Tour Mijas in a fun way! Either riding on the donkey or being pulled along in a carriage. This is the local taxi service known as a “Burro.”
You can’t visit Mijas without a ride in a Burro.
The donkeys are decorated with brightly coloured woven woollen strappings, eye protectors and blankets. Each has a Taxi number displayed on a plaque.
The Burro has been associated with Spain for a long time. It was utilised to transport goods and passengers, before motor vehicles were affordable, or when the narrow alleyways or uneven surfaces required the sure footing of the donkey or mule.
These quirky means of transportation started to be used in the 1960s. Visitors to Mijas, whist on holiday, asked workers who were coming home from the countryside alongside their donkeys and mules to let them take pictures for a keep sake off their holidays. Some cheeky tourists even asked rural workers to let them take a ride in exchange for money, which more often than not was higher than their wages. The workers started to spend more and more taking visitors on their donkeys up to the village. The Burro-taxi” has become a representation of Mijas. After this the Straw Donkey was one of the popular souvenirs along with sombreros, castanets, bull fighting posters and flamenco dressed dresses and dolls. All can still be found in the souvenir shops today
If you are concerned over the welfare of the donkeys you have no need to be. In recent years, after concerns aired about the donkeys the Refugio del Burrito (Donkey Sanctuary) have become heavily involved and now monitor the health and welfare of the donkeys.
You will find a ride by the local taxi service may set you back between 15€ and 20€. Go on indulge yourself to a tradition of Mijas…. The Burro ride!
