Mijas is located in the Spanish province of Malaga on the Costa del Sol. This charming resort is divided into two distinct areas - Mijas Costa which is a bustling beachfront resort and Mijas Pueblo which must rate as one of the prettiest villages in Spain.

The pueblo is a typical Andaluz village of whitewashed buildings perched high on the mountainside with spectacular views to the Mediterranean below and a scenic backdrop of endless pine forests. Foreign tourists discovered Mijas, 30 kilometres west of Malaga, in the 1960s and it's now the expatriate home of some 60 nationalities.

Tourism and the expat resident population have made their mark on Mijas which has a distinctly cosmopolitan flavour with international restaurants, clubs and bars. Yet the municipality has managed to retain its old world charm and has a reputation as a holiday spot for the more discerning tourist. You won't find any major boulevards and main thoroughfares here - Mijas is a delightful maze of narrow cobbled streets and archways with picture postcard houses, red tile roofs and balconies ablaze with brightly coloured geraniums.

At the entrance to the village you'll see the ancient spring which still provides natural mineral water from a tap in the wall. A major attraction for visitors is the surviving tradition of donkey taxis which trek around the pueblo for the benefit of of foreign sightseers.

Local arts and crafts thrive here, notably hand made linen and wicker items. The pueblo is also noted for its delicious local bread, honey and almond cakes. A popular local dish you'll find served in most of the Spanish restaurants here is "gazpachuelo" (an egg soup variant of the famous Andalucian cold tomato soup).

For out of season visitors, a wonderful local spectacle is the celebration of the feast of San Anton in January. The locals throw a "romeria" (open air party) at the holy hermitage of El Puerto, traipsing up the mountain in carriages and carts piled high with flowers and food.