Mijas Pueblo
The picturesque white village of Mijas is situated in the lowlands of the Sierra de Mijas mountain range, visible from the terraces of Villa Pilar and just a few minutes drive away.
Mijas has managed to retain much of its white village charm, with cobbled winding streets, beautiful flower displays, charming traditional tiling and breathtaking views. There is a profusion of Spanish cafes and restaurants and souvenir shops . Here you can buy genuine, traditional, hand made ceramics which are unique and of exceptional quality. There is a thriving art and crafts movement in the pueblo, particularly in jewellery, linen and wicker items with many small shops selling local wares in ceramic and leather as well as the paintings and photographs of local acclaimed artists. If you are interested in traditional Spanish sport and would like to see a bull fight there is The Plaza de Toros in Mijas Pueblo, open since 1900 and still used for occasional horse displays and genuine bull fights with displays of the matadors artistry and skill ; unfortunately the bulls do get killed! Its open most Sundays – check the posters in the village for the next event. I am not personally an aficionada!
A settlement is known to have existed in Mijas for many centuries as archaeological findings have confirmed that an 8th century Moorish castle stood on the site of the village church “Iglesia de la Immaculada Concepcion”. Prior to this the Romans used Mijas, known then as ‘Tamisa’ as an important commercial and trading centre.
Legend
The patron saint of Mijas is the “Virgen de la Pena”, where, hidden in a quiet corner of the village is the hermitage which was built into a rocky outcrop overlooking the coast by monks in 1520. According to legend, two young boys were led to the spot by a bird where subsequently an image on the Virgin was found hidden in a recess of the tower where it had lain undiscovered for 500 years. Now it is a small and beautiful place of worship were locals leave flowers, offerings and supplications.
Weekly flamenco shows organised by the town hall are held each Wednesday at 12 noon in the main square of the village. The entertainers are the municipal dance group and spectators are offered a free glass of Malaga wine, courtesy of the Mijas Tourist Office. In the high season of July and August the show is also held at 21.30
Whitevillages
Beyond Mijas there are many “white” villages in the mountains, most worth a visit if you feel like exploring. They usually have a pretty main square , church, beautiful views and one or two tapas bars or cafes. Alhora is one which has an old Moorish castle, now converted into a cemetery, overlooking the town and the river valley.