In Mijas, a small group of environmental activists has spent 40 years confronting the region’s persistent threats: wildfires and aggressive urban development, alongside mounting pressure on natural resources. Founded in 1986 after a major fire swept through the Sierra de Mijas, the Grupo Ecologista Sierra de Mijas (GESIM) became a longstanding force for environmental protection on the Costa del Sol. Its early campaigns targeted illegal dumping and quarry expansion, which steadily consumed parts of the local mountains.
The pressures behind those campaigns were already evident before GESIM was founded. A 1979 report in El País described Mijas as one of the Costa del Sol municipalities transformed by tourism-led residential growth, with 120 developments and more than 3,000 villas, around 80% of them in foreign ownership. The report also raised concerns about clandestine developments and shortages in public services. In 1992, El País described roughly 160 urbanisations in Mijas and reported approximately 31,000 foreign residents alongside 22,000 Spanish residents; it noted that only about one in three foreign residents was registered. Sociologist Francisco Jurdao argued at the time that ecological protection and urban planning would improve if foreign residents had greater influence over local decisions.
GESIM’s founders, all teenagers at the time, mobilised the community. Within months, they organised reforestation efforts that drew hundreds of volunteers and pressed local authorities for stronger safeguards. Their work extended to schools, where they promoted the principle of “think globally, act locally,” and to campaigns against offshore exploration near Punta de Calaburras. Those campaigns included human chains and flotillas supported by Greenpeace. The group’s opposition to proposed marine exploration became part of its wider effort to defend the coast and surrounding environment.
Many of the group’s original concerns remain. The 2022 wildfire in the Sierra de Mijas destroyed 2,000 hectares and forced thousands to evacuate. Activists say prevention plans have not been fully implemented, leaving the area exposed to recurring fire risk. Water is another growing concern: prolonged drought has added pressure to supplies, while the cited figures of 12 golf courses and nearly 9,000 private pools illustrate the scale of development and leisure use in the municipality. Golf remains a prominent part of Mijas’s tourism economy; in 2026, Sean Corte-Real, director of La Cala Resort and a representative of the Asociación de Campos de Golf de Mijas, took part in a municipal discussion of tourism promotion.
Unchecked urban growth is another longstanding focus. Since the 1980s, GESIM has protested sprawling construction, warning that local land and water cannot support endless expansion. The group considers the urban plan, unchanged since 1999, outdated and unresponsive to climate pressures. Its members regularly meet political parties before municipal elections to present proposals, but say engagement with the current administration has stalled since a new coalition took office in 2023.
At the same time, Mijas continues to invest in public facilities. In 2026, expansion of the Ciudad Deportiva de Las Lagunas was reported to have passed 30% completion, with a €4.8 million budget and a 10-month construction schedule. The project, awarded to Servimar 2008, includes a multipurpose building and therapeutic pool, along with changing rooms. It also covers access works around a basic plaza. Mayor Ana Mata inspected the works; the sports complex was originally built in 1991, underscoring the continuing need to update infrastructure as the municipality grows.
Generational change is now a pressing issue for GESIM. Some younger members participate in wildlife surveys and amphibian rescues, but the core leadership remains with people who founded the group decades ago. They warn that without renewed interest from younger residents, local environmental activism may struggle to continue. Members also describe declining environmental awareness and insufficient communication from local authorities on issues such as organic-waste collection.
These local concerns form part of a wider debate over wildfire preparedness in Spain. Recent analysis has pointed to delays and incomplete projects involving European Union funds earmarked for prevention. For grassroots groups such as GESIM, the basic challenge remains turning long-standing warnings into practical measures as environmental pressures mount.
Mijas’ experience highlights the intersection of rapid development and climate risk, alongside community action on the Costa del Sol. As seasonal population growth increases demands on land and water, pressure on public infrastructure also rises. The legacy of local environmental activism remains both a record of sustained civic engagement and a reminder of the work still ahead.
