Nerja has been named as Spain’s second happiest town.  A survey by consulting firm YouGov took the views of 1,000 people to compile a list of the 35 municipalities where they regard as happy places to live.

Nerja came second only to Ronda, with Chipiona in Cádiz province coming in third place.  The study concluded that, while they are very different places, all the towns listed enjoy a friendly atmosphere and a calm pace of life free of stress, plus plenty of outdoors activities and opportunities to eat al fresco.

Nerja’s councillor for tourism, Ana María Muñoz, said the good news simply confirms what many tourists and residents say – that Nerja is an ideal place to live.

The top ten list of Spain’s happiest towns begins with Ronda, Nerja and Chipiona followed by Tarifa (Cádiz), Peñíscola (Vaelencia), Santillana del Mar (Cantabría) and San Vicente de la Barquera (Cantabría).   Sanxenxo (Galicia), Ribadesella (Asturias) and Zahara de los Atunes (Cádiz) complete the list.