Best Things to Do in Frigiliana & Nerja

Beautiful Beaches, Hidden Coves & Mediterranean Adventures

The coastline around Nerja and Maro is one of the most beautiful parts of the eastern Costa del Sol, combining clear Mediterranean water, dramatic limestone cliffs, small hidden coves and sandy beaches. From Frigiliana, the coast is only a short drive away, making it easy to spend a morning exploring the old town and an afternoon swimming, kayaking or relaxing by the sea.

One of the best-known beaches is Burriana Beach, a wide and well-equipped beach close to Nerja. It offers golden sand, clear water, restaurants, beach bars and facilities for a range of water activities. It is particularly convenient for families and visitors who want everything within easy reach.

For a more natural atmosphere, head towards Playa de Maro, located east of Nerja. Surrounded by cliffs and Mediterranean vegetation, Maro has a more wild and spectacular character than the urban beaches of Nerja. Nearby, Cala Barranco de Maro, Cala del Pino and other smaller coves offer a quieter alternative for swimming and enjoying the coastline. Cala del Pino, for example, is largely undeveloped, with rocky surroundings, marine vegetation and a particularly attractive seabed.

The coastline around Maro and Cerro Gordo is also especially popular for kayaking and paddleboarding. Exploring the cliffs and sea caves from the water gives you a completely different perspective of the coast and allows you to reach small coves that are difficult to access from land. The clear water and dramatic rock formations make this area particularly memorable for anyone who enjoys outdoor activities.

Whether you are looking for a lively beach with restaurants and water sports or a secluded cove surrounded by nature, the coast around Nerja and Maro offers plenty of possibilities within easy reach of Casa Lavender.

Sierra Nevada Skiing

One of the most unusual advantages of staying in Frigiliana is the possibility of combining a Mediterranean holiday with a day in the mountains. Sierra Nevada, home to Spain's highest ski resort, is approximately 125 km by road from Frigiliana, with a driving time of around 1½ hours to the ski station at Pradollano under normal conditions.

Sierra Nevada is very different from the mountains immediately surrounding Frigiliana. The area forms one of the highest mountain massifs in Europe and is home to more than fifteen peaks above 3,000 metres. Its highest summit is Mulhacén at 3,479 metres, the highest mountain in the Iberian Peninsula.

During the winter season, the Sierra Nevada ski resort offers skiing and snowboarding at high altitude, with extensive mountain views and a long winter season. The resort is situated above Granada in the municipality of Monachil and is the highest ski resort in Spain.

The contrast is what makes the experience particularly special. You can start the day in Frigiliana surrounded by whitewashed houses, Mediterranean sunshine and views towards the sea, and a few hours later find yourself in a completely different landscape of snow-covered mountains.

Sierra Nevada is not only about skiing. Outside the winter season, the national park and surrounding mountains offer hiking, mountaineering and opportunities to explore one of the most biologically diverse high-mountain environments in Spain. The national park covers a huge mountainous area across Granada and Almería and contains many unique plant and animal species.

For visitors staying on the Costa del Sol, the combination of sea, beaches and high mountains within the same holiday is one of the most remarkable features of this part of Andalusia.

The Caves of Nerja – One of Andalusia’s Great Natural Wonders

The Caves of Nerja (Cueva de Nerja) are one of the most impressive natural attractions in the area and one of the places worth visiting during a stay in Frigiliana. The caves are located near Maro, just a short drive from Frigiliana — approximately 10 km by road, making them an easy half-day or full-day excursion.

Discovered in 1959, the cave system contains enormous underground chambers decorated with spectacular stalactites, stalagmites and other limestone formations. Around two kilometres of underground galleries are open to visitors, creating an extraordinary experience as you move through the huge chambers and corridors beneath the mountains.

What makes the Caves of Nerja particularly fascinating is not only their size and geology but also their archaeological importance. Evidence of human occupation in the caves dates back thousands of years, giving the site an important connection to the prehistoric history of the region. The combination of natural formations and traces of ancient human activity makes the caves much more than a typical tourist attraction.

Some of the underground chambers are enormous, creating a dramatic contrast with the narrow streets and whitewashed houses of Frigiliana above ground. The scale of the formations is difficult to appreciate from photographs alone, which is why a visit inside the caves is such a memorable experience.

The caves are also conveniently located close to Maro and the Mediterranean coast, so they can easily be combined with a visit to Playa de Maro, a kayak trip along the cliffs or a day exploring Nerja.

For guests staying at Casa Lavender, the Caves of Nerja are therefore an easy excursion combining nature, geology and thousands of years of human history — all within a short journey from Frigiliana.

Hiking in the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama Natural Park

Frigiliana is an excellent base for anyone who enjoys walking, hiking and exploring nature because the mountains begin virtually on the doorstep of the village. The surrounding landscape forms part of the Parque Natural Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama, a protected natural area covering more than 40,000 hectares across the provinces of Málaga and Granada. Importantly for visitors staying in Frigiliana, Frigiliana itself is one of the municipalities within the Natural Park.

This means you do not have to drive for hours to reach spectacular mountain scenery. Hiking trails begin directly around Frigiliana, leading into the Sierra Almijara and towards dramatic valleys, gorges, streams and mountain viewpoints. One of the officially recognised routes is the Frigiliana–Fuente del Esparto trail, which takes walkers into a landscape of impressive vertical rock walls and mountain scenery.

The area is particularly interesting because of its geological character.

One of the area's most spectacular hiking destinations is Pico del Cielo, a prominent mountain above Nerja. More experienced hikers can also explore higher routes within the Natural Park, where the scenery opens towards the Mediterranean and the surrounding mountain ranges.

The official Andalusian visitor information specifically highlights hiking, mountaineering and canyoning among the activities available in the park.

For guests staying at Casa Lavender, this is one of the area's greatest advantages: you can leave the apartment in Frigiliana and very quickly find yourself walking through protected mountain landscapes, while the Mediterranean coast and beaches of Nerja are only a short drive in the opposite direction.

The result is an unusual combination of historic white village, Mediterranean coastline and protected mountain wilderness, all within a very small area — making Frigiliana an excellent base for exploring both the coast and the mountains of Andalusia.