Maro is the smallest of the three villages, and it eats like it — no more than half a dozen kitchens between the square, the coast road and the beach below. What's there earns its place: a terrace with sea views right by the Cueva de Nerja, a village restaurant on the square, and one chiringuito for the days when lunch just means feet in the sand.
Right by the caves
Restaurante Cueva de Nerja sits at the entrance to the Cueva de Nerja, with a large terrace and panoramic views over the sea, the Sierra Almijara and the Maro cliffs. It's a five-to-ten-minute walk from Maro village, and the natural stop for lunch after visiting the caves — go straight from the exit to a table rather than driving back down first. Terrace seating, a kids' menu, and mains in the €10-20 range. Opens at 10am, so it also covers a late breakfast if you've done an early cave visit.
In the village
On the square, Balcón de Maro (Calle Real, 2) is the village's main terrace restaurant — the address most people mean when they say "let's eat in the village." Family-friendly, mains in the €10-20 range, open from 11am.
For something plainer, Hogar y Centro Social Maro (Urbanización Maro Club, 1C) is the village's social club as much as a restaurant — pork, monkfish and a good greek salad served without ceremony, same price range. It's not dressed for tourists, which is exactly the point.
On the beach
Playa de Maro has one chiringuito, Chiringuito Playa Maro, with hammocks and umbrellas set into the sand and a straightforward Mediterranean menu. It gets busy from July through August — order a drink, put your name in, and give it twenty minutes if the beach is full.
Good to know
- Maro's kitchens keep coastal hours: lunch from around 1:30pm, most close mid-afternoon and reopen for dinner around 8pm.
- Restaurante Cueva de Nerja opens at 10am and takes phone reservations on +34 952 52 96 00.
- There's no bus stop actually in the old part of the village — park near the church or at the beach car park and walk in.
- Playa de Maro is a fifteen-minute walk down from the village on foot, steep enough that most people drive.
- Bring cash for the chiringuito; card machines on the beach are not guaranteed.
Frequently asked
Where should you eat after visiting the Cueva de Nerja?
Restaurante Cueva de Nerja, right at the cave entrance — a large terrace with panoramic views over the sea and the Maro cliffs, five to ten minutes' walk from Maro village. Mains run €10-20.
Is there a restaurant directly on Playa de Maro?
Yes — one chiringuito, Chiringuito Playa Maro, right on the sand, open roughly May to September with hammocks, umbrellas and a Mediterranean-leaning menu.
Do you need a car to eat in Maro?
It helps. Maro has no train station and limited bus stops near the old town, so most visitors drive or taxi in from Nerja, about ten minutes away.
Is Maro worth a special trip just for dinner?
For the setting, yes — a beach table at sunset or the terrace at the caves is hard to replicate elsewhere on this stretch of coast. For ambition on the plate, Nerja and Frigiliana have more range.