14 Mar Highlights of Fuengirola
Fuengirola
Fuengirola is situated between Malaga and
Marbella, close to the town’s of Mijas and Benalmadena; it is one of the most
popular tourist towns on the Costa del Sol, a great holiday choice for families
and children with a fantastic offering of beach, facilities and activities.
Tourism is an important industry for Fuengirola,
with its 6 km of splendid beaches, seaside promenade and endless attractions.
Yet if you look behind the touristic facade you will find an old-fashioned,
friendly Spanish working town by the sea.
Fuengirola is located just 25 kilometres from
the city of Malaga and its international airport. The town has good bus and
rail transport options to and from Malaga, and a bus service to Marbella, to
the west, and beyond.
History
Over the centuries the area has been occupied by
the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans and Moors. The history records date back
to 2 B.C.
The town is dominated by the old Moorish castle,
Castillo Sohail, which sits atop a hill just outside the town. In ancient times
the area was known as Suel and then Suhayl, hence the castle’s name.
Roman remains have also been found in sites in
around Fuengirola and can be found in the Museo de Historia (History Museum) in
the town.
Places to visit
Just 8 km away is Benalmadena, with its elegant
Casino de Torrequebrada, Selwo Marina and Tivoli World, and the capital city of
the province Malaga, is 20 kilometres away. Malaga is a beautiful city of
culture, history and great cuisine and well worth a visit. You can reach the
city by bus or train, as well as by car.
The charming pueblo (village) of Mijas is around
a 10 minute drive away and although it is now more populated with foreign
residents and tourists, you still get the feel of traditional Spain here.
The glamorous seaside resorts of Marbella and
Puerto Banus are around 25-30 minutes journey time in the car or taxi, or you
can catch a bus, which takes a little longer as it stops at every
urbanisation/village along the way.
Beaches
The broad sandy beaches of Fuengirola and Los
Boliches offer heaps of facilities, restaurants, sports, showers and toilets.
Carvajal, Gaviotas, Boliches, San Francisco, Santa Amalia and Castillo beaches
beckon. Chiringuitos line the beachfront with delicious smells of ‘Sardinas al
Speto’ (Sardines on the spit) wafting out along the promenade. All serve tasty
traditional Southern Spanish seaside dishes, such as Gazpacho, sardines on the
spit, paella and pescaito frito (mixed fried fish platter).
Around town
Fuengirola offers all the facilities of a major
tourist centre: restaurants, bars, discos, sports clubs, etc. There is also a
large shopping complex, the Parque Miramar Shopping Centre, which houses over
160 shops, plus bars, restaurants, cinema and a children’s play park.
Apart from the general attractions of a tourist
centre, Fuengirola offers a number of interesting venues such as the Roman
baths at Torreblanca, the Arab castle of Solhail, the Outdoor Museum,
exhibiting paintings by a variety of artists, the yacht harbour and club and
two fantastic golf courses – Los Olivos and Los Lagos.
Eating out
You won’t go hungry in Fuengirola, the town has
got an amazing restaurant choice, whatever your preference. Of course, there
are some amazing Spanish restaurants, tapas bars and beachside restaurants that
serve traditional Spanish cuisine, but there is also such a diversity of people
living in Fuengirola, and the restaurant options reflect this: British,
Scandinavian, German, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Moroccan, Lebanese, the choice
is endless.
Festivals
The wonderful Fuengirola Feria (festival) takes
place annually between the 6th and 10th of October, in honour of Our Lady, the
Virgin of El Rosario, the Patron Saint of Fuengirola.
The town’s feria is one of the most important on
the Andalusian feria calendar, and one of the most vibrant. The week long
celebration makes it feel like the whole town is on holiday.
Climate
Fuengirola enjoys a sub-tropical Mediterranean
climate, with hot summers and warm winters. Cooling breezes from the sea make
the summer heat manageable; temperatures average 32 ºC during the summer.
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