Fuengirola

Fuengirola , in ancient times known as Suel and then Suhayl, is a large town and municipality on the Costa del Sol in the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is located on the central coast of the province and integrated into the region of the Costa del Sol and the Commonwealth of Municipalities of the Costa del Sol Occidental.

The area has a subtropical Mediterranean climate, with annual average temperatures of 18 °C and average summer temperatures of over 30 °C.

In the 1960s Fuengirola started to become a leading tourist centre, eventually having the expected facilities for eating, sleeping, and entertainment. The town has broad beaches along a promenade extending east and west from the town, that includes smaller adjacent villages.

Of the approximately 72,000 permanent inhabitants registered in the municipality, 25% come from other countries, mainly European (England, Ireland, Scotland, Finland and Sweden, among others), and also from Morocco and Argentina. In the summer especially, the town plays host to throngs of visitors both Spanish and foreign, but in particular British. The English-speaking community in particular is large enough to support a fully developed programme of activities and local groups.

Fuengirola has a number of historical sites and open parks. The old port is still used by the local Spanish fisherman. The Arab castle of Suhayl, or Suhail, remained an abandoned ruin until renovations began in 1995. In 2000 the interior of the castle was completely renovated and the Suhail castle began to host festivals and concerts throughout the summer. Additional landscaping was completed in 2002.

The town is largely urban in character, with many high-rise blocks of flats near the seafront and elsewhere. There are some narrow streets with many low-rise villas. Considerable commercial and housing development is underway further inland. The municipalities includes: Fuengirola, Los Boliches, Los Pacos, Torreblanca and Carvajal.