Fuengirola Tourist Attractions You Shouldn’t Miss

Fuengirola Tourist Attractions You Shouldn’t Miss

Fuengirola is one of the most popular tourist destinations on Costa del Sol, in Southern Spain.

If you are adding it to your travel itinerary, you’re probably wondering what Fuengirola tourist attractions you shouldn’t miss.

For such a big city, Fuengirola doesn’t actually have many big sights or historic landmarks, unlike the district city of Malaga. The main sights can be easily visited within a day.

In this article, I have focused on compiling a few of the main Fuengirola tourist attractions that the city is known for, and also some places of interest you might want to visit.

Enjoy the tour!

Fuengirola: Recommended Day Trips & Experiences

  • Caminito del Rey Day Trip with Guide – explore the world-famous pathway of the king, and admire the stunning views from the gorge El Chorro. Includes pick up in Fuengirola, entrance to Caminito del Rey and helmets.
  • Day Trip to Gibraltar with pick up from Fuengirola with a minibus, with free time in Gibraltar for shopping and an optional tour of the nature reserve.
  • Gibraltar Sightseeing Day Tour – a more structured day trip with a full tour of the nature reserve, showing you all the highlights, with free time for shopping. Pick up from Fuengirola.
  • Ronda and Setenil de las Bodegas Day Trip – see the famous Puente Nuevo bridge in Ronda, with one of the oldest bullrings in the country, and admire the homes and restaurants built into caves in Setenil. Pick-up in Fuengirola – includes a walking tour of Ronda and a complimentary glass of wine in Ronda.
  • Day Trip to Granada with Alhambra Tour – see one of the architectural wonders of Spain, the Moorish Palace complex of Alhambra, with free time to explore Granada. Includes pick-up from Fuengirola, tickets to Alhambra and a guide.

10 Fuengirola Tourist Attractions Worth Visiting

Below is a list of 10 places of interest that are great to visit if you’re in Fuengirola. Among the main Fuengirola tourist attractions I would actually only count the Bioparc, Sohail Castle and maybe the old town.

1. Fuengirola Beaches

One of the main reasons people come here in the summer is the 7-kilometre-long stretch of sandy beaches lining the coastal promenade.

In the summer months, mainly in August, Fuengirola’s population increases rapidly as local tourists from Spain and abroad descend on Costa del Sol to enjoy their summer holiday.

Fuengirola is much more ‘Spanish’ compared to other cities like Benalmadena, but the situation is completely reversed in the winter months. From October onwards, there is a heavy influx of visitors from Northern Europe, mainly Finland and Sweden, who come here to spend their winter in warm weather. You’re more likely to hear Finnish on the streets than Spanish.

The beaches are very well serviced, you get an option to rent a sun chair with umbrella, even a day bed and just across the road you can buy anything you would need for a beach in a nearby kiosk.

The main coastal promenade is lined with restaurants and shops, so the options for dining are plentiful – although the quality is what you would expect from such a touristy location.

Fuengirola in August
Fuengirola beach in late afternoon in August

2. Bioparc Fuengirola

Bioparc is probably the most known Fuengirola tourist attraction. I’m not a huge fan of ZOO, but this place is unlike any other ZOO you’ve been to.

Set in lush surroundings in the middle of the city, the red brick wall of the building hides an urban jungle built from scratch and designed to create a natural habitat for the animals. If not for the animals, it’s well worth a visit just to experience the jungle and hide from the sun in the summer.

Bioparc has a nature and environment conservation foundation and dedicates resources to biodiversity conservation projects, like the preservation of fauna in Madagascar and programs for the breeding of endangered species. The animals live in big lush enclosures and are really well taken care of.

The tickets cost 21 euro for an adult and 16 eur for kids (under 3 go free). You can get your tickets online with a discount and skip the queue at the entrance.

There is a lovely restaurant with a big playground (wooden!) right next to it and a gift shop too.

I love the place just for the surroundings and if you’re planning to visit more than once, or you’re staying in Fuengirola for extended period of time, it’s worth getting the annual pass, which is around 50 euros.

Read more details & photos: Lost in Jungle in Bioparc Fuengirola

Fuengirola bioparc, Fuengirola Spain
The lush pathways between the enclosures
Fuengirola bioparc, Fuengirola Spain
The bridge under the artificial baobab tree
Fuengirola bioparc, Fuengirola Spain
One of the animal enclosures in Bioparc

3. Sohail Castle

At the edge of the city, you will find Sohail Castle – an old defence point overlooking the city and offering gorgeous views of the whole coastline.

It isn’t particularly impressive (at least for me), but you could get an audio guide and listen to its history to make the trip worthwhile. If nothing else you can enjoy gorgeous views and let your kids go wild climbing the walls and running around. Plus, it’s free to enter, so a bit of a walk and climbing around the defence walls is always fun.

Check the opening times below as it’s closed during siesta hours. I would not plan a dedicated trip just to Fuengirola just to see the casle, but if you’re somewhere close do pop in and check it out!

WINTER OPENING HOURS: From Tuesday to Friday: 10 am – 2 pm. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 10 am – 2 pm // 3:30 pm – 6 pm.

SUMMER OPENING HOURS: From Tuesday to Friday: 10 am – 2 pm. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 10 am – 2 pm // 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm. 

Read details & photos here: Sohail Castle in Fuengirola

sohail castle in Fuengirola, Spain
The approach to the main entrance gate
sohail castle in Fuengirola, Spain
View from the castle walls
sohail castle in Fuengirola, Spain
The inner courtyards of the castle – as I mentioned there isn’t much to see

4. Visit a Local Market

Every Tuesday and Saturday you have a chance to experience an authentic Spanish market in Fuengirola. It’s not exactly the stylish and picturesque affair as you would see in a small French village, but nevertheless fun to visit and look for some local gems.

If you get easily annoyed by crowds, you’re better off to skip this one. If you enjoy spotting some local treasures and looking for antiques – it’s the place for you!

There are two types of markets – on Tuesdays, the market is small and focused on selling local produce from farmers. Saturday market is much bigger and has a nature of a flea market – it’s very popular and predictably crowded.

The market is held at the location of the Feria in Los Boliches. By the entrance, you will see a couple of cafes where you can enjoy a breakfast with freshly squeeze orange juice and watch the world go by.

The market location is marked on the map here.

Fuengirola weekend market
The entrance to Fuengirola feria where the market is held
fuengirola market 3
Scenes from the Saturday market

5. Plaza de La Constitution

Plaza de la Constitution is the centre of the old town in Fuengirola, and often considered the heart of the city.

From the square, life spills into narrow old streets lined with restaurants and bars, and it’s a popular place for locals to hang out.

The square itself is built around the church Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, and it’s the location of the Christmas markets in December. Opposite the church are a couple of nice restaurants where you can get a drink and nibbles and watch the life around.

In the streets around, you will also find lots of unique boutique shops, and a short walk away from there is the coastal promenade.

fuengirola old town 9 1
The main square with the church in the background
fuengirola old town 8 1
Public parking access on the main square

6. Plaza de Los Chinorros

Plaza de los Chinorros is more known under the name ‘the post office square’ – at least in my house. It’s the location of the main post office building, very close to Plaza de la Constitution.

Around the square, you will find a maze of small streets with restaurants, cafes and bars. It gets very busy at weekends and evenings, with locals strolling around before sitting down for dinner.

Such a popular spot comes with a few tourist traps by default – there are a few restaurants you should most definitely avoid. I have written a guide on the old town here where you can check my recommendations.

fuengirola old town 3 1
The main post office building on the right side, with restaurants opposite
fuengirola old town 4 1

7. Mezequita de Fuengirola

Not many people know this, but Fuengirola has actually its own mosque!

The official name is Islamic Cultural Center Suhail, and the building is located near the coastline, in between residential buildings.

The building of the mosque is hard to miss – a large complex painted in white with typical Islamic architecture. The idea behind building a mosque in Fuengirola was to bring together the Muslims living in Costa del Sol area, and provide a place where they can meet and do worship.

I couldn’t find any information about any visiting hours, so I would presume it’s closed to public.

8. Fuengirola Old Town

Fuengirola is a bit different compared to other destinations on Costa del Sol – it doesn’t have a historic centre as you would see in Malaga or Marbella. The old town is usually referred to the area near the main post office with narrow alleways dominated by terraced houses with a high concentration of bars and restaurants.

The heart of the area is around Plaza de la Constitution which spills out to the nearby small streets and alleyways. Paseo Maritimo Avenue borders the old town in the south and the main traffic road (which I expertly refer to as the ‘bus road’) in the North.

The old town is a great area to explore on foot as no traffic is allowed.

fuengirola old town

9. Fuengirola Marina

Fuengirola Marina is a nice place to explore if you want to enjoy some food in peace. It’s much more quiet compared to the main street and lined with restaurants, giving you plenty of options to choose from.

In the marina, you will find a number of companies offering boat rentals and boat day trips, to experience the city from a different vantage point.

My favourite place to dine in the marina is Kudam Restaurant – it’s a German food restaurant, but they also have some seafood and salad options. The sizes are massive, it’s very reasonably priced and most importantly the food is delicious.

June in Fuengirola
Views of the marina from the little promenade
June in Fuengirola

10. Paseo Maritimo

Paseo Maritimo is a coastal promenade stretching across the whole city and lining the 7 kilometres of sandy beaches. It’s very popular for morning running and evening strolls, especially Saturday and Sunday nights.

On weekends, you will see whole families strolling along the coastline before heading out for dinner, locals walking their dogs and joggers.

If you want to enjoy the best of what the promenade has to offer, I highly recommend venturing out for a stroll before sunrise and capturing some gorgeous shots of the sun peaking from behind the mountains. The best sunrise views are from Torreblanca, Los Boliches and Carvajal area.

The coastal promenade is lined with seaside restaurants called Chiringuitos – don’t let the fancy new buildings fool you. The food is very poor quality and usually overpriced. They are a good quick option if you’re staying at the beach and want to have some fried fish for lunch. I tend to avoid them like the plague.

Fuengirola in August
Coastal promenade with Chiringuito building – this one has been renovated this year.
fuengirola may 6

I hope you enjoyed this rundown of Fuengirola tourist attractions! If there was something I didn’t cover here, or you have any specific questions about visiting Fuengirola, feel free to leave a comment below!

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Hi, I'm Lucia

At Viva La Vita, I will help you to discover Southern Spain like a local!

I've been living on Costa del Sol since 2020, and fill these pages with first-hand insights, personal experience and practical tips that will help you plan a wonderful trip to Spain.

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