snow. And snow.

And most of the UK came to a grinding halt. Roads were impassable, airports were closed and the fires were stoked up, creating talk of problems with gas supply in many parts of the country. more »

Today was a welcome break from the almost incessant rain, the sky clearing and the sun putting its hat on. Plenty of people emerged from the warmth and comfort of their homes to make the most of it, all hoping it will continue until the New Year celebrations, damp fireworks being somewhat overrated.

The new promenade at El Chucho is now open and in use. Odd that there was no official ribbon cutting and public back patting to celebrate its opening, although being about one year behind schedule could have had some bearing. It looks very nice, though.

The beaches have taken a bit of a pounding during the recent inclement weather and a lot of debris has been washed up onto the sand. Great for the kids because they have been building all sorts of structures. more »

The exhibition Hall in calle Cristo (calle Almirante Ferrandis/Post office street) is currently home to the municipal Nativity Scene and it will be on show from now until January 6th 2010. The opening times are from 17:30 until 20:00.

The display is the legacy of Carmen Rodríguez, a málagueño by birth but long time resident of Nerja. The scene was displayed at the family home in Málaga from the turn of the last century.

Upon the death of her father, Carmen Rodríguez moved to Nerja, to calle Bronce to be exact, and continued to assemble the Nativity Scene until her death in 1970.

The tradition was then carried on by her nephews and nieces, notably Celestino Jaime and Purificación Escobar and they gathered a number of awards over the years, the last one being last Christmas. more »

A new tapas bar in town, so what better excuse to stop off for a lunchtime drink.

‘Tapika’s’ is located on calle Chaparil, Nerja, just round the corner from calle Antonio Millón and two doors up from one of the best tapas bars in town, ‘Sevillano’, so it’s got some pretty tough competition to contend with.

The premises were formerly occupied by ‘Bar Pitarra’ and then, following a lengthy period of inactivity, by ‘La Luna Llena’, a tapas bar run by a Dutch couple. And now it is ‘Tapika’s’.

The bar area is quite long and thin and has been divided, almost, into two bar sections, although the lift-up counter does allow for them to be joined if necessary. The barman would have to be constantly ducking to get in and out or even to get to the second bar area, but there is obviously a cunning plan in there somewhere. more »

Currently on at the Sala Mercado in calle San Miguel (Plaza de la Ermita, by the taxi rank) is the third Asociación Nerjeña de Arte exhibition, so time to pop in and have a look.

The first thing you see upon entering is this large and rather splendid canvas of the Balcón de Europa. It would be a bit difficult to emulate this at the moment with all the roadworks going on.

The Nerja Art Association was established in December 2007 and aims to promote cultural activities through competitions, art exhibitions, lectures and cultural trips.

ANED currently has thirty-five partners, most of them being painters. more »

The Andrea Inn on calle Jaén, Nerja, changed hands at the end of October and has just reopened, so what better excuse to check it out!

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Cudeca Cancer Care Hospice once again celebrates Light a Light in memory of our loved ones on Friday 11th December at 6.00 p.m. at the Hospice Centre.

Light a Light is a special tribute to a loved one when a light and candle is dedicated to them for a minimum donation of €10.

The Hospice building is decorated with lights which are switched on by the President and Founder, Joan Hunt O.B.E., and every one of those lights is in memory of someone special.

On this special evening, there will be choirs singing Christmas Carols and the wonderful sound of Bell Ringers. more »

There’s a new book on the shelves, a sort of modern girl’s guide to the Costa del Sol if you like, an enlightening yet light-hearted account of a young girl relocating to Spain to start a new life and maybe, if all goes well, turn a dream into reality.

But first, a bit of background on the author.

There are a lot of free magazines and newspapers available along the coast and in all sizes, and one of my own favourites has always been The Sentinella. It was one of the first, if not the first, of the A5 handy-mags, and is a nice mixture of serious and humorous articles.

It was started many years ago by the late Colin Checkley but for the past few years has been in the capable hands of one Keidi Keating.

At the tender age of 23 years, Keidi decided to leave England and try to make her way in Spain, never an easy task as many will only too willingly testify. Always one for keeping a diary, she continued to keep a note of everything, the ups as well as the downs. more »

At a time when businesses are still disappearing weekly, if not more frequently, it is good to see that some people have withstood the test of time, and economics.

The Nerja Book Centre is one of these, the shop now in its twenty-seventh year. Still the same owner, Derek Hands, and still in the same location, calle Granada. A rarity these days.

There are over 20,000 second hand books in stock in some fifteen languages, although the largest section by far is English, followed by German and Spanish.

The principle is simple and hasn’t changed since day one. You buy a book and then, if you decide to return it then you get 50% of the marked price towards the cost of your next book. more »

Today saw the staging of the 4th Rallyjet Championship – Copa del Rey in Nerja and with the usual aplomb, they didn’t manage to start on time. Probably borrowed a timepiece from the car park builders!

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Under clear skies, an unusual occurrence, the annual feria got underway yesterday evening, everything pretty much according to schedule, another minor miracle.

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