The district of Fuengirola is one of the smallest in the province of Malaga, with a coastal strip that stretches along seven kilometres of coastline with excellent beaches.
The town centre still retains a certain traditional air, but the dominant appearance of Fuengirola is that of large buildings: hotels, flats, aparthotels, etc., typical of its main activity: sun and beach tourism.
It was populated by the Bastuli, the Phoenicians and later by the Carthaginians. The Romans called it Suel and the Arabs Sohail, which is the name of a star that, according to Ibn-Jallicam, could only be seen in the peninsula from this geographical point.
In 912, Abderramán III, ordered the construction of a fortress that rises on the vertex formed between the coastline and the mouth of the Sohail river; the remains of this castle are still surprising in the landscape of the coast of Fuengirola.
In the 17th century the town took the present name of Fuengirola, and it seems to be due to the name that Genoese sailors who travelled along these coasts used to give it and used the bowling alley, which they called "gironas".
Abderramán Ben Abdallah Ben Ahmed "El Sohaili", an outstanding writer and treatise writer of the 12th century renowned for his knowledge of grammar and theology. Miguel Márquez Martín, bullfighter. José López Ruiz, journalist and poet.
The cuisine of Fuengirola is very varied, gazpacho, sardine skewers, rice with seafood, etc. but the most outstanding, like the rest of the towns on the Costa del Sol, are its fish specialities, salt fish, baked fish and fried fish.
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