Is Mijas Pueblo worth visiting?
We’ve seen our share of “white villages” and honestly wondered out loud if Mijas Pueblo was worth visiting. We were in Benalmádena Pueblo when contemplating it. But we were only 20 minutes away and figured that since we were so close we had to see it.
We’re glad we did.
Note: if coming from Torremolinos and/or Benalmádena, the 121 bus stops in Benalmádena Pueblo and then continues on to Mijas Pueblo (which is the last stop). The 112 bus starts in Malaga and follows roughly the same itinerary (although a lot less frequently). If coming from Fuengirola, you can take the 122 bus which takes about 20 minutes.
Why is Mijas Pueblo worth visiting?
People will shoot me for saying this…but the truth is that many of the white villages (at least the ones set back from the coast on the foothills of the mountains) are very similar with little to differentiate them from other white villages. If you’ve seen Frigiliana, Torrox Pueblo, or Benalmádena Pueblo you’ve seen a common theme: pretty villages with narrow whitewashed alleys, tons of colourful flowerpots, and views of the Mediterranean in the distance. They’re all worth seeing but eventually they become a bit repetitive.
Mijas Pueblo is, in my opinion, more interesting. You still have the whitewashed alleys, colourful flowerpots and views of the Mediterranean…but you also have some unique attractions: the large and pretty squares (Plaza Virgen de la Peña and Plaza de la Constitución), the Ermita Virgen de la Peña, the fortress walls, the botanical gardens, the many great viewpoints…Mijas Pueblo just struck us as more interesting and prettier than many of the white villages we’ve seen.
You’ll see a lot of tourists in Mijas Pueblo, in fact it’s part of the tour bus circuit (the other place in these parts that comes to mind is Ronda). But there’s a reason it’s popular and why Mijas Pueblo is worth a visit.
What to see in Mijas Pueblo
When you arrive, the first place you’ll most likely see is the large Plaza Virgen de la Peña. Lots of restaurants here where you can have a cold beer and something to eat. But it’s an attractive square. And on one side of the square you’ll see an elevator that takes you up to the miniature museum and old floor mill (and from where you’ll have great views over the square).
But before you do that, head over to the other side of the street from the square. There you’ll find the tourist information office (where you can get a map like I have below), public bathrooms, and a great viewpoint. You’ll also see a line of donkeys – they are “donkey taxis” you can take to tour around town*. It something I’ve never seen anywhere but in Mijas.
*Not something I would ever do and I don’t recommend it for others either. Donkeys just aren’t meant to carry around grown adults. I feel bad just seeing them standing there all day…
Below: Tourist Map I picked up at the tourist office (Click to enlarge)
Ermita Virgen de la Peña (Chapel of the Virgin of the Rock)
One of the most interesting attractions of Mijas and just meters from the tourist information office.
On this rocky outcrop, a chapel was built out of the rock in 1586. The chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary of the Rock (Virgin Mary of the Rock is also the patron saint of Mijas, celebrated on the 2nd of June).
The location is spectacular, a natural viewpoint on a ridge overlooking the countryside and the coast beyond.
From there, cross back over to Plaza Virgen de la Peña and take the elevator up. You can enjoy the views over the square or visit the miniature museum and old floor mill if you wish.
From there walk a couple of minutes until you get to Plaza de la Constitución.
Plaza de la Constitución
The heart of Mijas Pueblo is this pretty square. In 1884 heavy rainfall resulted in rocks and water coming into town from the mountains above. Several people as well as animals were killed. The rocks that came down were used to make the fountain and benches in the square, a commemoration for the victims of the rockslide.
On the far side of the square you’ll see a small street “La Ruta Botanica” heading up. Go in that direction.
The Fortress of Mijas
Coming up from the Plaza de la Constitución is a promontory, a raised outcrop, where a fortress once stood. There’s not much left of that except for a small tower and the fortress walls that surround the promontory.
But it this space you’ll find other attractions.
- The Mijas bullring (you can visit the bullring and its museum which at the time of writing was 4 Euros).
- A path along the walls (where you have great views)
- Botanical gardens
- A church, the Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción, which is worth a visit.
This whole area is the highlight of Mijas.
The above covers the highlights and you can see it all in a few hours. But if you have more time it won’t be wasted because there’s lots of prettiness: the Chapel of San Sebastian, pretty Malaga street, and the colourful (and often photographed) steps leading back down to Plaza Virgen de la Peña. Follow the map I’ve included above for an extended walking tour of Mijas.
Mijas Pueblo as part of a day trip
As I mentioned, Mijas doesn’t require a lot of time and can be combined with Benalmádena Pueblo on a daytrip. In our case, we took the bus from Arroyo de la Miel (what most people would consider “Benalmádena) up to Benalmádena Pueblo. That took about 20 minutes (half an hour if you include waiting for the bus). We spent about 3 hours in Benalmádena Pueblo, the highlights there being Jardines del Muro and Castillo de Colomares (Castillo de Colomares is a bit of a walk if you don’t have a car, about 15 minutes out of town). Then we decided to visit Mijas Pueblo…and waited about 45 minutes for the bus. Once it finally arrived, it took us about 20 minutes to get to Mijas Pueblo. We spent about 3 hours in Mijas Pueblo, including a lunch stop on Plaza Virgen de la Peña. It was around 5 PM when we took the 121 bus back to Arroyo de la Miel. That took about 45 minutes.
Overall a fun day trip that would have been easier if we had a car…but it’s manageable (and worth doing) even using public transport.
Our day trip route. Click to enlarge.
Related: Why live in Mijas? And on Real Estate on the Costa del Sol
Related: What’s Benalmádena like?
Leave a Reply