Day Trip to Mijas

Mijas is located high up on a mountainside and one has to ascend from the A7 highway. Just before coming to the town plaza, one turns to the left where there is a parking sign. Mijas is a town that is prepared for tourism. They built a ten story parking garage several years ago that accommodates at least 600 cars. This is one of the few tourist towns that one does not have to worry about parking. After parking, one takes the elevator to the top floor, which opens up to the town plaza. Beside the town plaza they have parking spaces for the buses that bring tourists to the town.

Very close by is the tourist office of the town. This is one of the best tourist offices in Andalusia because all of the people working there are bilingual in English and are very friendly and professional. The town is quite ancient in origin, having been inhabited during the Bronze Age. Later came the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Moors, and finally the Christians. Today the economic prospects of the town are very good because of tourism. The town owns a huge swath of land from the coastline to the interior and development of several golf courses and thousands of second homes is taking place.

Just beside the tourist office is the stand of the burro taxis. One can take pictures of the beautiful donkeys and take a ride on them. Behind the stand is a place where the donkeys can rest in the shade and have water. Many years ago the burros were not given adequate care and the foreign tourists protested. Now the town has regulations that mandate good care for the animals. Mijas is one of the few places left in Spain where one can ride a burro. News reports show that the burro is now an endangered species in Spain.

In the 1960s when the first tourists came to Mijas, the tourists would see the workers coming back from work on the fields with their burros. The tourists fell in love with the burros and would ask the workers to let them take their pictures and take rides with them. After that the tourists would give the workers some money. The workers soon found out that they were making more money with their burros giving the tourists rides than working on the fields, so they decided to have the burro taxis. Today there are around 60.

To the left of the burro stand is a little park that has been built on top of the old castle that protected the town. The little park is planted with trees, shrubs, and flowers. There is also a little fountain. There are lookout points along the edge of the park where you can see the coastline below and the city of Fuengirola. This is a good place to take pictures.

At the end of the park is the Grotto of the Virgin de la Peña. The word peña means cliff in Spanish. A space has been hollowed out in the rock beside the castle walls and inside the space there is a chapel to the Virgin de la Peña, as well as a little room where the ceremonial clothes of the Virgin are kept.

The grotto has a very interesting story that most visitors to Mijas do not know. In 1536 a man named Pedro Bernal lived in the town with his wife and two children, a boy called Juan (12 years old) and a girl called Asuncion (10 years old). On May 30 of that year, the children were playing where the park is now and saw a white dove that was very beautiful, much more so than the other doves. The dove alighted on them and they caressed it, before the dove flew away. The children told their parents when they went home about what they saw. The next day the children went back, and at the same time the beautiful white dove reappeared to them. When they went home and told their parents, the parents told them not to go back because something strange could happen to them.

So the next day the children stayed home. However the next day they returned to the spot and they heard a voice calling them. Beside the tower of the castle walls appeared the Virgin and Child in her arms, with the white dove on her shoulder. The boy asked her who she was, and she answered that she was the Mother of God. She told the children to tell their parents, the authorities of the town, and the town priest of what they saw. Her instructions were to remove her from the rock, where she had been inside for the last 500 years. The parents notified the authorities and the priest and the next day the whole town went to the tower, where the Virgin had appeared. The father went to the top of the tower and hit the rock where there was a hollow sound. He continued excavating the rock and found the Virgin, and the man fainted on seeing the Virgin.

The town gained fame because of this and there was a project to build a chapel in the same place, but nothing happened for many years. A pious hermit priest called Diego decided then to build the chapel himself. He continued excavating until the chapel was finished in 1682. The priest was buried in the chapel when he died.

At the end of the park is a very colorful store that sells ceramic plates and other tourist items. The façade of the store has many potted plants with flowers, and this is another place to take a picture. On the road to the upper part of the town there is a vendor there who roasts candied almonds, which are very delicious and everyone should try them. The street is lined with stores selling souvenirs and leather bags. One particular store called Los Faroles, at Los Caños, 16, has very sophisticated art objects, jewelry, and French crystal.

There is a little church at the corner. The church is charming, but not of great interest. On the street near the church is the Wine Museum, which is a store that sells good wine and accessories for drinking wine. One can try different wines at their little patio for a nominal price. Upstairs in the store they sell beautiful Spanish shawls made of silk.

On the Plaza de la Constitucion is a beautiful store called Tamisa, where one can find a fine art gallery with paintings and sculpture by international artists. The store also sells good jewelry and Lladro porcelain, as wells as other art objects for the home.

There are many leather coat stores in the area owned by Moroccans, where one SHOULD bargain. A man’s leather jacket should cost 200 euros, and a woman’s should cost 150 euros. These are the rock bottom prices. Of course if the leather coats are extra fancy, the prices will be more.

One can go down the stairs to the lower town, the Plaza Virgen de la Peña. This is the main town square. On certain days of the week the town has a free flamenco show in the morning at this plaza, which entertains the visitors. The town really wants to please its visitors and is quite organized about this. During the show they offer free glasses of wine to the tourists.

There is a unique store at the plaza, called La Gruta. The outside looks like a normal shop, but inside one can see that it used to be a cave, which was excavated in 890, during Moorish times. The store sells jewelry and Llladro figurines. At 25B of the plaza is the store called Lavender Blue, owned by an English lady. It must be the most feminine store in the Costa del Sol. She sells women’s clothes, accessories, and home decoration. The items sold are very unique and beautiful. At the very end of the plaza, near Lavender Blue, there is a leather store that is quite inexpensive and one can find very good bargains and souvenirs.

High above the hill that overlooks Mijas is a small hermitage called la Ermita del Calvario. This was constructed in 1710 as a place of rest for the Carmelites who lived in Mijas. Today the hermitage is open only during the Fridays of Lent and the first Friday of March. During Holy Week, the way up is used as the Way of the Cross.

Mijas has the air of innocence, and yet one can find very good and sophisticated stores. And the views of the countryside and coast below the town are really breathtaking. It definitely is one of the most charming towns of Spain.

Restaurants in Mijas:

1. Restaurante La Alcazaba

Plaza de la Constitucion

Tel. 952-486-397

Closed on Mondays

This is a moderately priced restaurant with the most spectacular view of the valley below and the sea beyond. There are big picture windows that let in this view. The restaurant is elegant, has very good service, and the very good food is served on beautiful plates. Everything is first class and it is a delight. Downstairs there is a beautiful dining room that is of Mudejar design with a large picture window with the great view. Try the tortilla mijeña, which consists of eggs, potatoes, sausage, and asparagus. This dish is typical of the town.

2. El Mirlo Blanco

Plaza de la Constitucion 2

Tel. 952-485-700

This is an expensive Basque restaurant overlooking a little plaza. Mirlo blanco means white blackbird. The restaurant has been in Mijas for 40 years. There is a shaded balcony overlooking the plaza. The food is delicious.

3. Restaurante Hotel Mijas

Hotel Mijas

Tel. 952-486-400

The hotel has its own underground parking. The restaurant has a very good view of the valley below and the sea beyond. It is quiet and a good place to talk. The food is good too. Moderately priced.

Flamenco

There is a free flamenco show in the Plaza Virgen de la Peña every Wednesday at 12:00 H, the whole year. During July and August, there is another free flamenco show on Thursdays at 21:30 H.