The largest attraction in
Fuengirola is without a shadow of a doubt the five mile length of beach which starts in the district of Carvajal to the impressive Sohail Castle. Parallel to the beach is a wide and pleasant esplanade. This tourist resort on the Costa del Sol is extremely popular with families and friends, with most attractions targeted towards children, such as the zoo and the aqua park on the edge of the town.
Fuengirola has really changed in the last 3 decades, as the building of copious large hotels and apartment complexes now dominate the old fishing towns that were found along this part of Spain. There are still, small sections of the old town that have kept some of their charm, especially the narrow roads off the Plaza de la Constitucion in the town centre, and the old fishing harbour area of Los Boliches in the east. Fuengirola has a long and ancient history, evidence of which can be viewed in the Roman relics which found throughout the town. The Finca del Secretario in Toreblanca is the most well known archaeological site containing sections of Roman houses and baths.
The most obviously visible historical monument in Fuengirola is the Sohail Castle found on a small hill on the western edge of the town. The present fort dates from about 1730 although it has been built and rebuilt many times during its known history. Sohail Castle should be visited if only for the superb vistas of the town from its battlements. For an insight of the history of Fuengirola, the Museo de Historia displays many relics excavated from the local region, although the items are labeled in only Spanish. The most important single find in the museum is the aptly named "Venus de Fuengirola" statue which has been dated to the first century AD.
The largest single tourist attraction in the town is Fuengirola Zoo, which has various species from the tropics. The zoo has been designed to try to mimic their natural habitat, without obvious cages. Popular animals that can be seen there include lemurs, meerkats, tigers, gibbons and the old favourites, monkeys. During the peak season the zoo is open late into the evening to allow tourists to hear the sounds of the nighttime forest. The other big attraction in Fuengirola is the water park "
Parque Acuatico Mijas" with all the thrilling pools and flumes that you would expect to find there.
Like many towns on this area of the
Costa del Sol, Fuengirola there are plenty of English pubs and Irish bars, as well as cafes and restaurants serving every type of food from Italian to Thai. Along the beach there are several beach bars (chiringuitos) offering more traditional Spanish snacks. Fuengirola also has a very good selection of nighttime bars and clubs.
Fuengirola is less than twenty miles from Malaga. The main train station is on the Avenida Jesus Santos Rein, with additional halts at Los Boliches, Carvajal and Torreblanca. There is a regular train service leaving Fuengirola to the international
Malaga airport. The bus terminus is situated closeby and there are regular buses from there to the major towns along the Costa del Sol.
