The Andalucian Charm of MijasThe traditional, andalucian village of Mijas, set in the hills and just 8 kilometres from the beaches still retains its age-old charm. The whitewashed houses in narrow, cobbled streets date back centuries and inevitably, in response to growing tourism, are now interspersed with bars and restaurants, handicraft and gift shops. To get a real flavour of Mijas and Mijas Costa ... just click on the video below ... and then read on.
Of course, with tourism has come money and Mijas now has a rather swank Town Hall in the village centre plus a brand new tourist office next door.In the village is a fascinating museum which houses an authentic reproduction of an old local peasant cottage. Everything is so small. You’ll also see a sad reminder of the effect the Civil War had on the old mayor, Manuel Cortés. Displayed is a replica of the room, hidden behind a wardrobe, where he lived in fear of his life during the war years and where he continued to hide (with the help of his family) for many years after the war ended until he was granted amnesty.
In front of the museum is San Sebastian Street and the local Wine Museum … well worth a visit … the museum has more than 120 wines on offer and is set in a beautiful, renovated, rustic, 18th century building.
And no andalucian village would be complete without its bullring. Mijas bullring is picturesque, over 100 years old and one of the smallest in Spain. So that is a brief tour of the village – the heart of Mijas. But the municipality stretches as far as La Cala village on the coast … a lovely old fishing village now very fashionable with British residents…
… and just inland from the village, for the horse fanciers, you´ll find Mijas Race Course, one of only a handful in Spain. Athough horses play an important part in the Andalusian culture, this was a totally new concept for this region and had a wobbly start. But now there are horse racing events throughout the year. The racing meetings are well-supported by both the British and Spanish communities.
The town council was the first in Spain to establish a Foreign Residents Department in 1985. It still continues to thrive. There are lots of activities organised throughout the year: conferences, excursions, concerts, free guided country walks, and of course the annually celebrated International Day. This International Day is now nearly 20 years old and is a symbol of how international communities can and do live in respect and harmony here.
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Mijas Costa borders with Marbella and includes hundreds of coastal and country residential urbanisations … and a wide variety of real estate is available from a luxury villa to a 2 bed off-plan purchase. Of the municipalities 50.000 population almost half are foreigners … and this is a fact that the council take seriously. 
