Guide to Mijas-Costa

Mijas Costa is only a 15-minute drive down the mountain from the traditional Andalucian village of Mijas Pueblo but the two tourist centres are worlds apart.

Mijas Pueblo’s mountainside location holds it aloof from the high rise development which has transformed the coastal towns of the Costa del Sol over the last four decades. Whilst the pueblo retains much of its age-old charm, traditions and sleepy way of life Mijas Costa has unashamedly embraced mass market tourism and thrown open its doors to hordes of ex-patriate residents seeking a better life in Spain.

Mijas Costa refers to a 12-kilometre stretch of coastline between Fuengirola and Marbella. Since the early 1960s huge complexes known as urbanisations (urbanizaciones in Spanish) have been developed and continue to grow along the seafront, spreading back into the hillsides flanking this much sought after section of the Costa del Sol. Some have developed as holiday towns in their own right with permanent ex-pat populations living alongside seasonal visitors who are only too happy to find themselves in a home from home with English doctors, dentists, supermarkets, bars and restaurants. One of the biggest is the beachfront Riviera de Sol which has its own bank, laundry, taxi rank, commercial centre (complete with obligatory Chinese restaurant and pizzeria) and a supermarket which stays open from 8am-2am.

The huge Sitio de Calahonda development, founded in 1963, was one of the first major urbanisations on the Costa del Sol and prides itself on being one of the finest having scooped numerous local and international tourism awards. Hillside properties here benefit from magnificent views of the Mediterranean and the Atlas Mountains of North Africa.

The popular Costa del Sol Race Course is the centre piece of the Costa’s biggest leisure complex at Urbanisation El Chapparal where you’ll find jumping and training paddocks, alongside the main racetrack, an athletics track, bars, restaurants, a hotel (and even a hotel for dogs!). More leisure facilities are under construction at the complex which attracts everyone from keen race goers to beginners embarking on their first riding lessons.

Besides the obvious attractions of Mijas Costa’s many superb beaches, where you can enjoy every conceivable water sport, the area’s unparalleled golf facilities are the main magnet drawing holidaymakers and holiday home hunters from all over the world. They call the Costa del Sol the golfing mecca of Europe and Mijas Costa is without doubt its sacred heart. The place is awash with world-class courses and boasts two golf academies – the David Leadbetter Academy at La Cala and the Miraflores Academy at Urbanisation Riviera Golf. When it comes to booking a golfing holiday there’s a bewildering choice of top class golf hotels, luxury villas and affordable self-catering apartments which have sprung up alongside Mijas Costa’s many courses.

Mijas Costa isn’t the best place to sample a taste of the “real Spain” but the once tiny fishing village of La Cala has managed to retain some of its Andalucian atmosphere despite the foreign invasion of recent years. The village still has a twice weekly street market with stalls laden with fresh fruit and veg along with locally made arts and crafts. There’s a traditional week-long fair in July with music, dancing and the chance to savour the local wines and sherries. And throughout the high season months of July and August you’ll find flamenco dancing and classical music on the promenade each Saturday evening.

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