Mijas on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain is a place of multiple personalities and that is a really good thing. Originally just a white-washed village hanging on the hillside above the town of Fuengirola, Mijas has now spread itself into other areas. It is now split roughly between Mijas Pueblo, Las Lagunas, Mijas Costa and a golfing resort area dubbed Mijas Golf.

The area as a whole offers much in the way of holiday accommodation, including hotels, resorts and Mijas holiday rentals and is a perfect base for your exploration along the Costa del Sol.

Mijas Pueblo is the epitome of a “pueblo blanco,” or white village, with its narrow, winding and cobbled streets lined with Moorish style houses painted white, bright geraniums and colourful bougainvillea. A popular tourist spot, the town has much to offer in the way of museums, shops, restaurants and bars and there is a “Kodak moment” waiting around every corner.

The town and its beautiful botanical gardens gaze out over an incredible view of the coastline below and the blue Mediterranean Sea. On a clear day you can even see Morocco on the far horizon. As a backdrop to the buildings, the mountains hug the town, dotted with beautiful pine forests.

The famous “burro” or donkey taxis offer an unusual way to see the town in style and at a comfortable pace. There is a fascinating miniatures museum to visit, a quaint bullring with amazing surrounding views and even a small chapel, carved from the solid rock of a cave.

Further down the hillside is Las Lagunas, a rather more commercial and industrial area, with not much to offer the tourist except for some handy supermarkets.

Way down below and located next to the popular resort of Fuengirola lies Mijas Costa, an area covering in total seven-and-a-half miles of coastline. Mijas Costa has not only endless sandy beaches, however, but also some excellent small seaside resort towns, like La Cala de Mijas, El Chaparral, El Combo and Calahonda, all offering shopping facilities, plentiful restaurants and beach bars and all the trappings needed for tourism.

Golfers will particularly enjoy the Mijas Golf complex, an area of excellent golf courses and facilities for sports-minded people. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., Mijas Golf has become one of the most popular European golf courses in the last few decades. Known for the outstanding condition of the golf courses and a generally friendly atmosphere, Mijas Golf offers excellent service to visitors and clients.

There are two courses, Los Lagos and Los Olivos, both situated in the Mijas valley about 20 minutes from Málaga International Airport in one direction and Marbella in the other. Both courses have kept the original design and were totally refurbished in 2012. Beginners can enjoy the services of the David Leadbetter Golf Academy close by at the La Cala Golf Course in Mijas Costa, giving families the best of both worlds if only dad likes to play the game.

Whatever your idea might be for the perfect spring, summer, autumn (or even winter) holiday, Mijas has so much to offer. Imbibe history in the pueblo, tee off on the golf courses or just laze on those golden, sandy beaches catching a tan.

Photo credits:

Cover image CC BY-NC 2.0 by Elliot Brown

Cabopino beach: CC BY-NC 2.0 Jose Manuel Cortes

Mijas Pueblo and donkey taxis copyright Anne Sewell

La Cala Golf in the public domain by Dionbreend