10 Reasons Why I Love Living in Fuengirola, Spain

A sunset from a boardwalk in Fuengirola, Spain

In fall 2022, I moved to Fuengirola, Spain to teach English in a Spanish primary school. Out of everywhere in Andalusia, I chose to move to Fuengirola because of its location on the beach and its proximity to Malaga, a big city with an international airport.

Now, looking back, I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I absolutely love living in Fuengirola, Spain. Here’s why:

1. Fuengirola stretches along the beach.

The first reason I love living in Fuengirola, Spain was one of my major motivations for moving here: the town runs along a long stretch of coastline. In other words, from pretty much everywhere in Fuengirola, the beach is unlikely to be farther than a 20-30 min walk away—and from much of the town the beach is even closer than that!

Fuengirola—and most of the Costa del Sol for that matter—has a street with nice big sidewalks along the beach. This street is called the paseo marítimo. The paseo marítimo is a great place to watch the sun set over the sea or go for a walk or run along the beach.

2. You can see mountains from the Fuengirola beach—and from many places in town.

I know, beach and mountains??? Yes, Fuengirola has views of both. It’s pretty awe-inspiring to stand on the beach and have a stunning view of rocky mountains on both sides.

And if you get high up enough in a building, or if you look down the right streets, you can see mountains, too. Fuengirola is situated with the coast on one side and mountains around the other sides, which makes for some of the most spectacular views I’ve seen.

3. There are great hikes near Fuengirola.

Since I’ve been talking about mountains, you could’ve probably guessed there are nice hikes in the Fuengirola area. But to me, these hikes have particularly beautiful views. From the top of the mountains around the Fuengirola, you can see the Mediterranean Sea hugged between mountains on either side.

I’ve barely even dipped my toe into hiking in this area of Spain, but my favorite place to hike so far is the Sierra de Mijas. There are plenty of hikes to choose from, and the trails are pretty well-marked. Plus, when you finish hiking you have the opportunity to spend some time in Mijas Pueblo, a gorgeous town known for its white buildings tucked into the mountainside.

4. Fuengirola has a good mix of lively city and small town vibes.

With a population of just over 70,000 during most of the year, Fuengirola is able to maintain the benefits of a small town. There are some quieter neighborhoods, and the area is really walkable.

Since Fuengirola isn’t too big geographically, though, the town feels a bit more lively than it would if the 70,000 residents were more spread out. And since it’s a popular tourist destination, there’s no shortage of good restaurants and bars.

Now, I will say, during the summer months, the population of Fuengirola increases to around 250,000 people! So this little town gets A LOT busier. I have yet to experience a summer in Fuengirola, but I’m sure that massive population increase makes the area feel very different.

5. Fuengirola is home to residents from a wide variety of countries outside of Spain.

As a tourist destination, Fuengirola has attracted pretty large international communities—perhaps most notably including retirees from northern Europe. As a result, this Spanish town includes restaurants, supermarkets, and bilingual/multilingual schools representing a range of nationalities.

6. Fuengirola offers lots of activities for tourists.

Like many towns along Spain’s Costa del Sol, Fuengirola offers lots of things to do for visiting tourists. Of course, there are lots of water-related activities, such as kayaking and paddle-boarding, available. Another popular tourist activity in Fuengirola is visiting the Bioparc Fuengirola, a local zoo. (I haven’t been to the zoo, so I can’t speak on what it’s like.)

My favorite touristy activity, though, is hiking to the top of the Castillo Sohail, a Moorish fort built atop Roman ruins built atop Phoenician ruins. The fort has great views of Fuengirola’s coastline and the mountians that surround it. Plus, it’s a nice little challenge for the legs to walk to the top!

7. Fuengirola is close to an international airport.

Fuengirola is conveniently located within 20-45 minutes (depending on where exactly you start and what mode of transportation you use) from the Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP). This is great for people who hope to spend their free time traveling! AGP has direct flights to and from many major cities across Europe.

8. Fuengirola has cheap and easy public transportation to and from Malaga.

The fact that Fuengirola has cheap and easy public transportation to and from Malaga makes its proximity to the city even more attractive. During most of the daylight hours and until around midnight, Renfe Cercanías trains run between Malaga and Fuengirola, leaving about every twenty minutes. In general, it takes about 40-50 minutes to get from the Fuengirola train station to the station at Malaga Centro—and it even a bit shorter to get from Fuengirola to the AGP airport!

And in fact, this train makes several stops along the coast between Malaga and Fuengirola. So if you’re interested in exploring the nearby towns, it’s very easy to get around.

9. There are plenty of cool day trips available from Fuengirola.

Around Fuengirola, there are plenty of interesting towns with natural, architectural, and historical sites to explore. And good public transportation makes it pretty easy to take day trips to these towns.

Nearby Fuengirola, quick and easy day trips include (but are not by any means limited to) Malaga, Benalmadena, Torremolinos, Mijas Pueblo, and Marbella. But there are way more places you can get to for day trips, especially if you’re willing to go to Malaga first to catch a bus or train from there. Slightly farther day trips include (but, again, are not limited to) Ronda, Cordoba, Nerja, and El Chorro. Some tourist companies in Malaga even offer day trips to Morocco! And cities like Seville, Madrid, and Granada aren’t too far either!

10. The weather in Fuengirola is AMAZING.

Fuengirola is located on Spain’s Costa del Sol, a stretch of coastline that’s name translates to “sun coast.” And the area is very aptly named.

Fuengirola is very frequently sunny, and when it’s not, it’s usually only partly cloudy. In the fall and winter, sometimes it gets a bit gray and rainy, but even then, temperatures don’t tend to drop much below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. (I haven’t even been here a year yet, so please note that in addition to my own limited experiences I’m relying on Google for this information.)

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I feel very grateful to have the opportunity to live in Fuengirola. What can I say? I love it here.