Postcard: Costa Del Sol Donkey Taxis in Mijas

This Costa Del Sol postcard is part of my small collection of vintage Spain postcards. After scanning the postcard I did some color correction and other edits to make the color and details stand out more.

The postcard appears to be from the 1960s or 1970s and offers a glimpse into Costa Del Sol's past. The scene is from Mijas, an Andalucian Costa Del Sol pueblos blancos (white houses) village in Màlaga province.

These donkey taxis offer a novel way to get around Mijas.  The pictured donkeys are posed with their young drivers. In between giving tourist donkey rides, these Mijas village donkeys are taking a brief rest to pose for the camera. 

Zooming in on the postcard to see details reveals that each donkey has what looks to be a license plate on its forehead. The drivers are dressed up and one wears a tie.

Over to the side of the postcard are some interesting characters. At the far left is what must be described as a "shadowy lurking character". Next over is a guy with a strange smile standing at the back end of the donkey - a potentially dangerous place. The boy in front looks to be faking a smile for the camera while taking care of an itch...maybe he is allergic to donkeys.

The back of this Spain postcard reads "Costa Del Sol, Mijas (Málaga), Burros-taxi junto a La Malagueña,...Taxi-ass near La Malagueña".

Donkey taxis are still available today in Mijas.  Some tourists say the donkey rides are a tourist trap and it is not unlike doing the horsedrawn carriages offered in many other destinations throughout the world.  Others point out that donkeys are farm animals and smell as such.  Still, if you dream of riding a donkey in Costa Del Sol, Mijas has the answer.