UK students study the geography of Nerja

Students from Royal Holloway University in London were in Nerja last week on their annual Geography field trip.

Around 70 first year students and 14 staff and postgraduate helpers have been studying the area's physical and political geography on a trip that the university has been organising in Nerja since 1999.

Mike Dalton, senior lecturer at Royal Holloway, told SUR in English that the students had been to the Río de la Miel area for some of the physical geography work as well as studying urban and political geographies in Nerja.

"In town we do some urban-themed geographies so we look at tourism, and we think about politics a little bit," he said.

"I do some rural days when I get our students to come and look at rural agricultural systems but also think about important rural communities and their relationship with the land, with agriculture and other economies, like tourism," added the lecturer.

Local councillor for tourism Ana María Muñoz welcomed the students to the town hall last week.

She explained how for the last few years she has been guiding the British students so they can interview the farmers in the fields near Maro.

"I help with pleasure because I love to explain what we are doing there and and the history of these farmers and how agriculture has changed in the last few years and the new things that are coming for future," said Muñoz.

"I will try to be an important person here from inside the town hall to try to keep Maro as it is now with best facilities," she said with reference to the plans to develop the area.