Fuengirola is a Costa del Sol resort town between Málaga and Marbella, one of the most heavily developed stretches of the Spanish Mediterranean. It is unashamedly a package-holiday destination — high-rise hotels, a long promenade, fish-and-chip shops alongside chiringuitos — but it does the job well enough, and the beach is genuinely good: seven kilometres of wide sand with warm, calm water.
The Sohail Castle, an Arab fortress on a hill above the western end of the beach, is worth the climb for the views along the coast. The old town behind the seafront retains some character, with a pleasant plaza and a Tuesday market that is one of the largest on the Costa del Sol.
Fuengirola has a large foreign resident population, particularly British, Irish, and Scandinavian, which gives it a more year-round feel than some resort towns. The zoo, Bioparc Fuengirola, is surprisingly good — a well-designed tropical habitat rather than a traditional animal park. For a change of pace, the hilltop village of Mijas is about 15 minutes inland and has whitewashed streets and mountain views.