Next to Marbella, Fuengirola is the most popular resort on the Costa del Sol. Unlike Marbella, however, it boasts, in addition to more than 8 km of beaches, significantly more interesting sights and attractions, as well as a connection to the railway, which takes you directly from the centre of Fuengirola to Málaga Airport and the centre of Málaga.

Beaches and swimming

Fuengirola's coastline is lined with 8km of mostly urban beaches with residential houses and hotels. The local beaches are covered in fine, light sand and the sea is calm, but the entrance to the water is relatively steep. However, this combination is ideal for swimming and water sports.

The local beaches are all equipped with free showers and toilets and umbrella or sunbed rental (approx. 15 eur to 20 eur per set per day).

The entire coastline is lined with a beautiful beach promenade with a wide walkway, palm trees, benches and dozens of restaurants or bars.

The best beaches of Fuengirola

Playa de los Boliches - the main beach north of the centre of Fuengirola (marina for yachts), very lively and spacious with bars operating late into the night
Playa de Fuengirola - main beach south of Fuengirola centre, slightly quieter than Playa de los Boliches but still with full facilities
Playa del Ejido - a beautiful, spacious beach outside the main town centre, directly below Sohail Castle

El Ejido beach

Fuengirola beaches

City and monuments

Fuengirola's centre, with its narrow streets contrasting lively pedestrianised shopping areas with crowd-free residential streets, is quite large and will keep you entertained for half a day. The town centre itself is not particularly old, with most of the houses dating from the 20th century.

A lovely quiet spot in the middle of town is the Parque del Sol public park, which is connected to the small Bioparc Fuengirola zoo.

The most striking sight, however, is undoubtedly the beautiful Sohail Castle, built in 956 AD, which deserves its own mini-guide.

A popular excursion destination from Fuengirola is the mountain village of Mijas or the neighbouring large resort of Benalmádena, with its cable car up the mountains and other attractions.

Accommodation Fuengirola

Prices for apartments and hotels in Fuengirola are average to slightly below average compared to other Costa del Sol resorts. The lower prices than in Marbella, for example, are due to a much more competitive environment.

You can get the cheapest hotels in the town centre from around 70 eur per night in a 2-bed room. We would recommend, for example, Hotel Las Rampas or Hotel Reyesol right in the centre and about 200 metres from the beaches.

If you're looking for hotels right on the beach, expect prices from 110 eur upwards per night in a 2-bed room. Hostal Los Corchos is one of the cheapest with very good ratings, while the best resorts can be found under the names Occidental Fuengirola or Hotel Yaramar.

Transport and parking

What is the best way to get to Fuengirola by public transport or by car?

By car

Fuengirola is very accessible by car, bus and train. If you are travelling here by hire car, remember that parking on the streets in the centre is charged wherever there are blue dashed lines painted on the road. Outside the wider centre, on the other hand, you can park anywhere on the street without a charge, unless otherwise directed by a sign.

There are virtually no free public car parks in Fuengirola, but you can take advantage of the many paid garages with prices from 15 eur per day.

By train

The best transport option is the suburban railway from Málaga, which has a terminus right in the centre of Fuengirola and also stops at the beaches to the north at Los Boliches station. Line C1 (Cercanías) trains run every 20 minutes from 6am to midnight and take you to the following destinations:

Málaga: the journey takes 46 minutes and costs 3,60 eur
Málaga Airport: the journey takes 33 minutes and costs 2,70 eur
Benalmádena: the ride takes 12 minutes and costs 1,80 eur
Information on renfe.com

By bus

The bus station is located near the station on C street. Alfonso XIII. The main intercity services are catered for by a single company, Avanza, which very often takes you to neighbouring towns. Tickets can be bought at the office directly at the station or more easily at booking.avanzabus.com:

Marbella: 2x per hour, the ride takes 45 minutes and costs approx. 3,50 eur
Estepona: 5-7 times per day, the ride takes an hour and a quarter and costs approx. 6 eur
La Cala de Mijas: 1x per hour, the ride takes about 20 minutes and costs about 1,50 eur
La Línea de la Concepción: 2-3 times per day, the ride takes 2 hours and costs approx. 10,40 eur

Of course you can also take the bus to Málaga, directly to the airport or to the resorts of Benalmádena or Torremolinos, but in these cases it is usually more cost and time effective to take the train.

For a full list of services from Fuengirola, visit malaga.avanzagrupo.com/es/destinos/fuengirola.

There are several local Avanzabus lines that serve as public transport around Fuengirola, you can buy a ticket from a newsagent or driver for 1,50 eur.