Nerja.

Nerja is right on the coast at the foothills of the Sierra De Tejada mountains about forty five kilometers east of Malaga on the Costa Del Sol, and less than 45 minutes drive from the Airport, and while it may not have the attractions that the real touristy towns have, perhaps that is the attraction!
The name Nerja comes from the Moorish name for the village Narixa, which means "lots of water"

There are half a dozen main beaches in Nerja

Nerja is still nearer to the real Spain, and just a few minutes walk from the Town centre and you can still regularly see Oxen pulling a plough, and just a few more minutes drive away is some of the most magnificent scenery to be seen anywhere.
Although Nerja has succumbed to tourism it has managed to keep a lot of it's character, particularly the old part of town with narrow cobbled streets and loads of great Tapas Bars
Nerja is less than two hours drive from the Sierra Nevada (Europe's most Southerly Ski resort) so you can be on the beach for the morning, and skiing in the afternoon!
Also less than two hours drive is Granada and the Alhambra Palace, but don't go in high season unless you've booked as they only allow so many visitors in per day. You can pre book tickets at the BBV bank in C/Diputacion or on-line in English/Spanish/French at www.alhambradegranada.org

A nice ride out to give you a taste of what lies just a little further inland is the drive to Frigiliana, then on to Torrox Pueblo, back down to the coast at Torrox Costa and then back along the coast road to Nerja. About 45 minutes in total.
More adventurous would be the drive to Trevelez or Alhama De Granada
Life here does get a bit hectic in July and August, but the rest of the year things are more to my liking, you can actually get parked in the Town!
All the normal things are here, supermarkets, chemists, doctors, two weekly markets and loads of bars and restaurants.
 English is fairly well spoken, but you can always use 'Pointish' (use right hand to point at what you want, and use your left hand to show how many) to get by until you pick some Spanish up.

There are quite a few beaches here within walking distance of the Town, and a lot of money is being spent to improve the facilities.
A golf course is planned near the Caves of Nerja, but final arrangements have not been agreed yet
There is a large ex-pat community here with either holiday or permanent homes.
The weather here in  winter can still be hot enough to sunbathe, but we do get those grey miserable and wet days, but thankfully not that many, after all this is the Costa Del Sol, next time you see the weather forecast on TV watch that bottom bit of Spain. Coming here out of season has its advantages too, cheaper flights and cheaper accommodation as well as better weather than the UK

If you are thinking of coming to Nerja for a holiday, you may want to book direct, the choices are amazing, from a studio to a detached Villa with it's own pool.

Monuments & Sights

New from September 2002, The Fuente de Nerja is a fountain made from stones donated from EU member states and is very impressive. Located in the Parque Verano Azul near Hipersol.
April 05  on the roundabout near Hipersol supermarket.
April 05 on the road down to Nerja from the motorway at the La Noria turnoff.

San Salvador 12th century church on the Balcon de Europa.
Ayuntamiento (townhall) just off the Balcon de Europa.
The Balcon de Europa in Nerja. Named by King Aphonso 12th. At the end of the Balcon there once stood a fort but this was destroyed by the British to stop any chance of the French using it to gain a foothold in Spain ( we were pals with Spain at the time but had the huff the the French as usual)
Plaza de la Fabrica de Cangrejo At the bottom of Castilla Perez, this pretty Plaza has petanque pitches and in the height of the summer there is live entertainment just about every night.
Orange Square, (Plaza Cantarero) at the top of C/San Miguel and C/Pintada, a popular place for folk to have a sit and a chat in the shade. Do not eat the oranges as they are better suited for use as car batteries because of the amount of lead in them!
Leaving Nerja to Maro on the coast road is an aquaduct  built in the 1800's (so definitely not Roman!) to supply the local sugar mill and still in use today to supply irrigation water to local farms. Construction was carried out under the direction of local master builder Francisco Cantarero and it has four levels of brick made up of  38 arches. The 'front' faces inland, to the original road the Camino Real, and  was decorated with a gallery of blind, pointed horseshoe arches in the Mudecar style. The aquaduct also features entrance templets on the top storey and a central templet with an inscription reading "Pura y Limpia Concepción" (Pure and Clean Conception")