Area guide
Calahonda is one of the most established residential areas on the Costa del Sol, located pretty much right between Fuengirola and Marbella. It's part of the municipality of Mijas, and actually the last urbanisation in Mijas before you enter the municipality of Marbella.
Calahonda has grown into a big urbanisation since it was first developed in the 1960s. Today, it can generally be divided into three parts: Lower Calahonda, Middle Calahonda and Upper Calahonda.
They're not official divisions, but if you want to explain where your property is located, or just a particular part of the area, these three are useful terms for understanding where in Calahonda.
Very roughly, development-wise, Lower Calahonda was developed from the 1960s through the 1980s, Middle Calahonda mainly during the 1980s and 90s, and Upper Calahonda from the 1990s into the early 2000s.
The main advantage here is obviously the proximity to the coast — walking distance to the beaches and the boardwalk.
The boardwalk stretches around 1 kilometre to the west towards Puerto Cabopino, a very cosy smaller port surrounded by restaurants, and 6km in the other direction to La Cala de Mijas. This is a very popular place for a morning or afternoon walk or jog, and along the boardwalk you have plenty of Spanish chiringuitos.
Calahonda has four main commercial areas, and they can all be found in the lower part of Calahonda. For the eastern end, you have two commercial areas: El Zoco, with various small businesses, Calahonda's post office, and bars and restaurants; and Los Olivos, with two large supermarkets, Carrefour and MAS. By the middle section of Lower Calahonda, you have Los Jarales, with a large Mercadona, banks and other local small businesses. For the western end, you find Los Cipreses, with a large Lidl, a nice local bakery, cafés and other shops. Driving up on the main street, Avenida de España, you find a wide variety of bars and restaurants — it gets pretty busy here at night, especially during the peak summer months.
The properties in Lower Calahonda can be a bit run down, to be honest, and often in need of renovations. The houses in the western part of Lower Calahonda, in the area Calypso, are mostly single-storey villas, sitting on smaller plots and built at high density. That said, you can absolutely still find nice properties in Lower Calahonda, and many have been completely renovated, both inside and out, by previous owners.
The convenience of living in the lower part of Calahonda can't be beaten by the other parts of the urbanisation — you're closer to the beach, the boardwalk, restaurants and supermarkets, and in many situations you can actually walk to most of what you need.
All of Calahonda sits on a hill, but the lower part is less steep and much more walkable overall compared to Middle and Upper Calahonda.
Moving on, further up the hill, we reach Middle Calahonda — really the heart of the residential area.
You're still, in many cases, within walking distance to the beach, and if you want to rely on public transportation to get around the coast, the 220 bus by the A7 coastal road is still a manageable walking distance from here. However, most property owners in Calahonda have a car to get around, both within the urbanisation itself and along the coast — having a car really makes the experience of living here much easier and more enjoyable.
Middle Calahonda is where a lot of the activity is found. Here you find the Oxygen Gym, opened in 2023 — a 4,500-square-metre gym, with indoor and outdoor training areas, an official HYROX partner, and six padel courts. In Middle Calahonda you also find La Siesta Golf Club, a 9-hole par-3 course — a very charming and well taken care of course, sitting surrounded by properties, with its own driving range and reasonable green fees.
Right next to La Siesta Golf, you also have Club del Sol, with multiple clay tennis courts and some squash courts. Further down the same road, you reach Finca Naundrup, which has great padel courts and other sports facilities, as well as its own accommodation, hosting fitness camps and retreats, mainly for groups from Denmark.
The overall property quality for Middle Calahonda is generally a higher standard compared to the lower part, and because it sits further up on the hill, some properties benefit from elevated positions with sea views. You'll find a great mix of apartments, townhouses and villas here.
Overall, this part of Calahonda has a very residential feel, while still keeping you relatively close to the beach and everything you need day to day.
Let's move on to Upper Calahonda — the higher part of the area, extending further up into the hills, and even reaching above the AP-7 motorway.
The biggest difference here is the setting. As you gain elevation, the environment becomes quieter, with more greenery and a greater sense of space and privacy.
Properties built here in the 90s and early 2000s were often built to a newer, higher standard, and often larger in size, with more spacious terraces compared to the older parts of Calahonda. From many of the properties here, you have incredible panoramic views across the Mediterranean Sea and, in some locations, towards the surrounding mountains. For those living at the very top of the area, it's also popular to walk some of the shorter mountain trails.
In the upper part of Calahonda, you'll find villas and townhouses, but mainly well-established larger apartment communities.
The trade-off of living up here is that you'll need to use your car every time you leave home. That said, a small supermarket recently opened in the area, open every day from 9 to 11, which is an option for smaller everyday shopping.
Also worth mentioning is the restaurant Miel y Nata, probably Calahonda's most well-known restaurant, found here — very popular among both locals and tourists, with a great atmosphere.
Overall, living anywhere in Calahonda with a car, you're close to pretty much everything. You have easy access to the two main roads connecting you around the coast, either the free coastal road A-7 or the toll road AP-7. Marbella and Fuengirola are about 15 minutes away, the airport is around 30 minutes away, and Málaga city centre is around 45 minutes, depending on traffic.
Calahonda has always been very international and popular among British, Scandinavian, German, and Dutch buyers, mostly second-home owners, but more and more people are moving here to live year-round.
If you're considering buying a property in Calahonda, understanding these three parts of the urbanisation is a useful starting point — the exact location within Calahonda can have a big impact on how you experience the area, based on your lifestyle when living here.
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Questions
Lower Calahonda (1960s-80s) is closest to the beach and most walkable but can need renovation. Middle Calahonda (1980s-90s) is the residential heart with the most amenities and generally higher property quality. Upper Calahonda (1990s-early 2000s) is quieter, greener, and offers the best views, but requires a car for everything.
It's possible in Lower Calahonda, where most things are within walking distance, and the 220 bus is reachable from Middle Calahonda — but a car makes daily life much easier throughout the urbanisation, especially in Upper Calahonda.
Mainly in Lower Calahonda's four commercial centres: El Zoco, Los Olivos (Carrefour and MAS), Los Jarales (Mercadona), and Los Cipreses (Lidl). Upper Calahonda also has a small supermarket with limited hours.
Yes. Middle Calahonda has the Oxygen Gym, La Siesta Golf Club (9-hole par-3), Club del Sol (tennis and squash), and Finca Naundrup (padel and fitness retreats).
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