Located on the southeastern coast of Spain, Mijas belongs to the region of Costa del Sol Occidental. Its center is a typical Andalusian white-washed village, Mijas Pueblo, located on a mountainside about 430 metres or 1,476 feet above sea level, in the heart of the Costa del Sol region.

The municipality has three nuclei, gathering the majority of its population:

• Mijas Pueblo (a hillside village, administrative center of the municipality)
• La Cala de Mijas (a coastal village and a seaside resort)
• Las Lagunas (a suburban and commercial area to the north and west of, and largely integrated with, Fuengirola).

Mijas Costa is used to denominate the coastal area of Mijas, especially the villages Calahonda, Riviera and La Cala de Mijas.

The economy of Mijas is primarily based on tourism, featuring local historical museums and many souvenir shops. The municipality has seven golfcourses (four more are under construction), including the La Cala Resort, which is the biggest golf resort in Spain.