The royal burgh of Mijas, in the centre of the Western Costa del Sol 30 kilometres from the city of Málaga, lost no time joining with other coastal municipalities in the drive for tourism development. It offered visitors not only what at the time was an unspoiled distinctive local atmosphere and several fortunate peculiarities such as the famous burro-taxis but also a paradisiacal scenic setting and its urban district, which at an elevation of more than 420 metres is the best scenic overlook in the western region of the Málaga coast.
This vantage point commands a view of a broad swath of the Mediterranean and several municipalities of the Costa del Sol, including especially Fuengirola right at its feet. Next to it is one of the most famous historical sites in the village, the Santuario de la Virgen de la Peña (Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Rock, the local patron saint). This religious building is simple in the extreme and offers nothing of interest from an architectural standpoint beyond the fact that it was dug out of the rock by the pious hermit Diego de Jesús, María y San Pablo. According to legend it was some children who, having been advised by a dove, discovered the image of the Virgin that had been concealed for several hundred years between the walls of an old castle so that it would not fall into the hands of the Arabs who ruled the region of Al-Andalus for eight centuries. Entirely aside from the legend surrounding this small sanctuary, a visit to this area known as “Paseo del Compás” is highly recommended due to the beauty of the landscape and of the leafy gardens all along this exceptional overlook.
The Plaza de Toros (Bullring) is in harmony with the architectural simplicity and purity of line of the local houses and in addition offers the novelty of its atypical oval structure, which makes it an exception to the traditional shape of all bullrings. Built in 1900 at the behest of the residents themselves, it sits on a rocky site and has an entrance door that is no different from that of any house in the village and thus might be make mistaken for that of practically any private dwelling. The running of “novillos” (young bulls) is very popular. This is a tradition that dates back to the inauguration of the plaza and that has been held practically every year since with the exception of the three-year period from 1936-1939. The festivities were interrupted in 1969 so that works consisting of the construction of a chapel, infirmary, abattoir and other facilities could be performed, and it reopened in 1977.
The municipality of Mijas is made up of three urban nuclei (Mijas Pueblo, Mijas Costa and Las Lagunas). It is one of the largest in area in the province of Málaga at 140 square kilometres and has twelve kilometres of beach. It has one of the most complete tourism offers on the Andalusian coast. The Hipódromo Costa del Sol stands out among its installations. This is a varied hotel infrastructure containing some of the most prestigious establishments on the coast, numerous golf courses and large urban developments that stretch from the slopes of the Mijas Mountains to the seashore.
How to get there
Mijas is reached from the city of Málaga by way of the Mediterranean Expressway. It is necessary to enter Fuengirola and take the MA-409 towards Mijas Pueblo. From Marbella, come by the N-340 and take the MA-409 towards Mijas. If coming from Benalmádema Pueblo take the Benalmádena-Mijas-Coín highway (MA-485).
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From the time that it was first viewed as an international tourist destination, which is to say since more than half a century ago, the Costa del Sol has steadily solidified the status of sun and beaches as its tourism trump card. The geographic characteristics of the Málaga coast were, and still are, ideal for drawing tourist traffic to this region in a natural manner, considering that in the Mediterranean there are very few areas--almost none--that can offer more than 160 kilometres of coast dotted with a succession of beaches with such diverse characteristics.
Neither the extent of the coast nor its diversity, however, are sufficient to develop loyalty among tourists over so many years and to continue to attract visitors from such a variety of places. There is a third basic reason that, added to the first two, explains the primacy of the Costa Sol over other resort areas: the climate. It tends to be pleasant throughout southern Europe but in the province of Málaga it is much more so due to the fact that its coast is protected from the interior winds by a formidable mountain system that at places even meets the sea. This geographic feature makes for warm winter temperatures and summers free from the extreme heat associated with that season.
Of the nine districts that make up the province of Málaga, three have a coastline: La Axarquía (Eastern Costa del Sol), the Málaga mountains, including the provincial capital, and the Western Costa de Sol. A total of 14 Málaga municipalities are adjacent to the sea, while there are others in the interior at a minimal distance from it. Each of these municipalities contributes its unique topography to the coastline, with the result that its beaches form a sufficiently heterogeneous complex to satisfy any preference in this respect.
They range from the most plentiful type, which are broad and sandy beaches fully equipped with all services and generally with a modern seafront promenade running alongside them, to the most secluded and absolutely virgin coves overlooked by exceptionally beautiful natural landscapes. From one end to the other, the range includes every kind of beach imaginable--including seven for nudists, in Estepona (2), Benalmádena, Cabopino (Marbella), Benalmádena, Guadalmar, Torre del Mar y Maro - for sea bathing in the conditions that the visitor prefers. Nudism is also tolerated on other beaches that due to their characteristics are not frequented by large numbers of visitors, while on all of them going topless is accepted without question.
During the summer, over many of the most crowded beaches the blue flag waves, the symbol with which the European Union attests to the good condition of the water and sand and to the availability of all the services inherent to this type of public facility.
The beaches that are closest to large urban areas are the ones with the greatest number of services, including beach bars (these hospitality facilities may be found even in areas that are not much visited but that have an established clientele) on whose menu never fails to appear the delicious “pescaíto frito” (small fried fish) of the Málaga coast; toilets; showers; children’s playgrounds; Jet Ski, water cycle and ski rental; first aid stations; lifeguards and even cool palm oases.
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