Los Boliches is a seafront part of Fuengirola, stretching east from the centre of the city and sharing borders with Torreblanca. Los Boliches has been my home for over three years now and I think it’s one of the best places to live in Fuengirola.
In this article, I will cover everything Los Boliches has to offer, whether you’re coming for a holiday or considering living here. Let’s dive in!
Where is Los Boliches?
Los Boliches is geographically a very small part of Fuengirola (marked on the map below), but what locals refer to as Los Boliches is not exactly defined by these borders.
As you can see from the map below, the area of Los Boliches is a coastal trip running from Fuente de la Plaza des Naciones (small fountain with globe and flags), all the way up to the other canal by the Espigón de Torreblanca (scenic point with sunset views and new Fuengirola sign installed closeby). This is where the borders with Torreblanca are.
Is Los Boliches Worth Visiting?
While there are no sights as such in Los Boliches, it’s actually a much-loved part of Fuengirola and just a stroll on the Paseo Maritimo is well worth it!
There are a few sights on the Paseo like the Fountain of the Nations (mentioned above), the Open Hand monument (pictured below) and a few others.
A few coastal restaurants are also located in Los Boliches, check my recommendations below.
When to Visit Los Boliches
As with most destinations on Costa del Sol, Los Boliches is the busiest in the peak season from May to September. What’s unique about Los Boliches is also the fact that it’s very busy in the winter season as it’s a popular expat destination, especially for people from Northern Europe.
The ideal time to visit Fuengirola or Los Boliches is in April, May, October and even November. Even though the winter here is mild and the temperatures are higher than the rest of Europe, the weather in winter changes quickly so it’s very hard to estimate what sort of weather to expect when you’re planning a trip here.
Below you will find details on weather conditions for each month of the year.
Los Boliches Weather – Month By Month
- January: January in Fuengirola: A Guide by a Local Expat
- February: February in Fuengirola: A Local Update
- March: Weather in Fuengirola in March: Local Update
- April: Weather in Fuengirola in April: Local Update
- May: May in Fuengirola: Local Expat’s Guide
- June: June in Fuengirola: Local Guide
- July: July in Fuengirola: Local Weather Update
- August: August in Fuengirola: Local Expat’s Guide
- September: Weather in Fuengirola in September: Local Update
- October: Fuengirola in October: A Report from a Local Expat
- November: Fuengirola in November: A Guide by a Local Expat
- December: December in Fuengirola: a Guide by a Local Expat
Best Things To Do in Los Boliches
As I mentioned before, there are no sights as such, or dedicated tourist activities in Los Boliches, I will therefore recommend some things you can do in Fuengirola:
- climbing the hill to see the Sohail Castle
- enjoying a concert at Marenostrum (check the events section below)
- taking a walk on Paseo Maritimo
- visiting the Bioparc in Fuengirola
- trying out some of the best local restaurants
- taking a day trip out of the town to see the highlights of Malaga
- see the old town of Fuengirola
- do a bit of shopping in the Miramar shopping centre
- play minigolf if you’re visiting with kids (next to Miramar shopping centre)
- take a day trip to Marbella and explore the old town
- spend a day exploring the next door town of Benalmadena
- head up to the hills to explore the pretty village of Mijas Pueblo
- hiking in the hills above Mijas Pueblo
Also check:
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.
Los Boliches Restaurants
Los Boliches is a pretty small area and most of it is located by the coastline, which translates to a very poor selection of restaurants. Below are my picks from this area, but overall best restaurants in Fuengirola you will find in this article.
- Paseo 100 – as the name suggests, this restaurant is located at the address of Paseo 100, near the Torreblanca area of Fuengirola. It’s a Finnish place with menu influenced by Nordic cuisine, but you will find also standard tourist options like burgers and pizza. One of my favorite dishes from here is the smoked salmon burger and halloumi burger, the most flavourful burger I had in the whole city. The place is also known as THE place to watch sports as they have large screens in an adjacent room. Check my full review here.
- Sandpiper – this British establishment has been on Paseo for a while and I return there to taste some British classics. The place is small, but cozy, with friendly service and good prices.
- Restaurante Santorini – this is right next to Paseo 100, Mediterranean cuisine with lots of dishes that I used to have when I lived in Cyprus, so if you love Greek cuisine, this place will really tick all your boxes. Check my full review here.
- Vinea Restaurant – this small place is located at the bottom of the Yaramar Hotel, they have a very nice menu packed with flavours, and they also have very pleasant live music over the weekends. Check the review here.
Los Boliches Bars
There are small bars scattered around the main road (Paseo Maritimo), so you will have plenty of options to choose from if you want to sit down somewhere for a drink. There are no massive differences between them and prices are pretty much the same, the only thing that will differentiate them is the size of the place.
If you prefer to enjoy a drink with a view, you can go to one of the seaside restaurants (chiringuitos) which are the perfect place to relax with a view, but I would not recommend enjoying a meal there (very poor quality and overpriced).
Renting Appartments in Los Boliches
There are lots of apartments available for short-term rental in Los Boliches, and the prices vary quite a bit depending on the location and size of the apartment.
The most expensive places are the ones facing the sea at Paseo Maritimo, and the best value areas are in Carvajal and towards Mijas end of Fuengirola. If you’re planning to stay in one of these places, please keep in mind that it’s one of the busiest streets in the city, not just in terms of traffic but also commotion in the evenings as people leave the restaurants and bars.
The properties are very old with zero insulation and noise protection, so if you’re a light sleeper you might be struggling to get a good night’s sleep in one of these properties. You are also very likely to hear every word your neighbours are saying.
If you’re looking for a holiday apartment, you will get better value by looking at properties that are a bit off the main road but still within easy walking distance of the beach (second or third ‘line’ apartments). Any apartment with a sea view usually has a premium price tag attached to it, as you would expect.
For most rental apartments, you will also get access to beach chairs and umbrellas, so you don’t have to buy your own while staying in the apartment. Beach towels are also usually provided as a standard.
The properties in Los Boliches are generally very old, with dated furniture and not decorated very well – even those tend to be quite expensive in the summer. Most of them have just a very small balcony – if you’re lucky with some sort of view instead of facing someone’s windows – and very little outdoor space or terrace.
Most of the apartment buildings here have access to a communal pool, which is usually accessible during certain hours of the day (usually from 10 am to 8 pm).
The newest properties I’ve seen are in Carvajal area where they are still adding new apartment buildings, and in Mijas Costa, close to Sohail Castle. If you’re looking into the area of Carvajal, please keep in mind that the majority of these will be on a hillside, so you will have to either drive down to the beach or face an unpleasant climb uphill from the beach.
Playa de Los Boliches
Playa de Los Boliches is one of the most popular beaches in Fuengirola – luckily it’s fairly big so you won’t struggle to find space!
In the summer, it is well serviced with rental chairs and umbrellas in a number of different places, with empty space in front of each for those who want to bring their own chairs or blanket and stay closer to the water.
The rental of a chair with an umbrella is 6 euros, some beaches also offer beds for rental, which are 30 euros. The price is valid for the whole day and the same for all the beaches. Prices are displayed on the little plastic flags by the entrance to the beach.
The lifeguard only provides service between the months of April to September.
In 2022 the city installed brand-new showers and paving stones leading to the beach. The showers run most of the wintertime.
Public toilets are also available on all Fuengirola beaches – they are the blue and yellow container buildings. They are what you would expect of a public toilet – so nothing luxurious or clean, but in an emergency, they are a good option to use. The other alternative is using the toilet facilities at a nearby chiringuito.
Summertime is really busy and locals get down to the beach as early as 8 am or 9 am, bringing half of their kitchen with them (including fold-up tents (illegal to use btw), tables, and catering fit for a small wedding). If you want to secure a spot by the water, I recommend heading out to the beach quite early to find a good spot.
When visiting a beach, there are some rules that apply and you should be aware of them (even though you will see many of these widely ignored). Here are things that are illegal on beaches in Andalusia:
- riding horses
- driving cars or quad bikes
- bringing dogs or other pets (something locals love to ignore all year round)
- light bonfires
- camp overnight
- bring gas barbeques
- sell goods or services (also widely ignored)
- use soap or shampoo in the public showers (fine of 750 euros, so it will be an expensive shower)
- swim in yellow buoyed channels
- no smoking or drinking alcohol (probably the most ignored law on the beach)
- new rule as of 2022: not wearing appropriate clothing in town (bikinis, trunks or men walking around with bare chests) – fine of 150 euros
Location of Playa de Los Boliches:
Los Boliches Train Station
Los Boliches train station provides a frequent connection between Fuengirola and Malaga, via the C-1 suburban line which runs approximately every 20 minutes.
It’s a popular travel connection as it allows you to get to Malaga in just 40 minutes, on a convenient train with lots of space and very cheap tickets too (around 8 euros one way). The train also allows you to get to Fuengirola directly from the airport, with the train station being just a short walk away from the main arrivals terminal.
Los Boliches train station is an elevated train station with a lift and barrier-free access, and ticket booths available on the ground floor and floor. There are also vending machines on the top floor.
This station does not have any gates, so once you get the ticket from the ticket machine, you simply get on the train and scan the ticket as your arrival station.
If you need any snacks for your trip, there is a big Supercor supermarket directly opposite the station.
I have included some popular transport guides with further travel details below.
- Fuengirola to Malaga transport guide
- Fuengirola to Benalmadena transport guide
- Fuengirola to Torremolinos transport guide
- Getting to Fuengirola from Malaga Airport
Location of the Los Boliches train station:
I hope this covered everything you need to know about Los Boliches!
If you had any specific questions that were not answered in this article, feel free to leave a comment with your question under the article. Thank you for reading!
Explore More in Fuengirola
Sould Park in Fuengirola: Worth a Visit?
Fuengirola Boat Trips: Best Options & Things to Keep in Mind
Fuengirola Marina: What To See & Do in The Port
Fuengirola Market: All Your Questions Answered
Fuengirola Old Town: An Insider’s Guide by a Local
Local Guide to Fuengirola Supermarkets
Best Things to Do with Kids on Your Trip to Fuengirola, Spain
