Nerja Local Customs

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Most shops and some bars close from 2pm until 5pm for a Siesta (Snooze) Mondays to Fridays.
On Saturdays, some shops close at 2pm and do not reopen again that day.
On Sundays many shops and some bars are closed all day.

Getting money (Euros):
So as Cambios and Banks also close, either remember to get your money changed before they close ,
or,
use your CARD in an ATM (Hole in the Wall) so that you are not left short of cash.

Smoking:
Tabacos (Tobacco shops) all close for Siesta. Nearly all are closed all day on Sundays. So if you smoke, stock up on Saturdays.

If you are really stuck without cigarettes on a Sunday, some bars have machines and, unlike in the UK, do not charge much more than the Tabacos although you will have to settle for what brands they have. You may see newspaper booths that also sell cigarettes and cigars but you will be paying MUCH more than at the Tabacos shops.

A place with such a machine and always open is the 'Hostal Ermita' bar/restaurant - just through the LEFT hand door and on your immediate left. Location - Calle San Miguel.

Essentials on Sundays:
Bread shops (Panaderias) are open every day including Sundays. The big supermarket, Mercadona, is CLOSED all day on Sunday, but MAS is open (prol. Antonio Millon).
Fresh vegetable shops are usually open on Sunday mornings until about lunchtime.
Bars vary their opening times and closed days through the week but there are a large percentage that close on Sundays or do not open until the evening.

Mercadona has a website so that you may find the nearest to where YOU are staying in Spain. Link below.

I cannot extol enough the absolute necessity of picking up a FREE copy of either "Nerja Essential" or "The Market Place" if you are new to Nerja. These can be found in most bars and outside Estate agents.

Inside you will find :-
A town street map.
Fiestas etc.
A bars list with reference to the map (grid).
Restaurant list.
Coach timetable.
Useful telephone numbers.
Articles which will give you a flavour of the area.
And much, much more.

Nerja Essential has a website where you can keep up with the news of the area and even see articles from their archives. Link below.

I know the weather can get hot - VERY HOT, on the Costa del Sol.

But when going into Restaurants and bars, also when dining in most Hotels, both Spanish and English do prefer you to wear a shirt. (and other clothes of course).

In other words, keep the beach wear purely for the beach in respect for the Spanish, other nationalities living here, and other customers alike.

Shorts and 'T' shirts are acceptable. Swim wear is not.
The exceptions are some bars that are actually ON the beach where beachwear is unavoidable if you've just been on it. But in the towns, please cover up to a respectable degree.

how to ask for your choice of coffee:
Café con leche------------------------- Very milky coffee
Solo --------------------------------------- Black coffee
Solo largo ------------------------------- Weak to medium black coffee
Solo corto -------------------------------- Very strong black coffee
Carajillo ---------------------------------- Coffee + splash of brandy or anis
Cortado ----------------------------------- Black (solo) with a dash of milk
Café descafeinado con leche ------ Decafeinated coffee with milk
café descafeinado solo -------------- Decafeinated coffee without milk

Temprado -------------------------------- not hot / not cold / medium

Fiestas de San Antón de Maro
16 and 17 January

Carnival - February

Crosses of May - 3 May

Romería de San Isidro - 15 and 16 May
(my intention is to make this one, it has been highly recommended by a local).

San Juan - 23 and 24 June

Nerja cave festival - July

Day of Carmen - 16 July

Feria de las Maravillas de Maro
7 to 9 September

Feria de Nerja
9 to 12 October

Processions and Easter floats
Holy week

New Years Eve - Party in the streets.

Spanish National Holidays (If a holiday falls on a Sunday, it is celebrated on the following Monday):

January 1 - New Year's Day
January 6 - Three Kings
February 28 - Andalucía Day
Easter Week - Thursday & Friday
May 1 - May Day
August 15 - Asuncion de la Virgen
October 12 - Dia de la Hispanidad
November 1 - All Saints Day
December 6 - Dia de la Constitucion
December 8 - Immaculate Conception
December 25 - Christmas Day

As with much of Spain, a really good time to visit Nerja, is New Years Eve.

Due to the kinder climate, the event is held outside on the Balcon de Europa, which is a walkway constructed on a large natural cliff, with stunning views along the coast.

The band set up in the nearby square and the whole town come out, dressed up to the nines, and party the night away until dawn.

The atmosphere is incredibly friendly, with people bringing cold boxes with champagne and peach juice which is shared round happily.

Dressing up is a must, it is like a fashion parade, with everyone in evening dress, the ladies in particular, looking absolute stunning.

At midnight, you have to eat a large grape everytime the clock strikes (harder than you would imagine) - there are fireworks and you can buy a party bag very cheaply containing various party items including plastic noses, streamers etc

There is none of the slightly nervous aggressive feel of similar outside events in much of the UK (not Brighton though, I hasten to say). All ages are out dancing and singing from babies to Grandparents.

We left the party at around 4 am and it was still going strong. The gutters were knee deep in empty champage bottles, which somehow, ahd miraculously disappeared by morning (amazing!)

Highly recommended for a fabulous time and without the need to worry about baby-sitters!

Sevillanas is a dance associated with flamenco but it is not strictly flamenco and is believed to be an old Castilian folk dance.

It is danced in pairs (based on the old style of courtship, but it doesn't 'have' to be a man and a woman) and usually danced by groups during the Feria de Sevilla and has made its way into discos and bars as a popular dance form in recent years. It is a social dance, most Spanish children learning it from a young age.

Both the songs and the dance always have the same structure, the same rhythm, the same pattern and you can dance sevillanas with everybody at parties, ferias and fiestas. The sentiments expressed are normally festive or amorous, with plenty of room for humor - Sevillanas is fun!

The dance is in a set of 4 verses and takes some effort to remember the steps. Ideally, you could do with a workshop to get the basics as there are steps, arms, clapping (palmas), timing and style to consider and all at the same time. Some people also dance it with castanets.

Steps include the Sevillana step, pasadas (passes), stamps, endings, turns and more.
There is so much to remember, but once you have it, you can add your own personal style to make it your own, yet still fitting in with everyone else.

When in Nerja, check out what's going on in one of the free local entertainment rags, there are classes (highly recommended and reasonably priced) and shows to see . (Try the Caves of Nerja to see what's on).

(Pictured here, the lovely Lola's class I attend here in Brighton, performing Sevillanas at a show in London last year).