Marbella or Mijos

[lauraapp]

We will have a short time in Malaga and we are looking at tours...which would be a better tour? To Marbella or Mijos?

[John Bull]

Depends what you are looking for.

 

Mijas (nowadays Mijas Pueblo, to avoid confusion with new developments, Mijas Costa, Mijas Golf, Mijas Nueva etc) is up in the hills, with glorious coastal views, esp from the public balcony in the Square. It's the tourist version of "real Spain" - the square has been tarted-up with donkeys & carriage rides & souvenir shops & the like, but the cobbled streets & whitewashed houses of the village above/behind are authentic yet see very few tourists. They will give you a good idea of what the more remote "white villages" are like. Narrow streets, mainly car-free & very peaceful, beautifully-maintained terraced houses. And there's an early bullring. The village is approached by a short section off mountain road off the main A7 autoroute, 18 miles, perhaps 30 mins from the port.

 

Marbella is a big & expanding place, it has its chic bits (dressed in the latest fashions, walking the afghans or pugs or poodles along the esplanade or relaxing in Orange Square) but it's much less exclusive than it used to be & it's become a bit of a sprawl. Puerto Banus, at the far end of Marbella, is the millionaires (but not multi-millionaires) marina development, with some nice but over-priced bars & restaurants along the quayside & surrounded by expensively-located but pretty ugly apartment blocks.

On the A7 autoroute, 38 miles but only about 45 mins using the toll sections (advisable). The early part of the route - about as far as the Mijas turn-off - has some views, but most is an urban landscape.

 

I guess you can tell which I prefer :rolleyes:

 

John Bull :)

[cberge]

Mijas:D