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Mijas Pueblo – A Brief Travel Guideadmin

Scattered around the Costa del Sol are many pretty white washed villages. One that is extremely popularwith locals as well as tourists, is the beautif ul ‘Mijas Pueblo’. It is located 428 meters above sea leveland nestles in the glorious Mijas mountains not f ar f rom Fuengirola or Benalmadena. The localpopulation is 7,500 and is a real mixture of Spanish, English, Dutch and other nationalit ies.

Due to the amount of f oreign and English speaking people living in and around the pueblo, the localAyuntamiento (Town Hall) has set up a f oreigners department that deals with many problems thatpeople may have who do not speak Spanish.

Many artists and writers who have wanted to benef it f rom the year round warmer climate, have made thispicturesque village their home.

Unlike some Spanish villages, Mijas Pueblo has somehow managed to maintain most of its Andalucianway of lif e and the typically narrow cobbled streets of this white village have so much to of f er in theshape of souvenir shops, boutiques, bars, restaurants and wonderf ul craf ts shops that sell local handmade pottery, leatherware and jewellery alongside paintings and prints by acclaimed local artists. You willindeed soak up the relaxed ‘mañana’ atmosphere as you take a stroll around the shops or take shelterf rom the heat in the beautiful gardens that lead you to the most amazing views of the coastal resortsbelow and the clear blue Mediterranean Sea.

Being built on a hillside means the village is on dif f erent levels. The main square is surrounded by manyof the shops and several good restaurants. Also on this level you will f ind a couple of museums, the FolkMuseum shows the trades and history of Mijas in bygone years and the Miniature Museum, that hasitems f rom 50 countries and was established in a caravan in 1972 by a f amous hypnotist.

There is also a wine museum ‘Museo del Vino’ that gives wine lovers the chance to learn more aboutMijas’ small but growing wine industry. You can also sample some f ine wines and cavas alongside tapasor some f ine gourmet f ood.

Other sights to see include the Santuario de la Virgen de la Peña. This is a shrine that is carved out ofrock and is a tribute to the patron saint of Mijas. This shrine dates back to 1586 when an image of theVirgin miraculously appeared there. Another is the Iglesia de Santa Ana which is a small 18th centuryhermitage.

At the top of the pueblo you will f ind the Bullring which is strangely oval in shape. It was opened in 1900and still holds bull f ights and horse displays to this day. Also located here is the bullf ighting museum thatis dedicated to years of bullf ighting.

As you take a leisurely walk around the pueblo you will f ind many places to sit and contemplate lif e goingon around you. The Plaza de la Virgen with its bandstand is one of those places. Once a week this iswhere you can also sample the local Malaga wine as you watch some of the most amazing Flamencodancing. The dancing is very popular, so get there nice and early to get a good viewing point andhopef ully one of the chairs that are put out in the shade.

One way to take a look around the village is by ‘Donkey Taxi’. For a f ew Euros you can take a donkeyride around the streets of the village or if you want a slightly more luxurious trip pay a f ew more Eurosand go by donkey and cart. During the summer months you can go by horse and carriage and these canbe f ound in Plaza de Pina.

So if you are spending your holidays on the Costa del Sol, a visit to Mijas Pueblo is f ully recommended.

Thank you to sjdunphy on Flickr f or the images of Mijas Pueblo.