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Exploring Nerja’s Balcón de Europa
If you plan to visit Nerja, the main focal point of this beautiful coastal town is the Balcón de Europa (Balcony of Europe). It’s one of the most famous landmarks in Nerja, where you can just wander along the palm-lined broadwalk to the large circular plaza at the end. This plaza is extremely popular for both locals and tourists to be seen and meet up with friends. It has a nice pedestrian plaza area with stores, restaurants and cafes. While visiting Balcón de Europa, I suggest stopping and ordering an ice cream from a gelateria as this Mediterranean hot spot just begs you to savor some gelato while enjoying the views from one of the many benches overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. One of the main reasons this viewing terrace is so popular with visitors is because of it’s balcony over the rocky cliff that has wonderful views of the Nerja coastline in both directions. You can view many of Nerja’s popular beaches, the Mediterranean Sea that stretches for miles and the rugged mountains of the Sierra de Almijara that surround this lively Mediterranean town along Spain’s famous Costa del Sol.
History of Balcón de Europa
It is said that King Alfonso XII gave this rocky outcrop its name, while inspecting the damage caused by a huge earthquake during his visit to the Mediterranean village in 1885. Supposedly, King Alfonso XII stood on this rock balcony and enjoyed the view so much he said, “This is the Balcony of Europe.” Whether this is actually true is not set in stone, but this version is widely accepted and the town even created a life sized statue of the King overlooking the rocky coastline and this balcony. The Balcón de Europa was built on the site of an old 9th century Moorish fortress. This fortress was a gun battery known as “La Batería”. They had cannons on each gun battery along the coast and were used against the British and pirate raids. In 1882, the British opened fire and destroyed the fortress. The only thing that is really left are two cannons located on the circular plaza at the end of the balcony.
Center of Activity
Today, the Balcón de Europa is basically the center of town, as this is where everything in Nerja happens. During the summer, there are tons of different activities happening from plays and concerts and is usually full of people just enjoying the sea breeze coming off of the Mediterranean. In the evenings the plaza is full of people enjoying their evening paseo (stroll) along the boardwalk.
Nerja Town Hall
At the other end of the Balcón de Europa is Nerja Town Hall (Ayuntamiento de Nerja). It’s a beautiful building, surrounded by restaurants and stores to buy souvenirs. If you need help getting your bearings when you first get to Nerja, the town hall has tourist information and a small museum.
Beach Views from Balcón de Europa
When you walk to the end of Balcón de Europa, you will see wonderful views of the rugged coastline of Nerja. When looking to your right, you will see Playa Salón and Playa la Caletilla and the rest of Costa del Sol in the distance. When you look to your left, you will see Playa de la Calahonda and Playa el Chorrillo with amazing views of the mountains and the Maro-Cerro Gordo coastline.
Getting to the Balcón de Europa
Basically, as the Italian saying goes, all roads lead to “Balcón de Europa” in Nerja so you should easily be able to find it. Just make sure you are walking towards the Mediterranean Sea and eventually you will run into it. There are signposts all throughout Nerja so if you have lost your way, just look up when you get to a crossroads and follow the directional signs and you should find it with no problems. The quickest and easiest way to get there is by walking on foot so enjoy your stroll through all the white washed stores as you make your way to the coastline. If you get completely turned around, then just stop and ask someone because almost everyone knows where the most famous landmark in Nerja is located.
Treasures of Traveling in Nerja
There are many wonderful treasures of traveling to visit in southern Spain and Nerja is one of them! The Costa del Sol has so much to offer any tourists and the Balcón de Europa has spectacular views of endless rugged coastline and mountains. There is a tremendous amount of exploring to do throughout Nerja. Most people decide to visit Nerja during the summer months for the wonderful Mediterranean weather, but the winter months can also be nice as it won’t be nearly as crowded as during the summer months.
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Check out the map below to see where Nerja and Balcón de Europa is located!
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