Perched high up in the mountains of the Andalusian countryside, in the midst of a petite and picturesque pueblo blanco, is a surprising hidden gem- the Plaza de Toros Mijas. Of course bull rings in Andalusia are pretty normal- almost every town and city here has one- but what makes this particular plaza de toros special is that it’s the smallest one in Spain. (And it really is beautiful.)
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It was a chance road trip from Málaga that took us into the stunning, parched countryside of Andalusia and up to Mijas Pueblo. Admittedly, although I was against bullfighting in principle, my knowledge of the sport was extremely limited. After visiting the Plaza de Toros Mijas, I’ll be frank- I was even more against it. However- perhaps hypocritically- I was completely enchanted with the tiny plaza de toros, empty but atmospheric, and its collection of spangled, theatrical costumes and old posters advertising bullfights long gone.
Whatever your stance on bullfighting might be, it’s difficult to deny the quiet beauty of this unique plaza de toros in one of Andalusia’s prettiest villages.
A very short history of bullfighting in Spain
Bullfighting is thought to have been around in some form since prehistoric times- when sacrificing a bull blended with a bit of bloodthirsty entertainment. But the invention of the bullring (or plaza de toros), is largely thanks to the Romans, who ruled parts of the Iberian Peninsular back in the day. We all know how much the Romans loved their gladiator games, where men were placed in a ring to fight various animals, or each other. And long after the Romans left, the bloodsport of bullfighting stuck around.
Under Arab rule, and then Catholic rule, the ‘sport’ was outlawed because of its links to paganism, but its popularity just seemed to grow and grow; it became an important symbol of Andalusia in particular- as Spanish as flamenco and fans. Although there are plenty of Spaniards who are super-strongly against bullfighting, there seem to be just as many who hold onto it as part of their cultural identity and heritage. In fact these days it’s actually linked more to nationalism than paganism.
Although it was originally a sport reserved for the richest of the rich, by the 1700s any old guy could become a bullfighter. And if you were a good matador, you could become super rich and super famous. (In fact, you still can.) It was during the 1700s that the practice of using an estoque- the sword- and the muleta- the red cape used in the final act of a bullfight- were introduced.
What happens in a bullfight?
A fight begins with a paso doble played by a live band, and a procession of bailiffs on horseback, followed by the matadors and their teams of banderilleros and picadors, who enter the ring together. Whilst the matadors of course have the spangliest, most dazzling outfits, the other participants wear plainer versions similar garments.
Got to look snazzy for the people.
In fact, bullfighting has potentially one of the fanciest, campest costumes of any sport, ever. Matadors still wear a traditional traje de luces- or ‘suit of lights’- which consists of a beautiful jacket, short trousers, a waistcoat and a dress cape, all made from silk heavily embroidered with gold or silver thread and beads. Tights, black shoes and a little black hat- called a montera- complete the look. Whatever my thoughts on the actual ritual of bullfighting are (spoiler alert, I’m in no hurry to watch a bullfight), having seen some of the costumes on display inside the Plaza de Toros Mijas, there’s no denying the craftsmanship, beauty, and sheer drama of these absolute looks. They truly are stunning.
A fanfare on a trumpet signals the release of a bull into the ring, and then the banderilleros and picadors in turn taunt the animal, attracting it’s attention, confusing it, and attempting to stab it in between its shoulder blades- to make it easier for the matador to deal the final fatal wound after some flamboyant but extremely dangerous flourishes of the montera as the bull charges towards him.
Each bull, bred specifically for the ring, will only be used in a fight once. Their fate is almost certainly sealed from the moment they’re picked for the ring, and on the very rare occasion that a bull wins the match- by either fatally or non-fatally injuring the matador- they can’t be used for a fight again. They’ll remember the circumstances for next time, and that would be far too dangerous for the next matador and their team.
The banning of the bullfight
Despite a whole lot of controversy, and bans in many other countries, bullfighting is still very much legal in most of Spain. It is however, banned in the Canary Islands, and in 2010 it was banned in Catalonia.
This Catalan ban of bullfighting was overturned by the Spanish Constitutional Court in 2016, who argued that an autonomous region is legally allowed to regulate, but not ban bullfighting. Awkwardly, the whole anti-bullfighting stance from Catalonia was believed to be not so much down to animal rights concerns, but at least in part due to the region wanting to be fully separated from Spain. (The original ban didn’t include the bou embolat, where burning material is attached to a bull’s horns, and the animal is then set free in crowded city streets at night. It’s all a bit full on really, isn’t it?)
The Plaza de Toros Mijas
The Plaza de Toros Mijas isn’t too tricky to find thanks to the very miniature size of Mijas Pueblo. (And in case you’re curious, Mijas Pueblo is one of the prettiest villages I’ve visited in Spain.) You can find the ring right next to the Iglesia Inmaculada Concepción, and very close to the Parque La Muralla botanical garden, and the setting couldn’t be more picturesque. A very small museum is attached to the bullring, and considering it’s only €4 to enter, it really is worth a peek around.
In the museum is a small collection of costumes and memorabilia from matadors and fights gone by, and it’s a colourful and beautiful collection. On your way out from this room into the ring, the walls are covered in a rainbow of placards depicting the names of people who have fought in the Plaza de Toros Mijas, and finally in the dazzling sunshine you can see the ring from the perspective of a matador entering to fight.
The oval-shaped ring was built in 1900, and its white and earthy-red painted walls and tiered seats at either end of the sandy arena are completely in keeping with the surroundings of the arena. From the top seats you can look out across the dry, pine-smudged landscape of Andalusia, all the way down to the twinkling crystal Mediterranea Sea in the distance.
Considering the size of some of Spain’s more famous bullrings- like Madrid’s Plaza de Toros, which seats around 23,000 people- Mijas Plaza de Toros is very deserving of its ‘smallest bullring in Spain’ title. This little bullring only has space for a few hundred spectators.
Do they still hold bullfights at the Plaza de Toros Mijas?
They do still hold bullfights at the Plaza de Toros Mijas, every Sunday. The fighters here are normally just beginning their bullfighting careers, and the fight is accompanied by a flamenco show and an Andalusian horse show.
If you do want to see a bullfight, ‘sin picadores’ on the advertising poster or ticket means that the bulls won’t be hurt or killed during the show. Something to bear in mind, pals.
Opening hours of the Plaza de Toros Mijas
Normal opening hours of the Plaza de Toros Mijas in summer are Monday-Friday 11am-9pm, and Saturday and Sunday 11am-7pm.
During winter, opening hours are 10.30am-7pm.
