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Mijas
take some pics of your own. Elsewhere, come rain or shine, the Ermita de la Virgen de la Pena is an endearingly unpretentious little chapel. Forget the checked tiles of Notre Dame or the Sagrada Familia’s spiky, bejewelled interior. The hermitage was hollowed out by a single Carmelite monk in the 17th century. Outside, a stone gargoyle spouts water into a grand font. Inside, the candle light, bumpy floor, six ornate gold benches, fresh flowers and a small exhibition are a real treat. Leaving the chapel, I see a pair of pale-skinned Japanese tourists huddled on a bench hollowed out of the rock, using an umbrella to protect themselves from freak 30C It maybe busy March heat. today but Mijas is It’s no wonder al fresco dining popular all year is the norm here, with round, just like usually - not a diamonds table free near the Mirador del Compas, where you can dine to the musical swoosh of water provided by the charming fountain, not Handel! “It may be busy today but Mijas is popular all year round, like diamonds,” confides Francisco, a nut seller who has lived in the town all his life. Rightly, he capitalises on the buzz to flog his delicious candied almonds which give me renewed strength to hit the ground running. Mijas is designed for its multicultural tourist scene – with around 20,000 foreign residents and many, many more visitors. Signs appear in English and there is even an impressive machine vending t-shirts, maps and guides after trading hours.
ON THE UP AND UP HISTORIC SCENES: From the charming churches to the local horseman come feria time
Welcome to the future, I chuckle. And yet the human reception is second to none. Carmen in the Tourist Office, who hai-
ls from Valencia, gives me the inside track on just about everything in immaculate English. In fact she offers maps and info in an incredi-
ble 16 languages! Let’s not forget the countryside. There are beautiful hiking trails waiting to be explored.
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