The History of Mijas

Humans have been present in the municipality of Mijas for more than 20,000 years, since the Upper Paleolithic Era. There are traces indicating that Neanderthal populations came from the north of the continent and vestiges of later settlers from the Neolithic Era who came from Africa.

It was not until the arrival of the Phoenicians in these lands (c. 900 BCE), who settled mainly at the mouths of the great rivers in the south of the Peninsula, that the first settlements of indigenous peoples were created. Notable sites in Mijas include the Finca Acebedo, Roza de Aguado and there is even evidence of a Phoenician-Punic sanctuary in the quarter known as La Muralla in Mijas Pueblo itself.

During the Roman domination of the Peninsula, there was a large but scattered urban settlement in Mijas (called Tamisa at the time), attracted by the rich quarrying prospects of its mountain range (especially the marble deposits). These settlements flourished next to the main Roman roads that traversed the municipality, particularly along the coastal branch of the Via Augusta that connected Malaca and Gades. Numerous rural and trading villages developed during this period and these are now important archaeological sites that are currently being excavated. These include the Cortijo de Acebedo, Chaparral, Haza del Algarrobo and Butibamba sites, among others. Proof that these settlements were of some importance is that some of these enclaves were accurately detailed in Geography by Ptolemy, the geographer and astrologer from the School of Alexandria.

From 711 CE, the lands of Mijas came under Islamic influence following the invasion of a large military force made up of Arabs and Berbers dependent on the Umayyad Caliphate. Thus began a process of linguistic and cultural Arabisation that would last for more than 700 years. Throughout this period and up to the time of the Reconquista by the Catholic Monarchs, Mixas, as it was called during that period, experienced economic and demographic growth. The agricultural development that took place throughout al-Andalus led to the proliferation of farmsteads in the municipality. Nonetheless, its population barely exceeded 200 inhabitants by around 1492.

After the Reconquest, numerous plots of land were distributed among fifty Christian families to colonise this area. In 1501, the town of Mijas was declared exempt from taxes (alcabalas) to encourage settlement and several defensive watchtowers were built along the coastline to control and prevent incursions from North African pirates: Calahonda Tower, New Tower, Battery Tower and Calaburras Tower.

One of the first buildings erected by the new inhabitants was the Inmaculada Concepción Church. Finished in 1631, its most significant feature is the bell tower, which was originally built for defensive purposes to provide a refuge for the townsfolk.

During the 17th and 18th centuries the population grew exponentially, reaching 4207 inhabitants in 1786, largely as a result of the development of the marble and false agate quarries. This stone was used in the construction of Malaga Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace in Seville and the Sacristy of San Pedro Church in Granada, for instance. Aside from the quarrying industry, the production and export of figs became widespread in the area but was gradually replaced by the cultivation of vineyards.

In 1841, part of the municipality was segregated to create the town of Fuengirola. During the 19th century, the economic activity expanded to include paper production and many new mills joined the olive oil and flour mills that had already existed for several centuries, exploiting the large aquifers in the mountains around the Osunillas area and in Mijas Pueblo itself.

The ‘water architecture’ is one of the municipality’s most characteristic features. The proliferation of irrigation channels, pools, waterwheels, wells, mills and fulling mills reached its peak around 1948, when there were more than 200 km of irrigation channels in Mijas.

Although some wealthy families from northern Europe settled in Mijas in the first half of the 20th century, attracted by the mild climate (the average temperature in January is 12ºC and in the summer months it does not usually exceed 24ºC), it wasn’t until the 1950s that the municipality underwent a deep transformation due to tourism and became one of the best known towns in the Mediterranean, a destination for presidents, writers, leaders of industry, artists, film stars and the like. Nevertheless, the town still retains much of its essence and its most traditional characteristics, especially when the sun goes down, most of the visitors disappear and Mijas settles back into the pace of other times. In its habitual slow rhythm, you can wander through its streets in solitude, occasionally interrupted by the townsfolk who open the doors of their houses to water their plants, clean their section of the street and give us a glimpse into the mysteries of a way of life that seems to belong to another century.