Mijas & Mijas Costa
Mijas
The municipality includes:
- Mijas Pueblo (the hillside village)
- Mijas Costa (main commercial and residential area adjacent to (but not strictly part of) Fuengirola
- La Cala de Mijas (separate village and small resort by the sea to the west)
- Las Lagunas (largely suburban and mixed commercial to the north of Fuengirola).
 One of the finest examples of the white villages (pueblos blancos), Mijas still has much of its charm with its little whitewashed houses
perched on the hillside. The village has also managed to retain some
of its quaint traditions, one of the most unusual being the
donkey-taxis which line the central plaza. Mijas is a typical
Andalucian village, perched high above Fuengirola and Mijas Costa with
spectacular views of the coast and surrounding heavily wooded
mountains. Mijas is a web of narrow cobbled streets complete with
terraces overflowing with geraniums, red tile roofs, archways and of
course, the occasional chirping canary. Like Ronda just over the
mountaintop, the village dates back to distant times and there are
two Mudejar churches here to prove it, as well as the sanctuary of
the patron saint of Mijas, from the year 850.
 One of the most interesting buildings in Mijas is the
hermitage of El Puerto which can be spied just about everywhere in
the village! Keep looking and you may just catch a glimpse of a hang
glider wafting over the peak. Mijas has one of the country's few
oval bullrings (it's also small) and some
interesting churches and other monuments giving insight to its past:
Roman, Moorish and Spanish. The journey along the old road between
Mijas and Benalmadena, among the pines and little chalets that mark
the route, is like a continuous balcony which overlooks the sea.
During high season the village can be crowded with tourists
visiting from along the coast. Higher in the town the streets turn
into flights of steps and the higher you climb the quieter it
becomes, and the cheaper the cafés, restaurants and bars are. Also
look out for the mineral water spring at the entrance to the
village. There is a thriving arts and crafts movement in Mijas,
particularly linen and wicker items, and the locally made bread and
honey is definitely worth trying. For more information about these
local trades visit the Mijas Town Hall.
Mijas Costa
 Just as Mijas village is serenity, tradition and
culture, so Mijas Costa parallels that magic combination of sun,
sand and water sports. The La Cala beaches have
been awarded the "Blue Flag" as among the best in the province, and
are geared to provide action: jet skiing, water skiing and
parasailing are all on the go. Be sure to check out the chiringuito (beach restaurant) charm here too, where you
can sample a variety of Spanish seafood eaten with the favourite
holiday drink, tinto de verano – ordinary red wine topped
up with carbonated water, either regular or lemon-flavoured.
The Mijas municipality covers an impressive 148 sq. km and
includes two major urbanisations, Sitio de
Calahonda and Riviera del Sol. The former is informally
known as the English village in Spain and the place to come for
karaoke, second hand shops, British doctors and dentists, Indian
restaurants, imported foods and, naturally enough, a plentiful
choice of pubs. The nearby Riviera del Sol is
similarly inviting and popular among foreigners, particularly the
large commercial centre with its bar, telephone booths and grocery
store combined. The sports centre is also well equipped and includes
an 18-hole golf course and thriving tennis club. The many complexes
in Mijas Costa are home to much of the area's expatriate population,
composed mainly of British, Germans and Scandinavians. The area is
marked by lots of pretty coves and beaches with housing complexes
(urbanizations) behind. Most of the complexes are carefully designed
to incorporate Spanish influence and care has been taken not to
produce concrete monstrosities, but extensive building development
means that it looks likely that many of the urbanizations will soon
join to form a town of their own.
Mijas Costa also boasts some of the coast's more famous golf courses including La Cala
Resort. Mijas' neighbouring golf hotspot, it is the largest
golf complex in Spain with 3 full courses: Campo América, Campo Asia
and Campo Europa. This beautiful 1,000-acre complex is only a short
distance from the Sierra de Mijas Natural Park, and includes
property with apartments, homes, villas and a luxury hotel.
Mijas Pictures
   
Mijas information:
Mijas Town Hall
Plaza Virgen
de la Peña s/n, Mijas 29650
Tel: (+34) 952.589.000
Fax:
952.589.001
www.mijas-digital.es
| tourist tips |
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The best way to see this village of Malaga is on foot, as its winding streets and alleyways are often only accessible in this way. If you arrive in a car, there is a large car park in the centre of town. |
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