The donkey taxis of Mijas are a genuine piece of local history repurposed for tourism. When mechanised vehicles replaced the working donkeys that had carried marble and lime down from the hillside quarries, the animals were converted to a new purpose: carrying visitors through the steep cobbled lanes of Mijas Pueblo. The route up and down the village main street, with the sea visible at every turn, is still covered by donkey for those who want the experience.
The animals are supervised by their owners and kept in good condition; the municipal association that oversees them has welfare standards. The rides are short — the village is small enough to walk in twenty minutes — but the combination of the cobbled lanes, the whitewashed walls, and the unhurried pace makes for a memorable way to see the old town.