Brandon’s guidebook

The oldest part of Mijas is set high away from the coast and on a mountainside where the whitewashed old houses stand out brightly against the evergreen trees and bare rock. It’s a rural Andalusian village in every sense, except for the large community of expats: The streets, following their Moorish plan, are laid with cobblestones, the upper floors of homes have wrought-iron balconies, and hanging flowerpots bring vivid colour to the white walls. There are a few superb vantage points for photos of the Sierra de Mijas cradling the village: You can clamber up a section of the old walls, or the terracing at the Plaza de Toros where the vistas are sublime.

Great beach