@rachelreallyrecommends: I love Mijas Pueblo. I’ve been coming to this part of Spain for years, and I wanted to bring the bf here because it really is one of the most beautiful little villages in Andalucía. But there’s one part of the tourist experience I wish we would leave in the past. The donkeys have a history here. In a mountain village with steep, narrow streets, they were once working animals and an important part of everyday life. But carrying tourists around the village is different. And this isn’t me, as a foreigner, telling Spain what traditions it should or shouldn’t have. This particular trade exists largely because we, the tourists, pay for it. We’ve learned before. Decades ago, tourists posed with monkeys and other animals because we didn’t really question what happened to those animals when the photographs were over. Eventually we knew better, and most of us stopped. I think it’s time we did the same with donkey rides — and with horse-drawn tourist carriages too. You don’t have to shout at anyone. You don’t have to argue with anyone. You don’t have to criticise another country. Just don’t pay for the ride. Enjoy Mijas. Walk the beautiful streets. Stop for lunch. Buy something from the local shops. Take a hundred photographs. Spend your tourist money supporting the village in other ways. But please, leave the donkeys alone. Sometimes changing something starts with simply choosing not to participate. ❤️ Would you ride a donkey or take a horse-drawn carriage on holiday? #animalwelfare #mijaspueblo #responsibletourism #spaintravel #rachelreallyrecommends

Rachel Really Recommends

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Sunday 30 August 2026 18:07:38 GMT