Gastronomy · Axarquía

Chiringuito Ayo, Nerja

Beach restaurant on Nerja's Burriana beach where Francisco 'Ayo' Ortega first cooked paella over wood fire on the sand in 1969; the giant pans still simmer there every day.

About Chiringuito Ayo, Nerja

Francisco Ortega, known as Ayo, lit his first paella fire on Burriana beach in 1969, cooking for whoever passed under a reed shade. The chiringuito grew with Nerja's tourism, and in the 1980s Burriana was a set for the television series Verano Azul. It has received the Ministry of Agriculture's Foods of Spain award, and Ayo has a sculpture in Nerja as a pioneer of local athletics. His family now keep the same recipe and wood fire.

The paella, with chicken and prawns, is cooked in pans more than a metre across over wood embers, beside the terrace where you can watch. The rest is Málaga beach food: espetos (sardines grilled on skewers), boquerones en vinagre (€13), fried anchovies and squid (€13), gambas al pil-pil (€14.75), grilled swordfish and sole, and a fried fish platter (€27). House wine is €4 a glass.

Ayo is open every day 09:00–19:00, with the kitchen serving 12:00–17:30; there is no dinner. A plate of paella costs about €10–12 and grilled sardines €10, so lunch is usually €20–30 per person (2026). No booking is needed for paella. There is paid parking above the beach.

Lunch from 13:00 to 15:00 is when the pans are fullest; in July and August arrive by 13:00 for a terrace table. Spring and autumn are calmer. Tip: take your paella from the pan on the fire and watch it being stoked.

Chiringuito Ayo, Nerja in pictures

Fishing boats on Burriana beach, the setting of Chiringuito Ayo, Nerja

Large pan of paella garnished with lemon over embers at Chiringuito Ayo, Nerja

What you’ll find

Fried fishPescaíto frito (€13–€27)Buy
RacionesSharing plates (€4–€15, 12:00–17:30)Buy
Restaurant diningSit-down meal (€10–€27, 12:00–17:30)Buy
SeafoodFish and seafood (€10–€25)Buy
Signature dishHouse speciality (€10–€12)Buy
TerraceOutdoor seatingFree
Vegetarian optionsVegetarian dishes (€4–€12)Buy
Walk-in onlyNo reservationsFree

Nearby places to visit

Ayo sits on Playa de Burriana (150 m), Nerja's longest beach, with the small cove of Playa Carabeillo (610 m) to the west below the cliffs. The Nerja Museum (1 km) near the Balcón de Europa explains the area's prehistory, and the Nerja Caves (2 km), with their huge chambers and Palaeolithic paintings, are a short drive east. Up in the hills, the white village of Frigiliana (6 km) has one of the best-kept Moorish quarters in the Axarquía, with steep stepped lanes and whitewashed houses.