Send Gift Baskets to Mijas, Spain

The Tartessians founded Mijas in prehistoric times. Several portions of the exterior wall of the city still bear the marks of the original fortification. Mineral wealth in the area attracted ancient Greeks and Phoenicians to the village, according to Ptolemy’s Geography of the second century.

Mijas was known as Tamisa to the Romans, who maintained a lively trade with it. As of 714 AD, the Visigoths replaced the Romans as the dominant power. In turn, the Visigoths were succeeded by the Moors. They allowed the village inhabitants to retain their property, religion, and customs in exchange for a third of their agricultural, livestock, and farming goods. Tamisa’s name was also abbreviated to Mixa by the Moors, which became the modern-day city of Mijas.

Umar ibn Hafsun conquered the village during the Emirate of Cordoba. At the end of the 9th century, Abd al-Rahman III defeated Bobastro, who ruled the town until his death.

During the siege of Málaga in 1487, Mijas resisted the attacks of the Catholic monarchs. The inhabitants surrendered after Málaga’s fall, and most were sold as enslaved people. Mijas remained loyal to the Spanish crown during the Revolt of the Comuneros a few decades later, earning the title Muy Leal (“Very Loyal”). A villa (town) was established soon after and was exempt from royal taxes under Joanna of Castile.

Along the coast of Mijas, pirate activity was intense during this period and into the 19th century. These pirate activities motivated the construction of the watchtowers we see today.