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 has some good sandy beaches grey sand and 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 , Calle Cerrajos 8, and Hostal Victoria , Plaza de la Victoria , are two of the best. If you want to be right by the beach, try Hotel Epsylon , Paseo de la China 5, 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 is at the eastern end of the seafront which can become overcrowded in the 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: +34 958 631 125 ) 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 , Calle Alta del Mar 10, near Plaza de la Rosa, a small and friendly restaurant , Horno de Candida , Calle Orovia 3, close to the ayuntamiento ( Town Hall ) , with a delightful roof terrace. For tapas, Bodega Francisco , Calle 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.