Where to eat

Ayo has been serving paella on Burriana beach since the 1970s. Big outdoor tables, no reservations, enormous pans cooked over wood fire. Yes it is touristy; yes it is still worth doing. Go for lunch on a weekday if you can. The rice absorbs the smoke from the wood and tastes like nowhere else.

A beach bar at the foot of the white cliffs in Maro. The menu is simple — grilled fish, cold beer, fried squid — but the setting is about as dramatic as it gets. Open May to September only. The espetos (sardines on a skewer, cooked in a terracotta pot) are the order to place.

Below the cliffs at El Salón, this small chiringuito is best in the late afternoon when the cliffs turn gold and the sea breeze picks up. Cold tinto de verano, reasonable tapas. More a drinks spot than a full meal.

A proper local tapas bar in the streets behind the Balcón. No English menus on the wall, low prices, and a crowd that is mostly people from the town. The gambas al ajillo (garlic prawns) are superb. Go for lunch — it is quiet at dinner.

A wine bar that takes Andalusian wine seriously. Good local Axarquía whites alongside the usual suspects. Small plates done well — particularly the jamón ibérico and the cheese board from local producers in the mountains. Booking recommended in summer.

Consistently the highest-quality fish in Nerja. A proper restaurant rather than a chiringuito — tablecloths, attentive service, slightly higher prices. The catch is whatever came in that morning. Ask for the dorada a la sal (sea bream baked in a salt crust) if it is available. Book ahead in July and August.

A restaurant with a terrace carved into the hillside of the Moorish old town, with views across the valley all the way to the sea. The food is solid Andalusian — grilled meats, fresh salads, good house wine — but you are really paying for the view. Go at sunset.

A shaded terrace in the alleyways of Frigiliana. Go at lunch when the terrace is in the shade and the village is at its quietest. Local wine from the Axarquía, simple meat and fish dishes, and a rabo de toro (oxtail) that is worth ordering if it is on the specials board.

The Spanish breakfast of choice: a thick espresso, a glass of fresh orange juice and a tostada con tomate (grilled bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil). Río does all three properly. Busy on weekend mornings. Standing at the bar is faster than waiting for a table.

The only place to eat in the village of Maro. Grilled fish from the local waters, local wine, and a terrace with sea views. Simple and very good. The fried boquerones (anchovies) are a must-order. Call ahead — it sometimes closes early if quiet.

Espetos de sardinas

Sardines threaded on a bamboo skewer and grilled over a wood fire. The defining dish of the Málaga coast. Order them at any beach bar between May and October.

Ajo blanco

A cold soup made from almonds, bread, garlic and sherry vinegar. More subtle than gazpacho, and more distinctly local. Often served as a free tapa with your drink in old-school bars.

Boquerones al limón

Fresh anchovies marinated in lemon juice rather than vinegar. Silky, mild, and very different from the tinned version. Available in most tapas bars along the coast.

Gambas pil pil

Prawns cooked tableside in a small clay pot of sizzling olive oil with garlic and dried chilli. The oil turns into a sauce. Always order bread to mop it up.