Residential land in Nerja forms part of Andalusian-wide public auction

The Andalusian regional government has put three residential plots of land in Nerja up for sale in a transaction worth over three million euros as part of a public auction of properties across the region.

The call for bids, published in the Official Bulletin of the Andalusian regional government (BOJA), forms part of a procedure for the disposal of public assets comprising a total of ten lots in various Andalusian provinces.

The plots located in Nerja in the Axarquia region account for a significant portion of the auction’s economic value, particularly a large plot in the El Romeral area, with a starting price exceeding 2.5 million euros. This transaction comes against a backdrop of high demand for housing on the Eastern Costa del Sol, where urban development pressure and rising land prices continue to shape the property market.

These are urban plots, which are ready for development without the need for prior development work, significantly increaseing their appeal to developers and investors. The plot on Calle Romeral Alto, with an area of around 3,700 square metres and a buildable area of over 1,800 square metres, would allow for the construction of up to 18 homes. The starting price set for the first auction is 2.5 million euros with a deposit of over 125,000 euros, according to official documentation consulted by SUR.

The town hall is also offering two further plots of land that are smaller in size but equally intended for free-standing residential use. One of these is situated on Calle Pueblo, in the Fuente del Badén area, with a surface area of 712 square metres and space for a detached house. Its starting price has been set at 362,900 euros.

The third plot is situated on Calle Bruselas, within SUP-4 sector of Nerja’s urban development plan, covering 323 square metres with a buildable area of 151 square metres for a detached house. In this case, the starting bid is 251,370 euros.

The procedure involves two phases of public auction, with the possibility of improving bids in a public session, and a submission deadline extending until 30 April 2026. To participate, interested parties must provide a deposit equivalent to five per cent of the starting price of each plot, which, in the case of the most valuable plot, exceeds 125,000 euros.

The Andalusian regional government has stated that this type of operation aims to “optimise the management of public assets and encourage their integration into the economic cycle”, while property sector experts suggest that these plots may prove particularly attractive to developers given the shortage of ready-to-build plots in the Axarquía.

However, the auction comes at a time of growing debate over the urban development model in the east of Malaga province, where there is a lack of available land for social housing and rising prices, both for sale and to rent. In Nerja, one of the municipalities with the highest residential demand in the province, the release of these plots onto the market could help boost supply, although it also reopens the debate on the balance between growth and sustainability.