what's Fuengirola like?

melb

we normally like javea, nerja puerto pollensa st feliu de guixols lafranc and calella de palafrugell - ie touristy towns but with a spanish feel and normal day to day spanish people/businesses. we've booked flights to malaga for april for 11 nights and although we really like nerja when we've stayed there in the past we found it a bit "cut-off" interms of visiting other places and we fancy somewhere the other end of costa del sol. Like the look of Mijas pueblo but someone said you'll get sick of having to go down to the coast road everytime you wanted to visit elsewhere. i really fancy benalmadena pueblo but can't find anywhere there with heated pool that's affordable so we're left with a couple near fuengirola. I'll be doing a lot of googling and looking at guide books but wondered if any of you good folks could speak of personal experience. i don't want to go if it's just england by the sea (which i fear it may be ). Mind you we'll be hiring a car so can get out and about and one of the villas inparticular is in walking distance of restaurants which we fancy as OH won't have to drive out every night to eat.. sorry I've rambled on thanks for any helpx

melb

I think it's great

princessl84

mainland spain yuk

jaytar

Melb, I'm a bit confused. Have you replied to your own question ?

Anyway, Fuengirola is exactly as you might imagine. Bit like Clacton with heat !! It is nothing like Lafranc or Palafrugell. It won't be too bad if you have a car and can get around.

nico26

Its a while since I ve been there but I like it. I think you will be ok as its not in the high season.
Bit different to what your used to though.

barginunter

Fuengirola is very UK- oriented. Lots of bars UK-this, Paddy-that. Due to the high-rise blocks along the paseo, you lose the sun quite early on the beach. If you stay further out, Los Boliches, Carvajal - it's much nicer.
Personally I prefer Torremolinos down the coast where the beach does not have a busy road behind it and there is more of a Spanish feel.

melb

yes i did answer my own question! I was just feeling like being silly. last year in feb we stayed in elviria near marbella and loved the villa but not the exact area and tended to go into Marbella to eat on an evening. Because accommodation is quite expensive compared to javea where we're used to I've been looking at other areas on that coast but nearish to the airport. any suggestions of alternative resorts would be very much appreciated. the particular villa we were thinking of booking said it's in Torreblanca i think near Fuengirola and from reading other posts it sounded like ti was quite quiet and I liked the ideas of the spanish restaurants in fuengirola but maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick. We stayed in benalmadena puerto in a flat one year and liked it but want somewhere with a pool but the beach near there was one of my favourites ever. I've been trying to work out where Carihuela is from there as that sounds like it's got lots of nice restaurants. as you've gathered eating simple spanish food with spanish people is No 1 criterion when we're looking for where to stay and big steaks with sauces at "posh" expensive restaurants or pie and chips isn't. thanks

goldee

We've been going to Fuengirola twice a year May and October..it's great.. beautiful beaches, gorgeous weather, night life fabulous, suits all ages.. it's very flat for walking not at all hilly..the trains are a good and cheap way of getting around ..we love it...especially in Oct and May as the majority of people tend to be a little older than in the summer when you get the younger crowds...we are fit trendy active 65 year olds but when in Fuengirola the place takes years and years off us...worse thing about Fuengirola are the lucky lucky men and the British ticket touts with their winning scratch cards..Just say "No thanks" and walk quickly past....Super markets "Mercadonna" very good value for drinks etc..


We'll be going on May 6th so leave the place tidy please..:j

morocha

hi ya, we have been there but we still prefer Torremolinos, it is 10 min from Benalmadena on a bus or you can just walk if you like. We love it there, go there every year.
La carihuela is in Torremolinos,this is our little place

Happychappy

Made the mistake of going around two years ago, fortunately only for a couple of nights, a concrete jungle which is totally british like blackpool, with little of spain to see, just brit bars, fried breakfasts, sunday roasts, lager and neon....
oh and loud, drunken louts, again mainly british, really nice if you like these home comforts, but nothing spanish.

melb

well tell me where to go then?!!!! we've booked the flights so we're stuck with it!