Nerja’s Ruta de la Tapa

Nerja’s Ruta de la Tapa

Every year in late May/early June, Nerja holds a degustation tour/restaurant competition called the “Ruta de la Tapa” (Route of the Tapa). For 2 Euros for a beer and tapa, it’s both a fun and inexpensive way to sample food from restaurants that you might not be familiar with.

This year (2022) Nerja is holding the Ruta de Tapa from May 27 to June 12.

* Nerja’s Ruta de la Tapa was started in 2012. Unfortunately because of Covid it was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021. So this is our first Ruta de la Tapa and we’re pretty excited.

How the Nerja Ruta de la Tapa works:

• There are 13 different participating restaurants this year, each offering a tapa and Caña (a glass of beer) for 2 Euros.
• When you go to your first restaurant (it can be any of the 13), they’ll give you a “Tapaporte”, the tapa version of your passport. Make sure you don’t lose this. In the Tapaporte you’ll see the 13 establishments listed (there’s also a map) and a description of the tapa each has on offer. There are also boxes under each establishment from 1 to 5. That’s going to be the rating you give the restaurant for their tapa.

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• After you’ve had your tapa & Caña, the establishment will stamp your passport. It’s proof that you’ve had your tapa and beer there. Note: unfortunately you can’t go back and have the same tapa/beer at the same price. You’re limited to 1 sample at that offer (you can have it again but will have to pay the “real” price that the establishment sets for it).
• You can go to any of the establishments over the course of the period (May 27 – June 12) and have your tapa and Caña combo. Each restaurant will stamp your Tapaporte. Make sure you write down your rating.
• Once you’ve visited all 13 restaurants OR latest before June 15 (by which time the Ruta de la Tapa will be finished), you have to submit your Tapaporte to the Comercial and Tourism Office (Oficina Comercial Y Turistica AEN-NC) right next to Boquete de Calahonda (the small passage that leads down to Calahonda beach from Plaza Balcon De Europa). They’ll be responsible for compiling all the votes/ratings on the Tapaportes. You need to have visited at least 9 of the 13 restaurants for your votes to count.
• Based on the above, a winning restaurant is chosen.
• A few days after June 15 (no exact date), a raffle will be held from the pool of people who’ve submitted their Tapaportes. A winner will be picked. PRIZE: a meal for 4 people at the winning restaurant including your weight in Cruzcampo beer (ie. I weigh 85 kg. That means if I won our party of 4 would be entitled to 85 kg of beer).

Ruta de la Tapa has their own Facebook page.

Sounds like fun right?

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We’ve already visited 3 restaurants. A few photos.

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10 more restaurants to go.

This is our 1^st Ruta de la Tapa experience and we look forward to sampling a lot of tapas and beer over the next few weeks. I’ll write about that in detail (with our own ratings) when it’s all done.

 Have you experienced Nerja’s Ruta de la Tapa?

UPDATE: Nerja’s Ruta de Tapa 2022: summarizing the good and the bad…

Related: Where to Eat in Nerja

Related: The Unpretentious Guide of Spanish Wines