# Mijas - El Chaparral — Mijas, Spain

El Chaparral is the Poniente spot of Mijas Costa: a long beach of fine sand, about 1,300 m long and 40 m wide, between La Cala de Mijas and the cove of El Chaparral, right next to the A-7 motorway. The section most used by kiters is the western part, known as Playa de Las Doradas, with parking next to the sand and toilets.

The dominant wind is Poniente: it comes in parallel to the coast, steady, with choppy sea and small waves. In winter, when a low-pressure system reinforces it, ramps of up to one metre form for jumping. Levante also works, but is less frequent. The waters are calm and deep, so you can head out comfortably; Malaga kiters come here mainly in Poniente.

Watch out for the rocks at the ends of the El Chaparral cove, the buoys and swimmers during the bathing season (from Palm Sunday to 30 September, with peak crowds from 15 June to 15 September) and the car park, which fills up early. Outside of summer the beach is almost empty. There is no school or equipment hire: bring your own gear.

Photos: "Playa de las Doradas, Mijas 02" by Tyk (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Playa de las Doradas, Mijas 04" by Tyk (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Playa de las Doradas, Mijas 03" by Tyk (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf, Windsurf, Wingfoil
- **Difficulty:** Intermediate
- **Location:** Mijas, Spain (36.50401, -4.67039)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** E (90°), W (260°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 12–35
- **Best months:** October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May

## Wind by month (% of days per strength)

| Month | <7 kn | 7–13 kn | 13–20 kn | 20–35 kn | >35 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38 | 44 | 13 | 4 | 1 |
| February | 34 | 47 | 15 | 4 | 0 |
| March | 22 | 56 | 19 | 3 | 0 |
| April | 32 | 62 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 22 | 66 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| June | 30 | 68 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| July | 25 | 72 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| August | 34 | 58 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 21 | 75 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| October | 35 | 62 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| November | 48 | 50 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| December | 46 | 41 | 13 | 0 | 0 |

## Local winds

- **Poniente** — W (260°), 12–35 kn. West wind, the most common for riding here. It comes in parallel to the coast (cross-shore), steady, with choppy sea and small waves. When a low-pressure system reinforces it in winter, ramps of up to 1 m form, good for jumping.. With strong wind the drift takes you east, towards the rocks of El Chaparral: launch with plenty of upwind margin.
- **Levante** — E (90°), 12–30 kn. East wind, also parallel to the coast. It works but is less frequent and there is less information about this beach with Levante.. With Levante the drift takes you towards La Cala and its beach: do not stray far from the launch area.

## Zones

- **Launch area** — Launch zone
- **El Chaparral** — Navigation zone
- **Parking Las Doradas** — Parking
- **Parking El Chaparral** — Parking

## Points of interest

- **Las Doradas Car Park**: Free surface car park next to the beach; fills up early.
- **Las Doradas Toilets**: Public toilets next to the car park.
- **Wazza Beach Bar**: Beach bar at El Chaparral beach, with showers and toilets next door.
- **Spiga**: Pizzeria-restaurant next to El Chaparral beach.
- **El Chaparral Showers**: Public showers next to Wazza Beach Bar.
- **El Chaparral Car Park**: Car park next to El Chaparral beach.
- **Access via the A-7 (urb. Marrakech)**: Access to the beach via the A-7 P.K. 202; also via the N-340 service road P.K. 203 (urb. El Chaparral).

## Hazards

- Rocks on the shoreline and at the ends of the El Chaparral cove
- Marker buoys during the bathing season
- Swimmers from June to September
- Drift with strong Poniente leads towards the rocks to the east
- Very busy motorway right above the beach

## Obstacles

- A-7 motorway right next to the beach
- Limited parking

## Facilities

- Restaurant
- Parking
- Toilets
- Showers

## Restrictions

- Temporada de baño (Domingo de Ramos a 30 de septiembre, maxima afluencia del 15 de junio al 15 de septiembre): zona balizada y playa con bañistas. No hay informacion oficial sobre una zona de kite

[See it on Ventus Surf (3D map, zones and live forecast)](https://ventus.surf/spots/mijas-el-chaparral-Fz1KujmOoeCEIkYAH0kW?lang=en)