Visiting Maro
Updated May 29, 2023 after a 2nd visit to Maro (where we explored Maro beach)
Maro is a village of about 800 people located about 3.5 km east of Nerja. It’s actually the very last village in Malaga province when going east. It’s not a place that gets a lot of visitors…and that’s a shame.
(Ps. video below. I called Maro a town and not a village which brought out all the pitchforks. Sorry)
We really liked our short visit to Maro. First of all, it has an incredibly peaceful vibe. There’s not much going on in Maro so if you like a really pretty, really calm village then you’ll like Maro. You’ll still see farmers toiling the fields and you might see a horse trotting through town as we did on this day (in the video above).
One our most recent trip to Maro we visited Maro Beach (Playa de Maro) – considered by many one of the most beautiful beaches on the Costa del Sol. It is a 20 minute walk from the town: along a road and past farms before a sharp downhill climb to the beach.
Maro beach is small, peaceful and has all the facilities (bathrooms, showers and a restaurant). The water is clean and it’s charming and private. I can see why people like it (but I recommend driving there. That walk feels long on a hot day)
Maro is also surrounded by lots of natural attractions:
– It is a short walk (10 minutes) to the Nerja Caves via a pedestrian bridge that spans over the highway
– Right next to the Nerja Caves is the stunning Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Natural Park (see my previous posts on hiking El Cielo and Almendron)
– 20 minutes down the coast is the Maro Cerro Gordo Nature Reserve, a nature reserve with hiking trails, old Roman Towers (the Maro Tower being the most famous), and beaches
It’s just a really nice, pretty village with lots of nature all around.
Getting to Maro
– You can walk there from Nerja in 45 minutes as we did (the N-340 road has a wide sidewalk)
– The Alsa bus gets you there in 10 minutes from Nerja. See the Alsa website and enter Nerja (Cuevas) as your destination. The bus stop is at the roundabout just as you enter Maro (close to the Maro sign).
– You can take the tourist “train” to the Nerja Caves from Nerja’s Plaza de Espana (cost is 4 Euros return. It’s a fun ride.
Food
– Close to the entrance to the town (you’ll see it in the above video) is the Hogar Y Centro Social Maro. It’s a good place for tapas, especially if waiting for the next bus to Nerja.
Related: The Best Day Trips from Nerja
Related: What’s it like living in Almuñécar? (and why it didn’t work out for this couple)
Related: Reflections of a year living in Spain
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