Beyond Nerja the road climbs inland, running high above the coast until it surfaces at LA HERRADURA , a fishing village-resort suburb of Almuñécar, which is a good place to stop off and swim, and which also has three seafront summer campsites , the best of which is La Herradura (tel 958 640 056), the westernmost of the three.

ALMUÑÉCAR: itself is marred by a number of towering holiday apartments, though if you've been unable to find a room in Nerja you might want to stay here for a night. The rocky beaches are rather cramped and have grey sand, but the esplanade behind them, with palm-roofed bars (many offering free tapas) and restaurants, is fun, and the old town attractive.

Half a dozen good-value fondas and hostales ring the central Plaza de la Rosa in the old part of town; the cosy Hostal Plaza Damasco , c/Cerrajos 8 (tel 958 630 165; ¬27-36), and Hostal Victoria , Plaza de la Victoria (tel 958 630 022; ¬18-27), are two of the best. If you want to be right by the beach, try Hotel Epsylon , Paseo de la China 5 (tel & fax 958 634 202; ¬27-36), at the extreme western end of the seafront, a giant place with good value sea-view rooms with en-suite facilities. For a campsite you're much better off at La Herradura as Almuñecar's site, El Paraiso (tel 958 632 370; open all year) at the eastern end of the seafront, can become an overcrowded hellhole in summer.

The bus station , which has frequent connections to Málaga and Granada, is located at the junction of Avenida Juan Carlos I and Avenida Fenicia, northeast of the centre, while the turismo (Mon-Sat 10am-2pm & 6-9pm; tel 958 631 125) can be found in an imposing neo-Moorish mansion on Avenida de Europa, behind the Playa San Cristóbal beach at the west end of the town. A couple of places worth seeking out for eating and drinking are Bar-Restaurante Cuchi , c/Alta del Mar 10, near Plaza de la Rosa, a small and friendly restaurant with a ¬5.25 menú , or, more upmarket, Horno de Candida , c/Orovia 3, close to the ayuntamiento , with a delightful roof terrace. For tapas, Bodega Francisco , c/Real 15, north of Plaza de la Rosa, is a wonderful old bar with barrels stacked up to the ceiling behind the counter and walls covered with ageing corrida posters and mounted boars' heads.