Mijas is one municipality with three faces. Up on the hillside is Mijas Pueblo, a white Andalusian village. Beside Fuengirola is Las Lagunas, which brings together schools, shops and public services. And along the coast and inland are beaches, residential neighbourhoods and golf communities, from La Cala de Mijas to Calahonda and Mijas Golf. Which of these you have in mind shapes most of what follows.
The municipality is lived in all year. INE records 95,104 registered residents on 1 January 2025 (INE (opens in a new tab)). The regional statistics institute’s separate 2025 profile reports an average age of 41.5, with 21.7% of residents under 20, and population growth of 20.4% between 2014 and 2024 (IECA (opens in a new tab)).
It is also an established international community. The IECA profile records 30,618 foreign nationals in 2025, with British citizens the largest group, at 24.6% of that total. Public life runs in Spanish, while English is widely used in shops and services on the coast.
The village. Mijas Pueblo sits on the slopes of the Sierra de Mijas, with whitewashed streets and views over the coast. Its landmarks include an oval bullring inaugurated in September 1900 and the Virgen de la Peña shrine, carved into the rock in the second half of the seventeenth century.
The coast. The town hall describes around 14 km of coastline, and five Mijas beaches flew the Blue Flag in 2026: La Luna - Royal Beach, Riviera, El Bombo, El Chaparral and La Cala (Ayuntamiento de Mijas, July 2026). The Senda Litoral includes a 6 km Blue Trail between La Cala and Playa de La Luna, and a further section from La Cala to El Sheriff opened in June 2026.
Golf and the inland communities. Inland Mijas includes residential neighbourhoods, countryside and golf communities. The town hall counted 12 golf courses in May 2026, including the courses at La Cala Resort and Mijas Golf.
- 95,104 — registered residents, 1 January 2025 (INE)
- 32.5% — foreign nationals in IECA’s 2025 profile
- 5 — Blue Flag beaches, 2026
- €3,711 — average asking price per m², August 2026 (idealista)
The appeal is the choice. A white village, a beach neighbourhood or a golf home within one municipality, an established international community, services in Las Lagunas and Fuengirola next door, Málaga airport around 20 minutes from Mijas Pueblo, and asking prices more than a third below Marbella’s: €3,711 per m² against €5,956 in August 2026 (idealista (opens in a new tab)).
Practical points. Check transport from the particular address you are considering. Bus routes include the M-122 between Mijas Pueblo and Fuengirola, the M-112 to Málaga, and coastal services linking La Cala and Calahonda with Fuengirola (Consorcio de Transportes de Málaga). The C1 train from Fuengirola serves Málaga airport and Málaga. For journeys between the areas, plan on a car.
INE (2025); IECA (2025); Ayuntamiento de Mijas (2026); AEMET; idealista (August 2026). Prices and services change; confirm current figures before deciding.
