Mijas Pueblo

About Mijas Pueblo

Mijas Pueblo sits at about 428 metres on the southern face of the Sierra de Mijas, looking over pine slopes to Fuengirola and the sea. The Moorish town of Mixa was walled and held out until 1487, when it surrendered after the fall of Málaga. The municipality now has about 95,000 people, most on the coast.

From Plaza Virgen de la Peña a path leads to the Ermita de la Virgen de la Peña, a chapel cut into the rock by a Carmelite friar in the 17th century (free). The Paseo de la Muralla follows the old walls through gardens to the 16th-century church of the Inmaculada Concepción, with its brick tower, and the bullring of 1900, unusual for its squarish shape. The Casa Museo in the old town hall shows village crafts and the hideout of the mayor who hid for 30 years after the Civil War (€1).

Mijas Pueblo is 8 km from Fuengirola (15 minutes) and 30 km from Málaga airport (30 minutes). Bus M-122 runs from Fuengirola bus station every 30–60 minutes. Use the Virgen de la Peña car park under the main square. The centre is largely pedestrian; the main square and walls are fairly level, but side lanes are steep. Allow half a day. Good for families.

Spring and autumn are best; in summer come before 10:00. The Feria in early September peaks on 8 September, the day of the Virgen de la Peña. Try ajoblanco, local honey and goat's cheese. Tip: the views are best late in the afternoon.

Mijas Pueblo in pictures

What you’ll find

• Bus connectionPublic transportBuy
• Car parkPaid parkingBuy
• ChurchChurch visitFree
• FestivalAnnual festivalFree
• Historic centreOld town walkFree
• Local craftsCraft shoppingBuy
• Local foodLocal cuisineBuy
• Moorish quarterMoorish heritage walkFree
• MuseumMuseum entry (€1, 10:00–19:00)Ticket
• Step-free accessAccessible visitFree
• Tourist officeVisitor informationFree
• ViewpointSightseeingFree

Nearby places to visit

Down the hill in Fuengirola, the Castillo Sohail (8 km) is a restored castle of Moorish origin at the mouth of the river Fuengirola, and Playa de las Gaviotas (5 km) and Playa de Fuengirola (7 km) are long sandy town beaches. The Benalmádena Museum (6 km), in Benalmádena Pueblo, has pre-Columbian and local archaeology. Inland, Ojén (20 km), known for its aguardiente, lies on the far side of the Sierra Alpujata, with the hill villages of the Sierra de las Nieves beyond; above Ojén, the Mirador del Macho Montés near the Refugio de Juanar looks over the whole coast.