
Later this year, Mijas will gain the largest landscaped park in the entire Costa del Sol area. This beautiful park is hugely anticipated and will look incredible when completed.
At the time of writing, 90% of the work has already been completed on the construction. If you’re in the area then you can already get a sneak peak of the completed amphitheatre, pavilion, and artificial lake too.
Wondering what happens next? Now it’s time for the trees and shrubs in the new park to be planted.
So what will the finished park look like? And when will it be opened? Here’s everything you need to know:
What Is The Gran Parque de Mijas?
The new Gran Parque de Mijas has been nicknamed a ‘green lung’ project – a huge green space in the middle of the city. The project was first proposed more than eight years ago, but construction didn’t begin until summer 2023.
Since ground was first broken, progress has been relatively speedy, and if everything stays on track then it is expected that the park will open in May of this year. As we already mentioned above, when it’s completed this park will be the biggest in the Costa Del Sol and a hub for people of all ages.
The Grand Park Costa del Sol is being built in el Cortijo del Ahogadero in Las Lagunas, Mijas. This makes it accessible to those from Mijas, Fuengirola, and from the wider Costa Del Sol area.
And there really will be something for everyone. Artificial lakes to walk around and to explore, an amphitheater for events and one where regular performances can take place. If you’re more interested in high adrenaline activity then there will also be climbing walls, a skate park, running track, bike path, water attractions and much more.
What’s Still Left To Do?
A lot of work has been done on the new Gran Parque de Mijas but it’s not finished yet. The design and leisure facilities of the park are already in place, and the roads and infrastructures are also almost completed.
The main job now is the plant the trees and shrubs. After all, the park won’t be a ‘green lung’ without them (and it won’t look particularly attractive either!)
According to the councilor in charge of the works, Juan José Torres Trella, the work on the park is currently around 90% completed. He went on to explain why they have waited until now to plant the trees and shrubs: simply, because now is the best time of the year to do this work.
The sheer size of the park means that this planting won’t be an insignificant job. The 27 hectares park will need to be planted with 2,900 trees and shrubs.
What’s interesting is that the types of trees and plants that will be used has been changed, and now the park will be much more sustainable. As a result of the severe drought that Spain experienced last year, hardier specimens will now be planted in the park. The original floral plan would have required 2,350 cubic metres of water per month, but according to the councillor "we have reduced it to about 350 cubic metres, which represents a 300 per cent reduction in water consumption" by choosing hardier plants with less intensive watering schedules.
How Can You Access The Park?
The new park is only 1.5km away from the centre of Mijas and it is enormous. It occupies a huge space that covers the length from the cemetery to the Cerros del Águila housing estate and in width to the vicinity of Venta La Morena, an area known as 'El Ahogadero'. This means that access is going to be important to ensure congestion doesn’t impact the city.
Initially the project brief included 2 access bridges. One from the cemetery, and one from the Venta La Morena. However, these bridges will now not be constructed until a later phase of the project so now the existing roads around the park have been adapted to accommodate increased traffic. There will also be a parking area with the capacity for around 1,000 cars for those who drive to reach the park.
What Will The Park Cost?
As you can imagine, a project of this size and scale doesn’t come cheap. An investment of 27.5 million euros has already been made into the project. And an additional 3 million euros per year has been allocated for the annual maintenance of the park. This includes security, gardening, and general upkeep.
The good news is that the park should generate an income too. These include concessions stands, as well as other hirable services. Hiring boats on the lake, the zip line, bicycle rental, a possible tourist train or events organised in the amphitheatre can all be charged to earn a revenue from the park.
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