The Fuengirola City Council will expand the Ciudad Romana de Suel project to revalue its historical heritage

In the first intervention (2019-2025) 1,500 square meters of remains have been discovered and now the aim is to reach 2,000. The Junta de Andalucía and the City Council have promoted archaeological recovery actions in the city worth two million euros in the last seven years

3/17/2026 – Fuengirola City Council will expand the Ciudad Romana de Suel project to revalue its historical heritage, as announced today by Mayor Ana Mula. The Minister of Tourism of the Andalusian Government, Arturo Bernal, attended this moment, and confirmed that the Administration of which he is a part has authorized an extension of this initiative, which aims to bring to light the important past that lived in the surroundings of Sohail Castle in the centuries before and after the birth of Jesus Christ.

“The Roman City of Suel is an Asset of Cultural Interest, and needed a comprehensive project that would guarantee its research, its conservation and its enhancement. That is, precisely, the objective of this project that is gaining new momentum here today: a scientific, rigorous and planned tool that allows us to better understand our past and also turn it into an opportunity for the future of the city. A new period that will allow us to advance in the knowledge of this enclave, perfect its historical sequence and continue consolidating findings that bring us ever closer to understanding the importance that Suel had within the Roman world,” stated the councilor.

For his part, Arturo Bernal has highlighted that the Roman City of Suel “is much more than an archaeological site”, and has defined it as a key piece to understand the history of the Andalusian coast and its economic development in Roman times, especially in relation to the sea and commercial activity. In this sense, he explained that the recovery of heritage spaces allows not only to deepen historical knowledge, but also to convert that legacy into a useful resource for tourism development.

In this way, during the first stage of the intervention of this project – between the years 2019 and 2025 – an area of ​​1,500 square meters of archaeological remains dating from the 1st century BC to the 7th century have been discovered. Among them, skylights, a pedestal and different elements that indicate that there was important commercial activity related to the sea in that place.

In fact, as a result of these excavation campaigns and the important scientific research work, the multidisciplinary technical team has identified streets and an urban plot corresponding to the Roman era in which there were garum factories, in addition to an important building that could correspond to the curia.

Another important aspect of the first phase of action has been its dissemination among citizens. In this sense, the City Council and the archaeological team have held three days with the presence of university researchers from different parts of Andalusian geography in which the significance and details of the different finds have been explained. Likewise, more than a thousand people, including schoolchildren, groups and individuals, have passed through the site itself during the excavation stages to learn about the work that was being carried out there.

In this sense, Mula recalled that the City Council has allocated just over 800,000 euros of fully municipal investment to these works. Now, with the extension already granted and the contract awarded to the Temporary Union of Suel Companies, worth 582,000 euros, the technical team will act on an area of ​​500 square meters to uncover elements, over the next five years, more vestiges of the Roman past in this area.

Thus, the researchers believe that in this space there may be four salting pools, which will allow us to know the type of production and the marine species used in the manufacturing process of the existing salting plants and the strategy for using marine resources for this time.

To achieve this, the company responsible for the project has the collaboration of different higher education centers in the research work of the site. Specifically, the universities of Seville, Cádiz, Almería, Córdoba, Jaén and Málaga. Likewise, the Central Research Support Services (SCAI) of the University of Malaga and the University Research Institute in Iberian Archeology of the University of Jaén participate.

Work for Historical Heritage

The Roman City of Suel is one more of the actions that the Fuengirola City Council has promoted during the last decades in terms of recovery and enhancement of the local historical heritage.

In addition to the recovery and rehabilitation of the Sohail Castle, back in the 90s of the last century, the City Council has acted on the site of the Finca del Secretary and the creation of its Interpretation Center, the Torreblanca Hot Springs, as well as the rehabilitation of the Cortijo Acevedo.

Currently, and thanks to financing from the Tourism Department of the Junta de Andalucía, the local entity is finalizing the creation of the Visitor Center and Archaeological Warehouse with equipment in the Peace Palace for the study of materials and remains extracted from the Ciudad Romana de Suel site, total amount of 270,120.15 euros.

In this regard, Ana Mula has highlighted “the constant support” of the Andalusian Government in this matter, which in the last seven years has translated into a regional investment of around two million euros to finance different projects.

“Your support is being key to continue promoting projects that value the historical heritage of our city and, therefore, of our community. Now we continue to move forward with this exciting project of the Roman City of Suel, with the aim that in the future it can become one of the great archaeological sites of reference in Andalusia and in southern Europe. Because investing in heritage is not looking to the past. It is building identity, culture and opportunities for the future of our city, and reinforcing the pride that we should all feel in being part of its rich history”, he concluded.