The castle, built under the Arab Umayyads, was situated at the mouth of the Fuengirola River. Its ruins lie south of the river, 38 meters above sea level. Sohail Castle was built in 956 by order of the eighth Emir and first Caliph of Córdoba, Abd ar-Rahman III, to strengthen coastal defenses, on the foundations of an older fortress of Phoenician or Roman origin. Sohail was captured on August 7, 1487, during the Reconquista, by the Christian troops of the Kingdom of Castile and León, twelve days before the capture of the provincial capital, Málaga. The castle was severely damaged in the fighting.
Sohail Castle was built in 956 on the orders of the eighth Emir and first Caliph of Córdoba, Abd ar-Rahman III, to strengthen coastal defenses. Today, the restored fortress walls of Sohail Castle regularly host cultural events such as festivals, artistic performances and musical events, including the Noches del Castillo ("Castle Nights") with pop and rock concerts and the Fuengirola City Festival.