Parador de Nerja

The Parador de Nerja was built in the 1960s but has been updated over the years and does not feel exceptionally dated. The highlight of a stay here is the ravishing view of the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the mountains on the other. The hotel sits on a cliff top overlooking the water, and the public areas, as well as most guest rooms, offer romantic sunset panoramas that cannot be beat. A private elevator carries guests down to the beach, where there are fish shacks, lounge chairs. and umbrellas for rent, snorkeling, and other water sports. The crowd tends to be older, and the hotel bar is not a nightlife destination, but Nerja proper with its tapas bars, restaurants, and nightlife is a 10-minute walk away. The decor is simple and bright, which makes the views the star, but the lobby and terrace are comfortable and inviting places to meet for drinks or breakfast, or to catch up on some quiet reading.

The cliff-top Parador overlooks Burriana Beach, with views of the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a pleasant 10- minute walk from the hotel to the main streets of Nerja and the famed Balcon de Europa. In the streets immediately surrounding the hotel are shops, bars, and restaurants, but not much nightlife. The area is quiet and peaceful, away from the tourist center, with plenty of beach and water activities, as well as local fish shacks where visitors can grab a delicious lunch (paella is recommended), fresh from the sea.

Rooms at the Parador de Nerja are simple, modern, and spotlessly clean, with big, comfortable beds. Each room has a spacious balcony, and ground floor rooms have patios that open right onto the lawn that seems to beg guests to stretch out and sunbathe. The decor in rooms is not quirky or filled with character but is pleasant and makes the cliffs and the sea the star. Bathrooms are not brand-new marble palaces, but they have good tiled showers and tubs; higher-priced rooms and suites have whirlpool tubs. Flat-screen TVs, minibars, and safes are in every room.

The best feature of the Parador de Nerja is the beach at the base of the cliff, reached via private elevator. There is an outdoor pool that is suitable for lap swimming (it is open only during summer months and for limited hours, however). Tennis courts are open 24/7. Comfortable lounges are everywhere for sleeping, reading, or enjoying an afternoon sangria. The breakfast buffet (covered by many rates) includes English, Spanish, German, and American food, with champagne for those so inclined, and the Europa restaurant serves Andalucian specialties at dinner to accompany the glorious sunsets.