A Place in the Sun is a British Channel 4 lifestyle television series about attempting to find people a ‘perfect property’ that is on the market either in the United Kingdom and overseas. It most often focuses on places in southern Europe, but in recent years it has also featured a number of places in other areas of the world such as Florida and the Caribbean.
In November, presenter Laura Hamilton was in Mijas in southern Spain with husband and wife Steve and Dawn. They first visited Mijas eleven years ago and had longed to own a holiday home here ever since. Steve and Dawn plan to eventually live in Spain so the pressure was really on Laura to show them five amazing properties within their top budget of £220,000.
The white village with a burro-taxi
The municipality of Mijas in the Costa del Sol is one of the most stunning white villages in Andalucía, nestled in the mountains it has managed to keep the typical charm of traditional Andalusian villages.
The sight of its Spanish houses climbing up the slopes of the Sierra de Mijas in harmony with the surrounding deep green pines, offers one of the most recognisable and picturesque images of Andalucía.
Just twenty minutes from Málaga and its international airport, the stunning town of white architecture is the birthplace of the donkey-taxi. Yes, for centuries, the real attraction of this small town has been the donkey. The tradition began when tourists would ask workers coming home for pictures on their noble steeds and now one of the biggest attractions is climbing on the back of these animals to walk the streets for €15.
The labyrinth of tight, cobbled stone streets littered with whitewashed houses complimented by colourful flowers and pots that decorate the terraces, is a picturesque sight. Mijas is an up and coming area increasing in popularity while property prices remain reasonable; far more modest than that of Marbella, which is just twenty minutes away.
Some of the most significant places in the village are the Ermita de la Virgen de la Peña and the Mirador del Compás where the views are fantastic. You can also visit the Plaza de Toros and the Castillo de las Murallas to wander through the gardens and climb the walls of a fifteenth century castle, declared a site of cultural heritage since the 1980s.
A previous episode of A Place in the Sun featured fellow house-hunter Zane wanting to permanently relocate to Mijas to be closer to his son Dean who has already moved there with his family. Danni Menzies showed the father and son five properties within Zane’s £110,000 budget. Desperate to spend more quality time with his family, were any of the properties perfect? You can watch the episodes on A Place in the Sun’s website to find out.
Visit the New Property Costa del Sol website to browse a wide selection of developments, apartments, townhouses and villas available in and around Mijas right now.
