Car Hire Nerja

Car Hire

Costa del Sol sunbathers seeking a quieter alternative to the region's seemingly endless stream of concrete hotels need look no further than the small seaside community of Nerja at the popular Spanish holiday region's eastern tip. Tourism may have replaced fishing as Nerja's largest industry, but the town has still managed to maintain its peaceful atmosphere, unique charm and uncrowded beaches. Car hire is a must to reach this small community whose nearest airport and rail station both lie 50 kilometres away in Malaga, but Nerja itself is an easily walkable community.

Who to Book With
Those who decide against renting their vehicles at Malaga's airport or rail station before driving to Nerja will find Europcar is one of the few international car rental firms represented in this small town. Most other Nerja car rental companies are independent operations like Autos Nerja or Nerja Best Cars. Online booking is commonly accepted at most of these establishments.

Best Time to Go
As in the rest of the Costa del Sol, summer is Nerja's high tourism season. Vehicle and hotel rates may be at their highest during the town's hottest season, but remain lower than at many larger Costa del Sol resorts. Prices are lower still during the off seasons of autumn and spring, when visitors will rarely encounter large crowds, but still enjoy warm weather.

Need to Know Essentials
These documents must be presented in order to claim rented vehicles:

- A valid driver’s license issued at least three years ago
- A valid passport or certified photocopy of a valid passport
- Official car rental documents

For more info read our FAQ's

Driving
Nerja lies approximately 10 minutes away from the nearest exit along the coastal A-7 E-15 motorway. Motorists who drive too fast through the long Torrox tunnel will face harsh fines. The two large car parks near Calle La Cruz and Prol Carabeo provide the easiest parking places in this town whose biggest driving difficulties are its many roundabouts, one-way streets and narrow roads. The Prol Carabeo car park charges higher rates for visitors than the Calle La Cruz car park.

Our guide to Spain includes a larger number of driving details.

Transport

Visitors wanting to come to Nerja must hire cars, board buses or take expensive taxis. Only one bus per day sometimes departs from the town's only bus station. Walking around Nerja, on the other hand, is fairly easy, and some streets are completely closed to motorised traffic.

Trains
Visitors must travel 50kms by bus, car or taxi to the nearest rail stations in Malaga. The station nearest Malaga city centre is called María Zambrano, but Malaga Airport has its own modern rail station.

Buses
Nerja's main bus station is a tiny ticket booth with a few benches located between a bridge and a roundabout, but another bus stop on the outskirts of town serves the nearby Nerja caves. One-way tickets aboard Alsa bus journeys between Nerja and Malaga Airport cost under £5. Bus service between Nerja and Granada is available only in summer.

Taxis
Radio Taxis Nerja is one of the town's leading taxi companies. Taxi fares within Nerja's boundaries begin at £4.20 and peak at less than £11. Fares between Nerja and Malaga Airport are just below £58, but these taxis also travel to dozens of smaller communities throughout the Costa del Sol.

Exploring

Nerja's own signature attractions are its magnificent Balcón de Europa promenade, the prehistoric caves situated 3kms from the town centre, and its 16kms of uncrowded beaches. However, visitors can also easily drive to larger and more distant cities like Granada and its famous Alhambra as well as Malaga, the Costa del Sol's biggest city. The charming white village of Frigiliana lies 5kms inland from Nerja.

Recommended Drives

Nerja Caves - The world's largest stalagmite towers nearly 32m (105ft) above one of the Nerja Caves, which extend five kilometres across three galleries. Some of the prehistoric paintings within these caves are more than 20,000 years old. One of these caverns is a converted concert hall which has become one of the Costa del Sol's most unusual summer performance venues.

Frigiliana - The narrow streets and centuries-old houses in the charming village of Frigiliana are famous for their distinctive white colour. The village's history of occupation by the Moors and the Reconquista, which drove the Moors out of Spain, is depicted in tiled wall displays throughout the village.

Malaga - The Costa del Sol's most populous city, Malaga, may be best known as Picasso's birthplace. Many Malaga visitors may immediately head for its nearby beach resorts, but the city is also filled with far older attractions such as ancient Roman theatre remains and Alcazaba, one of Spain's best preserved forts.