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Golf guide • Spain • Andalusia (Costa del Sol)

Golf in Mijas: a white village above, fairways in the valley below

Mijas, on the Costa del Sol between Fuengirola and Marbella, has several major courses within its own municipality: Los Lagos and Los Olivos, the two Robert Trent Jones Sr. layouts at Mijas Golf, Cabell Robinson's three courses at La Cala Resort, and Santana Golf, laid out on a former avocado plantation. Come to play a different course every day without leaving town, twenty-five minutes from Málaga airport, from autumn to spring.

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Mijas comes in two tiers. Up top is Mijas Pueblo, the white village clinging to the sierra at around 430 metres, with its whitewashed lanes, wrought-iron grilles and balconies facing the sea. Below, the municipality runs down to the shore, from Las Lagunas to the beaches of La Cala de Mijas. In between, on hillsides planted with olive and avocado trees, lie the courses. The historic centre has been a protected historic-artistic site since 1969.

The municipality has seven courses, and that is its best argument: you can play four or five different layouts without ever driving more than a short way. Mijas Golf, opened in 1976, was one of the first big golf complexes on the Costa del Sol; La Cala Resort, higher up in the hills, lines up three championship courses and bills itself as the largest golf resort in Spain; Santana Golf, more discreet, offers calm among orchards and cork oaks.

The pace is that of a short trip with no unnecessary driving: a morning tee time, lunch at the clubhouse, then late afternoon in the village, when the low light whitens the façades even further. Three to five nights are enough. Fuengirola, with its fish restaurants and tapas bars, is a few minutes away; Marbella and Málaga are easy to reach for an evening.

The courses

Green guarded by white-sand bunkers behind a lake, olive trees and palms against dry hills

Mijas Golf – Los Lagos

  • Architect: Robert Trent Jones Sr.
  • Opened 1976
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

The first course at Mijas Golf, opened in 1976, lives up to its name: nine lakes bring water into play on eleven of the eighteen holes. Robert Trent Jones Sr. applied his hard-par, easy-bogey formula here: wide fairways, little rough, almost flat terrain, but greens defended by water, sand and purposefully planted trees. Extensively renovated in 2012 (irrigation, drainage, turf, more than 350 trees), it is the longer of the two courses, 6,536 metres, par 72. It suits all levels and is an easy walk.

Official website

Mijas Golf – Los Olivos

  • Architect: Robert Trent Jones Sr.
  • Opened 1984
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Opened in 1984, eight years after its neighbour, Los Olivos is also a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design, but it plays a quite different tune. Less water, more trees: olives, but also casuarinas and fig trees line narrower fairways. The greens are smaller, often raised, undulating and edged with slopes that throw back a wayward ball. Four par 3s, ten par 4s and four par 5s make up a par 72 that rewards accuracy more than length. The club recommends it to the most consistent players.

Official website

La Cala Resort – Campo America

  • Architect: Cabell B. Robinson
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

In the hills above La Cala de Mijas, Campo America is one of three 18-hole courses designed by Cabell B. Robinson for La Cala Resort, alongside Campo Asia, the oldest and most demanding, and Campo Europa, the more forgiving. America is the most spectacular: 6,009 metres, par 72 with five par 5s, marked changes in elevation and views over the Sierra de Ojén and the Mediterranean. The course opens and closes with a par 5. Book a buggy: the terrain does not lend itself to walking.

Signature hole. The 16th, a short par 3 of about 135 yards, is played from a perched tee with views all the way to the coast.

Official website

Santana Golf

  • Architect: Cabell B. Robinson
  • Opened 2004
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Opened in 2004 on a former avocado plantation between La Cala and Entrerríos, Santana Golf is a Cabell B. Robinson layout of 6,207 metres, par 72. The fairways are wide and the ground flat enough to walk, but the white-sand bunkers, unexpectedly shaped greens and water towards the finish keep you alert. Avocado, orange, lemon and olive trees line the holes, and cork oaks more than 500 years old stand watch over the 5th. A calm round, away from the comings and goings of the big resorts.

Signature hole. The 18th closes the card with a lake all down the right and a narrow entrance to the green: an unforgiving final shot.

Official website

Where to stay

La Cala Resort

The obvious choice for sleeping beside the first tee: the 107-room hotel overlooks all three courses, and every room opens onto a balcony or terrace facing the fairways and hills. There are only five Junior Suites, so book early for the group captain. A spa, an academy, a six-hole par-3 course and half a dozen places to eat mean you need not take the car; in the evening, a drink at the Panoramic Bar.

El Oceano Beach Hotel

Set right on the beach between La Cala de Mijas and Marbella, El Oceano is a human-scale house of 55 rooms, suites and apartments. The seafront pool and its sun loungers face the Mediterranean; the restaurant serves à la carte with live music almost every evening. The hotel and pool are designed for adults. About thirty minutes from Málaga airport.

Infinity pool terrace facing the sea, white parasols, sun loungers, palms and flowering oleanders

Where to dine

Charolais

In the centre of Fuengirola, a stone's throw from the beach, two connecting dining rooms, Charolais and Charolais Tapas, open onto a terrace. Traditional cooking with Basque accents, tapas, raciones and sharing dishes; the Michelin Guide recommends the spicy mussels marinière and the shoulder of suckling pig. Closed on Wednesdays.

Mesón de Andrés

In the centre of Fuengirola, on Calle San Pancracio, a family house opened in 2010: Andrés Palacios runs the dining room and his wife María José Valencia the kitchen, for a mostly local crowd. Choose your cut from the display for the grill, served with potatoes fried in a perol, and ask for the off-menu premium meats, including the wagyu chuletón. Open Tuesday to Saturday, about twenty minutes from La Cala.

Beyond golf

Mijas Pueblo

Explore the village on foot in the late afternoon: whitewashed lanes hung with blue flowerpots, an oval bullring, the church of the Immaculate Conception and the shrine of the Virgen de la Peña, patron saint of Mijas, which dates back to the 17th century. The gardens laid out along the old Moorish wall offer the finest viewpoints over the coast. The donkey taxis, the village's emblem, still offer short rides.

CAC Mijas

In the heart of the village, the Mijas Contemporary Art Centre houses what it presents as the world's second largest collection of Picasso ceramics, along with works by Dalí. The rooms are human-scale and the visit takes an hour: perfect for an afternoon without a tee time. Open Monday to Saturday, in the mornings.

The Senda Litoral

Along the shore, a twelve-kilometre footpath and cycle track follows the beaches of Mijas, their old watchtowers and Mediterranean dunes. The La Cala stretch, with its tower converted into an interpretation centre, is best walked at sunrise or sunset, before a drink on a terrace facing the sea.

Sloping cobbled lane between whitewashed houses with blue flowerpots and geraniums, the sea below

When to go

Mijas can be played all year, but the best seasons run from October to May: mild days, courses in top condition and golden light in the late afternoon. Winter stays gentle, with a few days of rain; spring is the period most in demand among northern European golfers. Summer is hot and dry: play early in the morning and keep the afternoon for the beach or the pool.

Getting there

Málaga airport (AGP), connected to the whole of Europe, is twenty to thirty minutes by road from the courses: Mijas Golf is the closest, La Cala Resort the furthest, half an hour away. A hire car or a private transfer is the simplest way to get between the village, the coast and the clubs. The Málaga-Fuengirola commuter train serves the neighbouring coast.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best golf course in Mijas?

For variety, Mijas Golf and its two Robert Trent Jones Sr. layouts, Los Lagos and Los Olivos. For spectacle, Campo America at La Cala Resort; for peace and quiet and condition, Santana Golf.

How many golf courses are there in Mijas?

The municipality has seven courses, including the two 18-hole courses at Mijas Golf, the three championship courses at La Cala Resort, and Santana Golf.

When is the best time to play golf in Mijas?

From October to May, when temperatures are mild and the courses at their best. In summer, play early in the morning.

How many days do you need for a golf trip to Mijas?

Three to five nights: enough to play Los Lagos, Los Olivos, a La Cala course and Santana, and keep an evening for Mijas Pueblo.

Which airport should I fly into for a golf trip to Mijas?

Málaga airport (AGP), twenty to thirty minutes by road from the municipality's courses.

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