A lovely Home Exchange in Nerja

This relaxing visit to Nerja was a planned-on-the-fly interlude between the cruises that have bookended this trip. When we secured our Home Exchange we didn’t know that the first week of our stay in this beautiful Andalusian coastal village would coincide with its “feria,” an annual festival with live music, foot races for kids and adults, carnival rides, and much merry making.

It was fun to watch the marching bands go past our balcony and to admire the beautiful Andalusian dresses many women wore to the feria. And we loved it when our “Camigos,” Sergio and Inma, came up from Málaga to hang out with us on a Saturday night. We met them on the Camino Francés two years ago, saw them again last year in Málaga, and thoroughly enjoyed spending more time with them in Nerja, Frigiliana, and Málaga this year.

The weather during our stay was mostly great, and we often carried beach chairs and an umbrella down to one of the nearby beaches. On one of our beach days, we enjoyed watching a large pod of dolphins leaping from the calm-as-a-lake sea. A dolphin sighting makes any day better in my book.

We also enjoyed a terrific flamenco show at El Burro Blanco, had a great time visiting Las Cuevas de Nerja, and savored so many delicious dinners, lunches, and snacks around town, making repeat visits to Unico, La Puntilla, and La Gelateria de Piero.

Our three-unit apartment building had a shared fourth floor terrace where we enjoyed sunrise coffee a time or two, and played Rummikub or Scrabble when we wanted to enjoy a rooftop view. Our Home Exchange hosts, Miguel and Sara, were very sweet and always responsive, providing thoughtful recommendations for our stay.

We’re on a fast Ave train to Barcelona as I type this post, our time in Spain rapidly coming to a close. More about that next time.Read more