Nerja nightlife revolves around one place: Plaza Tutti Frutti, a large square in the centre lined with bars. If you want to stay out late, dance a little or just have a drink with a buzz around you, this is where you end up. Below we explain how a night out in Nerja usually builds, which bars you'll find on the square and how to get home afterwards.
Plaza Tutti Frutti is the main nightlife area in Nerja. It is a big open square with bars on every side, so it is easy to wander from one to the next and see where the atmosphere is best that night. Bars you will find around the square include:
Line-ups, music and opening hours change from season to season, so the best approach is simply to walk the square, look in and pick the place that feels right. Check current hours if you have a particular bar in mind.
If you are used to going out at nine and being home by midnight, Spain works on a different clock. A night out in Nerja tends to build slowly, and the square comes to life late. This is roughly how we would do it.
Start in the early evening with a drink somewhere pretty. Lamalaka, right on the Balcón de Europa, is our favourite for an aperitif. Esquina Paulina, in the heart of town, makes great mojitos. Our post on sunset drinks in Nerja has more terraces for this first stop.
Dinner in Spain is late, and that is part of the fun. Either do a little tapas crawl (La Rienda and Los Barriles both serve a free tapa with your drink, see our guide to free tapas in Nerja) or sit down for a proper meal. Copa Vino is our trendy sharing favourite, and Botonic is great for burgers, tapas and atmosphere. For more ideas, see our best restaurants in Nerja.
Once dinner is done, head to Plaza Tutti Frutti. This is when the bars fill up and the night really starts. Some people stay for one drink, others for many. There is no right way to do it.
Plaza Tutti Frutti isn't the only way to spend a night out. If you want something more cultural, an evening of flamenco is a wonderful alternative, and we have written about it in our post on flamenco in Nerja. And if wine is more your scene than a busy bar, our guide to wine bars in Nerja covers the quieter, cosier places.
This part matters more than people think. Our house, like much of Ladera del Mar, sits uphill from the centre. The walk into town along the beach is lovely (around 35 minutes from Casa Joya), but walking back up the hill late at night after a few drinks is not much fun.
One of the nice things about staying in Ladera del Mar, just outside the centre of Nerja, is that you get the best of both. Plaza Tutti Frutti is a short taxi ride away when you want a night out, and the house is calm when you want to sleep. The next morning, coffee on the terrace with the sea in front of you is the best cure we know. If that sounds good, check availability at Casa Joya.
The main nightlife area is Plaza Tutti Frutti, a large square in the centre of Nerja lined with bars such as Safari, El Ancla, O'Malley's, Tantra and La Guarida.
Late, by northern European standards. Most people have an evening drink, then a late dinner, and only head to the bars on Plaza Tutti Frutti after that.
We recommend a taxi, especially if you are staying uphill outside the centre. Radio Taxis Nerja is the local taxi company we use.