Costa del Sol - cool things to do at Mijas Costa

Credits for the cover picture: Ekaterina Chuyko

Mijas Costa is the kind of place that needs a helicopter ride for a good picture. It is a wide bay, think about it as a large balcony opening the spanish coast to the south-east, located halfway between Málaga and Marbella. Right in the middle of the Costa del Sol, it encompasses Mijas, Fuengirola and Benalmádena, three towns with a huge variety of activities to offer.

I think I know what you might be thinking right now: "Oh mamma... I'm going to sunbathe at the beach all-day-long, have lunch at a chiringuito, and forget all my worries, and I shall not be the one trying to change your mind about that! But the beach-day plan is a little too obvious for me to mention it here. That is why, despite the fact that you should definitely enjoy the beach and the sea if you travel to the Mijas Costa during the Spring-Summer season, I will be now writing about 3 alternative plans to have when coming here, whether in winter or in summer, that should help you enjoy your experience to the max!

The Fuengirola Zoo

You have probably been to several zoos in your life, but the reason I must absolutely mention the Fuengirola Zoo when talking about things to do in Mijas Costa is because it is considered to be one of the best zoos in Spain, and even in Europe. Check this list, where it is ranked among the best zoos in Spain. Or this other one from tripadvisor, where it is said to be one of the best in the world. The Fuengirola Zoo might not be the biggest zoo you've seen, nor the one with the biggest variety or animals, but it will definitely surprise you by the great living conditions of all the animals kept in there. All species in the Fuengirola zoo are endangered and kept there for their own security. You can tell they are taken such good care of, they all have a large space to live, in accordance to their size and number. Everything is super proper and their areas have been amazingly made to match their natural habitats. You will be able to find gorillas, chimpanzees, tigers, crocodiles, lemurs and much more. At night there's also great music and dance shows going on, all of which will make the 25 Euro entrance ticket feel less painful!

The Benalmadena Butterfly-Park

Picture Credits to: Paco Lozano

Inside a beautiful Thai building, the Benalmádena Butterfly-Park will definitely leave you speechless. Do not expect to find yourself in a dreadful museum-kind of atmosphere, with loads of dead butterflies pierced by a needle inside a small case. Imagine rather some sort of herbolarium, all very well illuminated by a glass-roof, in a wide room full of flourishing vegetation, where butterflies of all kinds and dream-like colors fly around you without a care. Now, isn't that marvelous? I was listening to Strawberry Fields by The Beatles, the relaxing music in my head while in there. There's not many places like this one in the world so follow my advice and pass by if you're around, you shall not regret, as it's absolutely beautiful!

Night-time barbecue at the beach

Picture Credits to: pefcon (iStock)

Having a barbecue on the beach, at any time of the day, is absolutely illegal here in Spain. Yet it sounds like such an amazing plan doesn't it? That is why I'm going to tell you about a great hidden-spot I found some time ago, where you will be able to have an illegal beach-barbecue at night-time in Fuengirola, without many chances of getting caught by the police. Lol I'm kidding. There's a wonderful beach right next to the Beatriz Hotel**** in Fuengirola, where the local government has set up a series of small boats filled up with sand, allowing people to have nighttime barbecues (called moragas in Spanish). How awesome is that? Well, it's even greater, because it's** only 5 Euros! All you will have to do is go to the Town Hall in the centre of town with a copy of your ID card, pay 5 euros in total**, and you'll have a boat of sand booked for that night. The only thing left for you to do will be to buy coal, sardines, bread, wine, take a few towels with you to sit down and enjoy such a beautiful experience at night-time right in front of the sea (an experience you could enhance if you remember to take a loud-speaker with you).

The service in the Town Hall opens from 8:00 a.m. until 14.00 p.m. so make sure you wake up a little early or don't have a siesta on the day of your reservation!