Similar to other parts of the Iberic peninsula and the Costa del Sol, Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths as well as Arabs established their residences in this zone, like in Fuengirola.

Like much of the Iberian peninsula in general and the Costa del Sol in particular, Phoenicians, possibly Tartessians, Romans, Visigoths, and Arabs set up residence in the area now known as Fuengirola before Catholic Christians arrived. The Roman name of the town was Suel. Roman baths, a villa, and a status of Venus (exposed at the Fuengirola museum) have all been found here. It was either a tidal wave, pirates, or destruction by the Visigoths that made Fuengirola ‘disappear’ from the historical record during the early Middle Ages. Later the Moors settled the area, building a castle, updating the area’s name to Suhayl, which then consisted of various village dependent on agriculture. The insecurity related to the Christian ‘re-conquest’ of Spain changed Suhayl’s fortunes and its was left deserted and in ruins after it was captured by the Catholic kings’ army in 1485. The Christians renamed it Font-Girola after the stream at the foot of the hill upon which stood the castle and attempted in vain to repopulate the area. Apart from the occupants of the watchtower and fortress, everybody was living in nearby Mijas… After the Turkish and Moroccan pirates stopped their local activities, the town was slowly but surely repopulated basing its economy on fishing, agriculture, and trade. It became the officially separate from Mijas in 1841. It was not until the 1960’s that it became a tourist destination.