Balcón de Europa
The Balcón de Europa is Nerja's palm-lined promenade on a rocky headland above the sea, with views along the coves of the Costa del Sol and up to the mountains of the Axarquía.
About Balcón de Europa
The promenade stands on the site of an old coastal battery known as La Batería, and a pair of its cannons still survive. Its name is credited to King Alfonso XII, who visited Nerja in 1885 after the great Andalusian earthquake and is said to have called the spot "the balcony of Europe". Documents show the name was in use before his visit, but the story stuck, and his statue now stands at the railing.
From the tip of the balcony the view runs east over Calahonda beach and the cliffs towards Maro and Cerro Gordo, and west over La Caletilla and El Salón beaches towards Málaga. Steps lead down to the small coves below.
On the landward side, the whitewashed Church of El Salvador, completed at the end of the 17th century, overlooks the square. The area is pedestrianised and full of cafés, ice-cream parlours and street musicians, and it is liveliest at sunset and during the evening paseo.
Balcón de Europa in pictures
Nearby places to visit
The Balcón is in the centre of Nerja's old town, a short walk from Burriana beach. The Nerja Caves are about 4 km east, and the white village of Frigiliana is a 15-minute drive into the hills.
Balcón de Europa at a glance
Town
Nerja
Address
Balcón de Europa, Nerja, Málaga, Spain
More places nearby
Other places within 25 km of Balcón de Europa, nearest first.
