Weekend Away in the Costa del Sol

Mijas. Check out the heart mowed in the grass. Aaaah.

From our hotel in Mijas, looking down to the Mediterranean Sea.

Mijas tourismo.

Casares.

Another view of Casares.

The Spanish know how to take care of their loved ones, forever.

Blue.

Back in Mijas. (how do you change the order of photos??!:)

Jim, after climbing up to the chapel in Mijas.

Chapel on the mountainside.

Typical street winding through Casares.

We love living on the ocean, but the Mediterranean Sea is only 2 hours away, so this past weekend we took a road trip to Costa del Sol. We purposely stayed clear of the beach crowds and high rise development. Instead, we ventured into the mountains, a little northeast of Marbella, and stayed in the white-washed village of Mijas.

Okay, it has its fair share of tourismo (see donkey picture above!), but it still has plenty of charm. Two highlights of our stay:

First, dinner on the terrace of La Alcabaza Restaurante, with stunning views of the valley and the Mediterranean Sea. Second, trekking up the side of a mountain to reach the 18th-century white chapel, Ermita del Calvario. It's only open on Fridays during Lent, but the scenic views are worth the climb. The Carmelite brothers who used this for meditation and relaxation knew what they were doing.

Sunday, we headed home, with a stop off in Casares, another pueblo blanco clinging to the side of a steep mountain. The drive there was spectacular and the town far less touristy than Mijas. We couldn't get over how different the landscape is here---so mountainous and a far cry from the flat plains surrounding Rota. What a treat! From now on, Casares is on our must-see daytrip list for folks who visit.