All about booking the best Mijas villas
The historic heart of Mijas dangles like a wisp of white cloud on the dusty ranges of Andalusia. It’s been there since even before the Romans, now twinkling with its glowing casas and church towers. Below it, Mijas Costa spreads along the Costa del Sol, offering all sorts of other adventures to travellers who pass this way. This guide to Mijas villas offers booking tips to help you pinpoint the best place to settle in this enchanting Spanish getaway.
Get Mijas villas in old Mijas Pueblo
For culture vultures and artsy types, there’s nowhere better to find Mijas villas than in this whitewashed cascade of casas and pine trees. It sits on the high ground above the coast, oozing plenty of raw Andalusian charm.
Villas in Mijas Pueblo itself
Some villas will make their home close to the zig-zagging alleys of Mijas Pueblo. This is the oldest and most enchanting part of the resort. Its tale goes back to ancient times, but it’s the period in the 1950s and 1960s, when artists flocked to set up their galleries and workshops, that is perhaps the most evident now. Attractions include the oval-shaped Plaza de Toro bullring and the rich Ethnological Museum of Mijas – a must for history buffs.
On the way to Valtocado
You could choose to push through Mijas’s historic centre and on to the more modern developments of Valtocado. Doing that usually means cranking up the square footage of your home away from home. It also means adding in some seriously deluxe features, like infinity pools with panoramas of the Costa del Sol and sun-splashed terraces to boot.
A little seclusion in Osunillas
For a quieter stay that’s not immediately in the midst of the pueblo’s cobbled streets and gallery-fringed plazas, consider looking for Mijas villas in Osunillas. This local area is still away from the hustle and bustle of the coast, up a few hair-pinning bends from the shore. It’s got holiday rentals with great views, and the Osunillas Municipal Pool, an open-air place to swim between pines come the summer months.
Choose to hit the beaches of Mijas Costa
If you’re pining to splash in the sea and enjoy the fabled sands of the Costa del Sol, the vast area known as Mijas Costa is the place to go. There are far more villas clustering around this 7.5-mile stretch of the Spanish shore than it’s possible to fit into the higher reaches of the town, so you should have plenty to pick from.
The enchantments of La Cala de Mijas
Searching for Mijas villas in La Cala de Mijas doesn’t mean leaving all the historical relics of the pueblo behind. A weathered Moorish tower looms over the boardwalks, while historic fishing cottages also pop up here and there. However, the focus is shifted towards the gold-glinting beachfront that fringes the whole town.
The buzz of Las Lagunas
Las Lagunas butts right up to the edge of Fuengirola, drawing on the resort’s unbridled energy to give visitors to Mijas plenty to see and do. It’s a more commercial and industrial area but also has affordable villas that are great for families, what with the gushing slides of Aquamijas water park and the jungle creatures of Bioparc Fuengirola to get through.
Something wilder in Sitio de Calahonda
If you like to mix up your beach-bathing days with a taste of more untamed coastline, consider heading down to Sitio de Calahonda. It teems with life, bars and boaters in the salt-washed Puerto de Cabopino marina, but soon gives way to the dunes of Artola Beach, which garners regular Blue Flag ratings and comes without any development to its back.
The pluses of Mijas villas
Read on to get an idea about what it is that sets Mijas villas apart from the crowd, whether it’s their unique locations or their accessibility.
Mijas villas often mean no car is required
While other resort towns in Spain or villa rentals in the hills of Andalusia mean a hire car is indispensable, Mijas is so well connected to surrounding cities like Malaga and Marbella that you can get away without your own wheels. Taxi transfers can take you straight to your door, while local buses cross Mijas Costa from Fuengirola several times per day.
Mijas villas with a pool
If you’re heading to the old whitewashed hill town of Mijas Pueblo, a swimming pool can be a welcome addition to any rental. Up there, you’re always a drive from the beaches, while the lofty position means swimming spots often enjoy amazing panoramas of the scrubby Sierra de Mijas.
The varying locations of Mijas villas
Because the municipality of Mijas spreads from the high sierras to the wave-washed Costa del Sol, the town offers travellers the unique ability to seek out stays in a whole host of different locations. Those perched by Mijas Pueblo, for example, get wild vistas of mountains, while those nearer to the shores are steps away from Blue Flag beaches.