History and Timeline of Fuengirola

It seems almost a paradox, when one considers its population and the role it plays in tourism and the fact that it has eight kilometres of beaches, that the municipal area of Fuengirola is only 10 square kilometres. Possibly the paradox is explained by the fact that when it came to distributing territory no one could have foreseen that the tourism explosion of the twentieth century would shatter, not just the barriers imposed by the Administration, but even more the nineteenth century idea of the natural development of municipalities.
 
With its own boundaries overrun by formidable tourism growth, the city has found it necessary to direct its development toward the territory of Mijas, with the curious result that half of a particular street belongs to Fuengirola and the other half to Mijas, the municipality with which it shares most of its boundary.

History of Fuengirola

Fuengirola can date its founding back to the Phoenician, Roman and Arab civilisations.
 
Historical records show that it was Phoenician colonisers who founded Fuengirola, although it seems probable that Bastulos and other tribes had been present in this enclave halfway between Cadiz and Malaga. The Phoenicians set up a salted fish trading post at what they called Suel, and from there they traded with the other Mediterranean cities.
 
The foothills of the mountain range behind the town to the south are the site of an Arab castle, Castillo Sohail, which also includes remains of an early Iberian or Phoenician settlement.
 
Following the occupation of Fuengirola by Rome the town was referred to as Suel. Several references can be found about Fuengirola, or in this case Suel in ancient Roman texts written by such notable individuals including the Roman historian, Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder who wrote the famous Naturalis Historia and a later historian, Ptolemy.
 
Near the castle visitors can find an inscription on the pedestal of a statue that mentions Suel as being a Roman "municipium" or self-governing city.
 
Other artefacts of Rome’s effect on the area can be found which include the Roman baths which were discovered in 1961 and, close by, the remains of a Roman villa containing two sculptures, one of which is the well known "Venus of Fuengirola" now of exhibition at Fuengirola Cultural centre.
 
There are also a series of architectural components, likely originating from the Mijas quarry during the Roman era, were discovered in Los Boliches in 1984; these have now been to form a temple entrance, and can be seen on the sea front or Paseo Maritimo of Los Boliches in Fuengirola.
 
There are hardly any records of the Visigoth era but under Muslim rule during the caliphate of Abderraman III there was an enlargement of the castle that stands out so prominently on a hill in the western part of the city contiguous to the river that bears the city’s name, Fuengirola. It was in this castle that Enrique II of Castile and the Nazarite Yusuf I signed a truce in 1340 that allowed a resurgence of commerce. The fortress has now been restored and suitably adapted as an open-air auditorium. The Arabs changed the name from Suel to Sohail, the name of a star of the constellation Argos that, curiously and according to legend, could only be seen from the castle itself. Sohail (Fuengirola) became a relatively large settlement. The surrounding lands appear to have been used as pasture for horses and camels.
 
According to the historian Alonso de Palencia Fuengirola suffered a fire in the Middle Ages that led to the inhabitants fleeing to Mijas. Sohail became a mound of ruins, and even its name was changed to the Romanised Font-Jirola, after the spring arising at the foot of the castle.
 
In 1485, with only the fortress remaining, the territory was conquered by the Christian Monarchs. This was followed by an attempt to repopulate the site which duly failed and in 1511 Fuengirola was registered as uninhabited, apart from the fortress and a watchtower. Land itself was reallocated to Mijas.
 
In time, with the new stability around the Mediterranean a new urban settlement developed, and at the beginning of the 18th century, an inn was opened near the beach, offering accommodation to travellers, muleteers and seafarers. This lead to a few homes being built nearby forming a small village.
 
The modern name of the Fuengirola derives from the "girolas", craft that Genovese sailors based in this area used in fishing for small fish or "boliche", a word that also was also used in the name of the former detached township of Santa Fe de Los Boliches, now a part of the town.
 
Fuengirola remained a quiet peaceful village until the Peninsular Wars during the Napoleonic era. On October 15, 1810 the Battle of Fuengirola took place when approximately 200 Polish soldiers of the Duchy of Warsaw defeated a mixed British-Spanish force numbering some 3,000 soldiers under Lord Blayney.
 
The heroic defence of the castle in Fuengirola was one of the rare instances in history, where Polish soldiers fought against the forces of Great Britain. It was also remembered as one of a few decisive British defeats in the Peninsular War. Although in his memoirs Lord Blayney tried to downplay the importance of the battle of Fuengirola, he himself remained in French captivity until 1814. His surrendered sabre is currently on exhibition in the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow (Cracow)
 
In May 1841, Fuengirola was detached from Mijas; at the time its inhabitants were mainly engaged in fishing, agriculture and trading with ships that dropped anchor in the bay. For over a century, fishing and agriculture remained the main activities.
 
It was only in the 1960s that Fuengirola entered a new phase, to become a leading tourist centre.

Modern Fuengirola

Since the 1960s Fuengirola has developed extensively and now offers all the facilities to be expected of a major tourist centre which includes hotels, restaurants, bars, discotheques, sports clubs, a yacht harbour, and broad beaches along a promenade extending east and west from the town, which includes smaller adjacent villages.
 
Of the current 60,000 inhabitants registered in the municipality, approximately 25% come from other part of Europe, including United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland and Sweden, among others, and from other parts of the world mainly Morocco and Argentina. In the summer especially, the town plays host to throngs of visitors both Spanish and foreign, but in particular British. The British community in particular is large enough to support a fully developed programme of activities and local groups.
 
One well known spot worth visiting in the Fuengirola Zoo. An old-fashioned collection of cramped cages, the Fuengirola zoo was modernized in 2001. The zoo specializes in captive breeding programs for endangered species, chimpanzee-group research and tropical-forest education.
 
Although Fuengirola is a comparatively developed resort it does also have a number of historical sites and open parks that welcome visitors. The old port is still used by the local Spanish fisherman. The Arab castle of Sohail, which was in disrepair, was renovated in 1995. In 2000 the interior of the castle was completely redone and the castle begun to host festivals and concerts throughout the summer. It is now one of the highlights of Fuengirola's cultural and historical scene.
 
The town is largely urban in character, with many apartment blocks, although some narrow streets can be found with many low-rise villas. Considerable commercial development is underway further inland, towards to the north of the town, with the recent construction of 2 large shopping centres and a retail park and ongoing development of housing areas.

Tourist Information

Tourism Office, 6 Jesus Santos Rein Avenue, 29640
   Telephone: 952 467 457
   Fax: 952 465 100