Mijas Costa has lots of great beaches, all with their own great selling points. Here is our guide to our favourites.
Playa Riviera, Riviera del Sol
Where: Riviera del Sol is an urbanisation located in between La Cala de Mijas and Calahonda. It is largely a residential area and lots of the villas and apartments in this area are within easy reach of this dark, sandy beach.
Nearby bars/restaurants: The fantastic ‘Max Beach’ restaurant and bar is located right next to the beach in Riviera del Sol. It is open all day so you can enjoy an early morning coffee with views of the sea or go for a delicious evening meal after a day at the beach. The menu at Max Beach is a little bit special compared to your average beach side bar with options like beef carpaccio for starter and roast baby suckling pig for main course. It’s a great place to enjoy a special meal and their Sunday brunches are great, just make sure you book as it does get busy!
Special Features: Right next to the beach you’ll find the ‘Aztec Centre’, a brilliant sports complex with facilities including an Olympic sized pool, 7 tennis courts, badminton courts, mini golf and a gym. So if you fancy having a break from the sun and working up a sweat you can head over here for a few hours. There is also a beauty salon and hairdressers so you can get coiffured after a day at the beach.
Go there if: you want to have great food with lovely sea views. Max Beach is a cut above your usual beach side restaurants. Whether you visit for breakfast, lunch of dinner you’ll want to return.
Avoid if: you want to arrive by Jet Ski. It’s pretty impossible to pull up here due to the sloping sands.
Links: Holiday Rentals Riviera del Sol
Playa la Luna, Calahonda
Where: Playa La Luna is located just next to the ‘Parque d’Espagne’ in Calahonda and it is accessible through a tunnel. There is free parking here as well.
Nearby bars/restaurants: There is one beach bar serving food, drinks and ice cream all day right on the beach, called ‘La Luna Beach Chiringuito.’ The beach bar is English-run so you won’t have any problem communicating what you want to eat. Playa La Luna is only around 20 minutes’ walk from the marina at Cabopino which has a great choice of places to eat too if you fancied a lunchtime stroll.
Special Features: Playa La Luna has been awarded the Blue Flag for cleanliness and amenities. It has toilet and shower facilities.
Go there if: you want a lovely, clean beach with a friendly atmosphere. It also has some watersports on offer.
Avoid if: you want a more authentic Spanish beach experience. This beach is popular with tourists and families due to its easy access from Calahonda that is brimming with holiday accommodation.
Links: Holiday Homes in Calahonda
Playa El Bombo, La Cala de Mijas
Where: Located in La Cala de Mijas, this narrow stretch of beach is 1100 metres long and only 20 metres wide. It is easily accessible from the main coastal road, the A7.
Nearby bars/restaurants: There are 4 beach bars on Playa El Bombo. ‘Merendero El Bombo’ is a beachside bar similar to many of the chiringuitos along this stretch of coast serving lots of traditional dishes like paella, Spanish tortillas and barbecued sardines alongside snacks like burgers and chips. It is a lovely place to just sit and enjoy a cold drink with views of the Med.
Special Features: Playa El Bombo has a platform down to the beach offering disabled access. It also has plenty of sun loungers for hire.
Go there if: You like soft, sandy beaches. There are very few rock or pebbles here and the sea floor is also mainly just sand.
Avoid if: You want to try out watersports. This is a chilled out beach suited to sunbathing and building sandcastles so there is nothing action-packed on offer.
Links: Holiday Rentals in La Cala de Mijas
Playa La Cala, La Cala de Mijas
Where: This beach is right in the centre of La Cala de Mijas. You can’t miss it as it’s the closest beach to all the amenities in the resort. It’s a large beach, around 2000 metres long and 35 metres wide.
Nearby bars/restaurants: There are several beachside chiringuitos in La Cala de Mijas serving seafood and snacks. Most of the beach bars are shaded, even when sitting outside which is lovely when you need some respite from the midday sun. Chiringuito Arroyo is situated right on the beach and it serves good, honest Spanish food all day. As with most of these beachside bars you really need to try the fish as this is usually caught daily so it is beautifully fresh. There are many more cafes and restaurants along the promenade that runs the length of the beach.
Special Features: Playa La Cala has changing facilities, toilets and showers. It also has good disabled access and facilities. There is also a good range of watersports on offer from pedalos to jet skis.
Go there if: You want a family-friendly beach with shallow shores and a good choice of restaurants, cafes and shops selling buckets and spades.
Avoid if: You want total relaxation. This beach can get busy, especially in summer months and parking near the beach can be hard.
Playa El Charcon
Where: Playa El Charcon is located just to the west of El Faro urbanisation on Mijas Costa. It’s a quiet stretch of beach measuring about 940 metres.
Nearby bars/restaurants: There is one small beach bar on El Charcon but nearby El Faro has more choice. If you want something a bit fancy after a day sun bathing try Restaurant Patio Del Faro that has lovely sea views and an impressive dining terrace. They are even open for Christmas dinner where you can sit around their open fireplace. Despite its fancy appearance meals are very reasonably priced here too.
Special Features: El Charcon is special because it is so simple. There are no street sellers, no watersports and no hassle. It’s all about relaxation. It has dark sand giving it a volcanic appearance.
Go there if: You are a sun worshipper. The beach is south facing and you can lie for hours just soaking up the rays. There are sun loungers on offer to make this more comfortable.
Avoid if: You want an action packed day at the beach. You won’t find much going on here but that’s what is so nice about it!
