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El Chaparral is a quiet, green residential area on the coast of Mijas Costa, between Fuengirola and La Cala de Mijas, built around an eighteen-hole golf course and a cove beach. It is mostly detached villas, with some townhouses and apartments. Across our own listings, homes run from about €275,000 for an apartment to around €2.55M for a villa, with apartments typically near €495,000 and detached villas near €1.5M. It suits golfers, families and anyone who wants space and calm within a short drive of two lively towns.
El Chaparral sits on the western Costa del Sol in the municipality of Mijas, on the stretch of coast between Fuengirola and La Cala de Mijas. It is a settled, leafy residential pocket rather than a town in its own right, and it is defined by two things: the El Chaparral Golf Club and a quieter beach below the urbanisation. If you want a green, low-key base with golf and the sea close by, but with the shops and restaurants of La Cala and Fuengirola only a few minutes away, this is one of the more appealing corners of Mijas Costa. This guide covers where it is, what it is like to live there, and what the property market looks like from our own listings in October 2026.
Where is El Chaparral?
El Chaparral is on the coast side of the A-7, roughly four kilometres west of the centre of La Cala de Mijas and about six kilometres east of Fuengirola. Malaga airport is around twenty-five minutes away, and Marbella is a similar distance in the other direction. It is the last stretch of Mijas Costa before you reach the headland of El Faro de Calaburra. Because it sits between two towns, you are never far from a supermarket, a school run or a night out, but the area itself stays residential and calm.
The golf
El Chaparral Golf Club is the heart of the area. It is an eighteen-hole parkland course designed by Pepe Gancedo, the Spanish amateur champion known as the Picasso of golf, and it opened in 1991. The course winds between pine and native scrub with views of both the sea and the mountains, and it has a clubhouse and restaurant that double as a social hub for residents. For golfers, living here means a tee time a few minutes from the front door; for everyone else, the course keeps the area green and open. You can read more on the club’s own site at golfelchaparral.com.
The beach and the coast
Below the urbanisation is El Chaparral beach, a quieter, more natural stretch of sand than the busy town beaches on either side, backed in places by low cliffs and popular with locals who want space. The Senda Litoral coastal boardwalk runs along this part of the coast, so you can walk or cycle east toward La Cala de Mijas or west toward Fuengirola without touching the road. It is a different feel from the promenades in the towns: fewer chiringuitos, more nature.
What it is like to live in El Chaparral
El Chaparral is residential and car-based. There is no old-town centre, so daily life means a short drive to La Cala de Mijas or Fuengirola for shops, markets and restaurants, with the golf clubhouse as the local gathering point. That trade-off buys you quiet, greenery and space, which is why the area draws families, retirees and golfers rather than buyers who want to step out into a busy street. It is well placed for international schools, the coast road and both towns, and it stays calm out of season in a way the resort centres do not.
Property in El Chaparral
The market here leans toward houses. Detached villas make up the largest share of what sells, many of them on generous plots with private pools and sea or golf views, alongside a smaller number of townhouses and apartments. That mix pushes prices above the coastal average, though there is still an entry point for buyers who want the area without a villa budget. The figures below are from our own listings in October 2026; they are asking prices, they move with the market, and they are a starting point rather than a valuation.
Source: Plexo Properties live listings for El Chaparral, October 2026, 41 homes. The Listings column is the number of current homes in each segment; prices are asking prices, not sold prices, and are drawn from our own listings, so they reflect the stock we market rather than every home in the area. We show a typical (median) price only where there are enough listings to support one (shown as — otherwise), and we refresh these figures each quarter.
In short, apartments start from around €275,000, townhouses sit in the middle, and detached villas run from roughly €500,000 up to about €2.55M for the best plots. For the coastal town next door and its full price breakdown, see our property for sale in La Cala de Mijas page, and for what is being built nearby our new-build in La Cala de Mijas page. You can also browse current El Chaparral listings on the site.
Buying in El Chaparral as a foreign buyer
The process is the same as anywhere on the Costa del Sol: get an NIE, appoint an independent lawyer, reserve and sign the private contract, then complete at the notary with the escritura. Budget roughly ten to twelve percent on top of the price for a resale, mainly the seven percent Andalusian transfer tax (ITP) plus legal, notary and registry fees; new-build is taxed at ten percent IVA plus stamp duty instead. For the full step-by-step, read our guide to buying property on the Costa del Sol.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is El Chaparral?
On the coast of Mijas Costa, in the municipality of Mijas, between Fuengirola and La Cala de Mijas. It is about four kilometres west of La Cala de Mijas centre and six kilometres east of Fuengirola, roughly twenty-five minutes from Malaga airport.
How much does a property in El Chaparral cost?
Across our listings, homes run from about €275,000 for an apartment to around €2.55M for a villa. The median apartment is near €495,000 and the median detached villa near €1.5M. Apartments are the entry point; detached villas sit at the top.
Is El Chaparral good for golf?
Yes. It is built around El Chaparral Golf Club, an eighteen-hole parkland course designed by Pepe Gancedo that opened in 1991, with sea and mountain views and a clubhouse restaurant. Living here puts a tee time minutes from your door.
Can you walk to the beach in El Chaparral?
From homes closest to the sea, yes; El Chaparral beach sits below the urbanisation and the Senda Litoral boardwalk runs along the coast. From the higher, golf-side homes it is a short drive or a longer walk. It is a quieter, more natural beach than the town beaches nearby.
Is El Chaparral a good place for families?
It suits families who want space, a garden and a quiet, green setting, with golf and the beach close by and international schools and two towns within a short drive. Buyers who want to walk out into a busy town centre tend to prefer La Cala de Mijas or Fuengirola.
Do I need a car in El Chaparral?
Yes. El Chaparral is residential and has no town centre of its own, so a car is needed for shops, schools and nights out in La Cala de Mijas or Fuengirola, both a few minutes away.
Thinking about El Chaparral?
Tell us what you are looking for and your budget, and we will build you a shortlist in El Chaparral and the areas around it, in your own language.
For the town next door, read our La Cala de Mijas area guide, and to see how the coast and the golf compare, our La Cala de Mijas vs La Cala Golf comparison.
Prices are asking prices from our own listings in El Chaparral in October 2026 and are indicative only, not a valuation of any particular property. They change with the market. Tax rates and rules change and individual circumstances differ, so confirm your own position with a lawyer or gestor. Sources: El Chaparral Golf Club; Agencia Tributaria and Agencia Tributaria de Andalucía on transfer tax and IVA. Information checked 19 October 2026.