The menu is listed in nine languages, but the only word you need to understand at beachside Ayo is ‘paella’. They cook the rice dish every day in a huge pan atop an open wood-burning fire. A plateful is yours for €8; better yet, you can walk on up for a free refill as many times as you like.
If you’re lucky, you’ll be served by Francisco Ortega Olalla (aka Ayo), one of the five chicos (young men) who discovered the Cueva de Nerja in 1959.
Since it’s a chiringuito, you’re also guaranteed shoals of seafood (mains €8-19).