Guide to Mijas

Mijas Pueblo is an enchanting village perched high in the mountains seven kilometres inland from the Costa del Sol. It simply oozes traditional Andalucian charm with its narrow, cobbled streets, whitewashed buildings and laid back lifestyle.

Despite its ever increasing popularity among foreign tourists and ex-patriate residents, Mijas has somehow managed to retain many of its age-old customs. And its distance from the seafront has protected it from the over development which has blighted some of Spain’s busiest coastal areas.

The village has absorbed many foreign influences whilst fiercely safeguarding its unique identity, reflected in the numerous religious processions and fiestas which take place here throughout the year. The streets are still strewn with wild herbs for the Corpus Christi festival in June as they have been for centuries. And every January the villagers still load food and flowers onto their carts and trudge up the mountainside to the hermitage of El Puerto to celebrate a local saint’s day with a big outdoor party.

You can buy traditional arts and crafts here, including locally made linen and wicker products, and enjoy the local almond cakes, bread and honey. The village has its own bull ring and is famous far and wide for its popular donkey taxis which transport visitors through its maze of steep streets. At the same time Mijas has developed a cosmopolitan air since the first wave of foreign residents set up home here back in the 1960s. To cater for the needs of a burgeoning number of ex-pats and foreign holidaymakers from across the globe this picturesque pueblo now offers an excellent array of international restaurants along with some first class sports and leisure activities.

It’s not the place to come on holiday or buy a permanent home if you’re into round-the-clock partying or you want a “Little England” in the sun. But when it comes to blending a taste of the real Andalucia with a thoroughly modern approach to tourism, few places do it better than Mijas.

The town hall even has its own Foreigners’ Department which deals with ex-pat residents and organises various activities including an annual “Day of the Tourist” in September and a multi-cultural festival in May.

The Mijas open air theatre has a packed programme of events during the summer months when the village’s gorgeous mountain setting provides a blissful escape from the sizzling heat of the seafront.

The pine forests which form a lush, green backdrop to the pueblo are dotted with villas which are the most popular form of holiday accommodation here as opposed to the high rise hotels which characterise the nearby coastal resorts of Mijas Costa, Fuengirola and Torremolinos.
The magnificent five-star Hotel Byblos Andaluz is one of the few big hotels in the area and it boasts every conceivable facility for the benefit of clients with high expectations and bulging wallets. It’s the prefect place to combine a passion for golf with a penchant for some serious pampering. The hotel has two outdoor fresh water swimming pools, an indoor heated pool and one of Europe’s finest thalassotherapy centres where you can pay a small fortune to be wrapped in seaweed and pampered with various mineral treatments. The hotel is on the doorstep of one of the most popular golf complexes on the Costa del Sol – Mijas Golf with its two 18-hole courses, Los Olivos and Los Lagos, both designed by Robert Trent Jones.
Top flight tennis facilities are available at the Lew Hoads Club which has eight courts set in beautifully landscaped gardens. The club offers individual lessons and hosts regular tournaments for players of all abilities.

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