Playa de Maro
Drive 4 km east of Nerja, descend a steep track through sugar-cane fields and you arrive at Playa de Maro — a 300-metre crescent of coarse golden sand enclosed by limestone cliffs and backed by the crystal-clear waters of the Maro-Cerro Gordo Natural Park. It regularly tops lists of Spain's most beautiful beaches, and the water visibility here can exceed 15 metres.
The beach and its waters
Because the surrounding land is protected natural park, there are no beach bars, no sun-lounger rentals and no jet skis — just clean water, clean sand and the sound of waves. Snorkellers will find sea urchins, octopus and schools of bream in the rocky outcrops at both ends of the bay.
A small freshwater waterfall trickles down the eastern cliff face directly onto the beach — a quirky detail that makes the spot instantly recognisable in photographs and provides a natural shower after a swim.
Getting there and what to bring
The access road from the N-340 is narrow and the small car park fills by 10 am in July and August. A smarter option is to park in the village of Maro (free) and walk down the 15-minute footpath through subtropical vegetation — it is genuinely beautiful.
There are no facilities on the beach itself, so bring everything: water, food, a beach umbrella and reef shoes if you plan to snorkel around the rocks. The nearest chiringuito (beach bar) is back up at Playa de la Caleta, a 10-minute walk west.
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