Formerly part of Fonyód, the village was granted independence as a result of a referendum held on 12 May 1991.

The pedestrian Vachott Sándor street has the shops and is the main link between the station and the beach.

The train station is a stop on the Székesfehérvár-Gyékényes line and has a smaller side station from which a (touristic) Balatonfenyves narrow-gauge railway can be taken land inward connecting the Imremajor and Pálmajor outskirts of the village.

The beach, the longest on the lake (about 1.8 km (1.12 mi)) and freely accessible, is a grass area with many lángos and gyros fast-food stands.

Balatonfenyves is home to the Fenyves Yacht Club in the western part of the village.