Fuengirola What to do and see ? Activities and must-sees

Activities and places to visit in Fuengirola

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In this article, you will find essential information to know what to do and see in Fuengirola:

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• A few words about Fuengirola and its origins
• Where is Fuengirola located on the map?
• What to see in Fuengirola?
• Guided tours departing from Fuengirola
• What to do in Fuengirola?
• Book accommodation
• Map of Fuengirola with places to see
• The Ferias of Fuengirola
• Some useful links
• Latest articles on Andalusia

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A few words about Fuengirola and its origins

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Fuengirola is the former fishing port of Mijas, which has become a renowned seaside resort on the Costa del Sol. Fuengirola is located 30 km from Malaga. The neighbouring towns are Benalmadena and Mijas.

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Fuengirola has very ancient origins. Here are the civilisations that have left their mark:

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The first occupants were the Phoenicians, who named the place Syalis. This is mentioned in a text by the Greek historian Hecataeus.

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The Romans then settled on this site, which they named Suel. Several Roman remains have been discovered: a sculpture called ‘The Venus of Fuengirola’, garum production sites and thermal baths.

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Finally, there was the Al-Andalus period, during which the village took the name qaryat sohayl – قَرْيَة سُهيْل).

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Where is Fuengirola on the map?

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What to see in Fuengirola?

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1 – Sohail Castle

2 – Fuengirola beaches

3 – Fuengirola Bioparc

4 – Parque del Sol (Sun Park)

5 – Besáme en este rincón (Kiss Me in This Corner)

6 – Mano abierta sculpture

7 – Roman ruins of Suel

8 – Paseo de los Murales (street-art)

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1 – Sohail Castle

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The current castle in Fuengirola is called Sohail Castle.

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Caliph Abderraman III ordered its construction in 956 (on the remains of a Roman fort). Below, you can see the old entrance gate to the castle under Al-Andalus:

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Note: for the record, it is said that the name Sohail (which means star in Arabic) was given to this castle because of its star-shaped construction. Sohail (or Suhail) is the Arabic name for Canopus, the second brightest star in the sky.

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2 – The beaches of Fuengirola

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Fuengirola offers 8 km of beaches, which can be divided into 6 main beaches:

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• Playa de Fuengirola or San Francisco in the centre
• Los Boliches beach
• Las Gaviotas beach
• Playa de Carjaval. This beach is located on the outskirts of the town, on the border with Benalmadena
• Playa del Castillo, next to the castle

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• And finally, Playa de Torreblanca

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3 – Fuengirola Bioparc

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This is a highly renowned animal park. Opened in 1978, the park is home to 140 species of animals. There are 1,300 animals in total.

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Note: Bioparc is also a foundation that donates part of its income to endangered animal conservation programmes. The foundation funds eight projects around the world.

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Booking a visit to Fuengirola Bioparc is an opportunity to spend quality time with your family or partner discovering the wonders of nature.

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4 – Parque del Sol (Sun Park)

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This park is located just behind the Bioparc and not far from Parque de España. It is small but very pleasant to walk around, relax and enjoy the cool shade.

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It is like a small oasis, with small waterfalls, in the centre of Fuengirola.

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5 – The Kissing Corner – Besáme en este rincón –

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The Kissing Corner is a place that can now be found in many villages in Andalusia.

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It can be the ideal place to take a nice souvenir photo.

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6 – The Open Hand sculpture – Mano abierta –

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The Open Hand sculpture is the work of artist Charo García. It symbolises the protection of the environment with a palm tree growing in the palm of the hand.

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Note: Today, there is a sculpture of each hand on Fuengirola beach, near the town centre. You can see them during a stroll along the paseo maritimo.

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7 – Roman remains in Suel

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There are several Roman remains in Fuengirola:

• La Finca del Secretario: Roman archaeological site.
• The thermal baths (Termas de Torreblanca). These were discovered recently, in 1991. They are open to visitors and are located on Avenida Torreblanca.
• Excavations are still ongoing below the castle. During Roman times, this site was used to produce the famous garum fish sauce.

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Here is a link to find out more about this site.

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8 – The Paseo de los Murales – Street art –

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This is a beautiful walk in the popular El Boquetillo neighbourhood, where you can discover 20 works of urban art and street art.

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The messages conveyed by these works are humanistic and dedicated to raising awareness of environmental protection.

Here are a few to discover on site:

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You can also see the following works:

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• La magia de los sueños, artist: Kato
• Adaptarse o…., artist: Lidia Cao
• Un mar en tus ojos, artist: El Alfil
• Y tú, de qué barca eres ?, artist Francisco Alarcón Pérez
• La Yaya, artist: Lalone (an iconic street artist in Malaga)
• Mar de regatas, artist: José Fernández Ríos
• Pablo López, artist: Mon Devane
• El mar trae tormenta, artist: Lily Brick
• Canto andaluz, artist: Carlos Alberto
• Mercado del Boquetillo, artist: Lula Goce
• Paseo por las profundidades, artist: Not Japi

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Guided tours departing from Fuengirola

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There are nine magnificent excursions available from Fuengirola:

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• Excursion to Caminito del Rey
• Visit to Ronda and Setenil de las Bodegas
• Excursion to Nerja and Frigiliana
• Visit to Mijas and Marbella
• Excursion to Granada and the Alhambra
• Guided tour of Seville and the Alcazar
• Excursion to Cordoba and the Mezquita
• Book a day trip to Morocco, to Tetouan
• Excursion to Gibraltar

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You can view details and prices and book these 9 tours from Fuengirola online.

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Things to do in Fuengirola

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Below are a number of ideas for things to do in Fuengirola. You can book them online today.

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Bonus: all activities can be cancelled up to 24 hours before the scheduled date.

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Book accommodation

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Below, you will find all the hotels and accommodation available in Fuengirola, after selecting your dates:

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Map of Fuengirola with places to see

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The Ferias of Fuengirola

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Here are the 2 main festivities in Fuengirola.

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The Feria Internacional de los Países

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The Feria y Fiestas de Fuengirola

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Some useful links

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• A map of Andalusia. It is an interactive map; simply click on each city to see the best places to visit.

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• Hire car at Malaga airport

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The latest articles on Andalusia

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