El Gran Parque de Mijas to finally get some shade, but not everyone is convinced they are the best idea

Mijas’s Gran Parque is a beautiful space with a little something for everyone. During these hotter months however for most of the day the park is sitting empty, but hopefully not for long.

Welcome new shades for visitors, starting with the little ones

Take a walk though the park now and you’ll spot workers overhead, fixing supports into place above the swings and slides. For parents who’ve spent months dodging midday heat with toddlers in tow, it can’t come soon enough. Crews have begun fitting shade structures across the children’s play areas, the first stage of a project that will eventually cover 6,000 square metres of the 270,000 square metre site. Once finished, canopies will stretch along the central boulevard, through the park’s plazas and over the amphitheatre, offering a break from the sun for anyone strolling through.

Mayor drops by to check on the works

Mijas mayor Ana Mata toured the site this week alongside councillor for parks and gardens Daniel Gómez to see how the installation is coming along, a fresh addition on top of the park’s original plans. Two of six planned toilet blocks, each fitted out with universal accessibility, have also just been completed, running in parallel with the shade works. Mata says parking and drought-tolerant planting are next on her list for the site.

A neighbourhood divided over the details

Scroll through reactions to the announcement and a genuine mix of hope and frustration emerges. One resident said they were longing to get back to the park and see it “full of children and families doing sport”, already picturing concerts and theatre events filling the space. Another chimed in more playfully, guessing the canopies might “actually be up by the end of September” – a nod to how slowly public works can sometimes move.

Not everyone shares the optimism. “Wouldn’t it be better to plant trees?” asked one sceptic, pointing out that mature trees from the local nursery would give better shade than fabric that overheats badly once summer really bites. Another predicted the canopies wouldn’t survive their first proper storm, joking that residents would be watching to see how long they actually last once autumn winds arrive.

Spanning more than 2,900 trees, 20,000 plants, a boating lake and an amphitheatre seating 1,500, this Mijas park is a wonderful space for a stroll and sit on a bench, a place for the kids to play and to take part in sports. Now with the shade, hopefully it will get the use it deserves.