The town itself rewards a slow afternoon — the Balcón de Europa, the maze of whitewashed lanes behind it, and the small coves immediately below the cliffs. The genuine sight in the area, however, is the Caves of Nerja a few kilometres east — vast underground chambers with the world's longest stalactite.
For the cliffs, beaches and kayaking, head out to Burriana and Maro to the east, where the protected Cliffs of Maro-Cerro Gordo run for 12 km of unspoiled coast. Inland, the white hill village of Frigiliana and the river walk up the Río Chíllar are the standard half-day excursions. In summer, evenings here are slow, late and outdoors.