With the arrival of the Phoenicians in 800 BC they found access to the territories of the actual Mijas.
From the II Century BC. onwards the arrival of the roman influences can be seen, culminating in the first centuries of our era.
In Mijas, the archaeological remains that have been found confirm the existence of the roman city of Suel, possible successor of the Iberian-Punic City that was formed after the arrival of the Phoenicians.
At the beginning of the VIII century (711 AC.) a military force compiled of Arabs and Berbers who depended on Ommiad´s Caliphate of Damask, disembarked in Algeciras and occupied nearly all of the peninsula. After the occupation a process of arabicization was produced in which the language and the culture was assimilated progressively and a process of islamization which ended in a practical religious union of all the territory under Islam, although there was a certain tolerance towards the Christian and Jewish religions.
In 1487 the conquest of Malaga began on the 25th August many neighbours from Mijas travelled to Malaga to surrender to the Christian king, supposing that the conditions of surrender would be the same as those which were offered to the populations who gave in without resistance: freedom; but the resistance shown by Mijas in the 1485 campaign was not forgotten and its inhabitants ended up slaves along with those from Malaga. Freedom and the maintenance of properties was only allowed to a few families.
On the 30th May of 1841, the separation of Fuengirola from Mijas took place, becoming an independent municipal district.
Throughout the XIX century the economic activity of the municipality was based on agriculture, livestock and the paper industry.
In the 1960´s and 70´s, due to the development of the tourist industry on the Costa del Sol. Numerous owners of small rural properties sold their land and began to work in the flourishing construction sector, building numerous urbanisations that would make Mijas the main destination of residential tourism in the Costa del Sol and Spain.
Mijas is now one of the most important economic centres of the Costa del Sol, being one of the principal tourist destinations and boasting an ample supply of leisure and culture of which millions of visitors and tourists can enjoy.
