BETWEEN LUXURIANT UMBRELLA AND ALEPPO PINE TREES APPEARS THE TOWN OF MIJAS, WHITE AND IMMACULATE ON THE SKIRT OF THE MOUNTAIN OF THE SAME NAME. MIJAS HAS DESERVED THE PSEUDONYN OF MIRADOR OF THE COSTA DEL SOL.

From the Arab gardens of La Muralla (remains of the old fortress) built by Abdalaziz in the eighth century and later reinforced by Abderraman III, the visitor´s pupil will contract, victim of the luminosity that the blue Mediterranean distils from the sun.
A few steps away from the unique landscape of La Muralla is one of the few irregular shaped bullrings to be found in Spain (built in 1900) and close by, the church of the Immaculate Concepcion, built over the remains of an old Arab mosque. Further down is the Plaza de la Constitucion (Constirucion Square), in which centre is a beautiful fountain carved from the marble blocks that came down from the mountain in the 1884 floods.
The coastal towns of Fuengirola and Benalmadena can also be clearly seen from the esplanade called El Compás, that spreads before the Hermitage of the Virgen de la Peña, Patroness fo Mijas.

It is a sanctuary carved in the hard rock by the monks of the Order of our Lady of Mercy in 1520, after the conquest by the Catholic Monarchs. Tradition has it that it was around here where the Virgin appeared to two shepherds and since then, an image of the Virgin is witness to the passing fo time in her sanctuary with a door of wild ivy; to where the prayers and pleas of a faithful and believing people are directed.

White passages.
However, the tracing of the Mijas streets awaken in the visitors a special sheltered feeling. They are its special monument. The streets and houses of El Barrio, taken from Andalusian pictures, whisper kindness while the ceramic and weaving craftsmen and the goldsmiths offer their wares to be seen.

These scenes may be enjoyed from the back of the famous "Burro Taxi", which makes a complete circuit of the most important and typical corners of the village.
This obliging friend will take us up to the Calvario Hermitage, situated on the crown of Mijas, or we can choose to walk up the Camino del Calvario to the sanctuary. This possibility follows the via crucis that the locals celebrate on Holy week and which crosses the village centre.
The chapel stands among luxueiant pine trees where the Carmelite monks had their retreat in older times. The shining whiteness of the facade breaks the comfortable green of the surrounding vegetation, offensively standing out. Without a doubt, the place, and the village in general were well chosen by the civilisations that inhabited this "white spot", where quiet reigns and isolates from the busy world. Therefore, many important people and foreigners have moved their place of residence and way of life to this quiet place, like modern day monks.

The most famous legend is the one telling of the apparition of the Virgin in the place called El Compás. There, the present Patroness of Mijas appeared to two shepherds (Asunción and Juan) and she was declared Patroness of the village on the 8th of September, 1682. Since then, this day is commemorated by taking the Virgen de la Peña on procession and her sanctuary, excavated into the rock, is filled with visitor´s votive offerings.
The remote militay enclave of Mijas was the rearguard and granary of the nearby Fuengirola. To sight the enemies, pirates and smugglers on the 14 km. of Mijas beaches, four beacon towers were built: Calaburras (1515), in La Cala, Torre Vieja and Torre Nueva (nineteenth century). But the lighthouse of the Calaburras points is the one that has survived time as a witness. Since 1862 it guided sailors with their olive oil, in 1925 with petroleum and from 1945 onwards, the lighthouse saved the night ships that dared to sail at untimely hours from crashing into the rocks.

Don't forget to try the Maimones, garlic and tomato soup, cachorreñas, gazpachuelo ( a soup of Arab origins), salmorejo, buñuelos (light airy cakes), churros tejeringos and hornazos (fried sweet dough).
Specialities which you can enjoy in the numerous restaurants serving local food to be found along the village streets.
The geographical extension of this shining village also translates into a great number of tourist offers. Mijas has views, folklore, legends, history, beaches, a water park and of course, golf.

Basic data
Size: 142.40 Km²
Population: Approx. 20,000
Residents known as: Mijeños
Monuments: Plaza de Toros, Sanctuary of the Virgen de la Peña, Church of the Immaculate Conception, La Cala de Mijas
Geographical situation: On the western Costa del Sol, 30 kilometres from Malaga. The town itself is 428 metres above sea level.
Tourist information: Municipal Tourist Office. Plaza Virgen de la Peña. 29650. Mijas Pueblo.
Phone: 952 58 90 34 Fax: 952 58 90 35.

Fiestas
There are numerous festivals in Mijas throughout the year. Apart from the annual summer Feria in honour of the Virgen de la Peña, which takes place in Mijas Pueblo, there is the festival in honour of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Barrio de Santa Ana); the romerías of San Antón in January, of Valtocado in April and of Osunillas in June. The night of San Juan and Corpus Cristi are important festivals here too, and one of the most interesting for foreign residents and visitors is the Día Internacional de los Pueblos, in which many foreigners take part. La Cala and Las Lagunas have their own festivals and romerías during the summer months.

Gastronomy
The large number of foreign residents in Mijas has resulted in a cuisine that is truly international, with restaurants from the five continents in the town. But the most traditional dishes of the area are similar to those of other small towns in the region, with plenty of wholesome products from the local soil and sea. The people of Mijas make excellent pastries too.

The torres vigias interpretation
The Torreón in the Cala de Mijas has been converted recently into a Museum of the Sea and Torres Vigías Interpretation Centre (in the understanding rather than language sense). Inside the Torre Batería we can find the Sala de las Torres, the Sala Torrijos and the Sala de Pesca tradicional (traditional fishing). The first tells us all about the origin of the towers and the history of coastal vigilance. The Sala Torrijos shows panels and original material on the subject of General Torrijos’ landing on the beach at Charcón, in Mijas. The Sala de Pesca Tradicional is all about fishing at La Cala, and here we can see how the industry developed from the distant past to the present day, along with related activities. Another interesting part of this tower is the rooftop, from were one can see the towers of Calaburra and Calahonda by means of a visor installed on the roof.