Kayak Nerja reveals the eastern Costa del Sol's best routes and hidden gems

The Costa del Sol enjoys an international reputation as a leading holiday destination, thanks to its high-quality hotels and services and its family-friendly beaches. Yet Malaga's coastline is also home to countless lesser-known coves, landmarks and beauty spots waiting to be explored.

From its new base at El Playazo beach in Nerja, Ettore Russi, an experienced traveller who settled in the area in 2009 after falling in love with the spectacular scenery of the eastern coastline, shares some of the region's most attractive and distinctive locations through Kayak Nerja. His guided routes offer visitors a unique way to experience some of the eastern Costa del Sol's hidden gems.

Kayak Nerja hires out kayaks, paddleboards and pedal boats. Its new location offers several advantages, including a large nearby parking area at El Playazo and a wide choice of restaurants and cafés within easy reach.

The business draws on Ettore's extensive knowledge of this stretch of coastline. This summer he has introduced two new guided routes, providing one of the best active tourism experiences on the Costa del Sol.

One of the most popular takes visitors out onto the water for a two-hour round trip to admire Nerja's iconic Balcón de Europa from the sea. "It isn't an intense sporting activity, but a relaxing outing that's perfect for families," Ettore explains. "It's suitable for almost all ages. We've even had customers in their eighties." The only age restriction is that the excursion is not recommended for children under four.

Among all the experiences offered by Kayak Nerja, the guided trip to the famous Barco del Arroz (rice ship) shipwreck stands out for its beauty, mystery and relative obscurity. The wreck lies off Calaceite beach and has long inspired the popular Spanish expression “to be more lost than the rice ship” (“estar más perdido que el Barco del Arroz”).

"The steamship Delfín sank off the coast of Torrox and is popularly known as the Barco del Arroz because it was carrying rice, flour, salted cod and olive oil for the Republican side," Ettore explains. "It was torpedoed by an Italian submarine at the end of January 1937, making it one of the last coastal vessels used to supply food to the people of Malaga during the Civil War." The captain's efforts to save both his crew and the cargo after the torpedo struck allowed the ship to reach shallow waters close to the coast before it finally sank, although the cargo could not ultimately be recovered.

The guided Barco del Arroz tour lasts three and a half hours and is limited to small groups of up to eight people. The excursion includes a snorkelling stop among the remains of the wreck, which lies in around four metres of crystal-clear water, offering a unique opportunity to explore this little-known underwater site.

The route also visits other hidden landmarks, including the Roca de la Virgen, where local fishermen placed a statue of the Virgin Mary after they survived a shipwreck. Participants come ashore wearing water shoes so they can view the monument up close.

Another stop is the tiny Calaceite Castle, a miniature artwork created by Danish artist Anton Jensen beside the cliffs at Calaceite beach in Torrox.

"It's the perfect activity whether you've kayaked before or it's your first time," says Ettore. "It's an ideal combination of adventure, snorkelling, nature and relaxation."

Kayak Nerja currently has up to 30 kayaks available for hire, along with a fleet of paddleboards, giving visitors plenty of ways to discover one of the most beautiful and distinctive stretches of the Andalusian coastline..

For more information and bookings, visit: https://kayaknerja.com/