ABOUT FUENGIROLA

Fuengirola is just twenty minutes from Málaga airport and is situated on the Málaga to Fuengirola train line which services other popular nearby resorts such as Benalmádena and Torremolinos to name but a few - this local train departs from Málaga City and also calls at the Airport.

Fuengirola is one of the most important tourist towns on the eastern Costa de Sol, its municipal area extending almost eleven square kilometres along the coast between Benalmádena and Mijas. The northeast boundary is the Arroyo del Jardín stream, and the south–eastern one is at the mouth of the Fuengirola River. In the extreme north the terrain is mountainous, speckled with housing developments.

The area offers the best in tourism: beautiful landscape, the best restaurants, top hotels, a marina and a great deal more besides.

The origin of the name ‘Fuengirola’ is probably Spanish rather than Roman or Moorish deriving from a type of ship called ‘girolas’ that used to dock here.

The Phoenicians settled here on the hill outside the present town centre that the Romans later built a castle on, calling it Suel, and this soon became the focal point of the settlement. The ruins of the castle can be clearly seen on the hill from the main coast road into the town from Marbella.

The Visigoths were, in fact, the first to settle here, but more in passing than as permanent residents and the Moorish presence was consolidated from the 8th century onwards; evidence of their settlements is the burial ground discovered near the hot springs at Torreblanca.

The castle was reconstructed again in the 18th century with the aim of fighting smugglers in the area, and from then on the town became an important supply centre for ships sailing towards the Straits of Gibraltar. It was at this time that the place became definitively known as Fuengirola, the name deriving from the Genoan ships that frequently made harbour here, trading in groceries (boliches). Thus the name Los Boliches, formerly separate from, but now forming part of, the same urban area as Fuengirola.

Fuengirola is most famous for its five miles of sandy beaches (the beaches known as Boliches; Gaviotas and Torreblanca hold a European blue flag), high-rise hotels and residential apartment blocks lining the coast.

Fuengirola is popular with Spanish nationals, many of whom head to the coast throughout August own apartments here.  However, there is a high percentage of ex-pats, which has lead to the preponderance of sausage and mash type establishments side by side with the Spanish tapas bars.  Check out the Paseo Marítimo - one of the longest in Spain!

The Local Council has recognized the need to revamp the area, and has recently widened the Paseo and planted palm trees, flowers and added more seating.

The town has better bus links than many areas along the coast, as most routes originate or terminate at the bus station (ticket window and covered bench!) You can take the bus to Málaga, Marbella, Estepona, Mijas and even Algeciras.