Benidorm Beaches
Of Benidorm's beaches Playa Levante is far more popular than Playa Poniente
with north Europeans as that's where the majority of bars and restaurants are
found.
Playa Poniente tends to attract elderly Spanish crowds and families looking
for a quiet time and isn't the beach of choice for the majority of foreign
visitors.
A striking feature of the first stretch of Playa Levante as you begin the 2km
walk from the old town to Rincón de Loix at the furthest point of the beach is
the number of stylish bars and cafés.
Certainly nothing like the tacky places you might be expecting. There are
some fine Spanish restaurants with splendid sea views such as Restaurante Rias
Baixas, a fine Galician restauarant serving up typical seafood dishes from
northwestern Spain as well as local meat specialities from that area.
Bargain drinks bars next to McDonalds sell two bottles of San Miguel for just €2
as well as plenty other two for the price of one bargains. Take your pick as you
stroll along this stretch as there's no shortage of bars to choose from
including La Cerveceria and the Guinness Bar.
The walk along the front is very pleasant thanks to the promenade which is
almost traffic free along the whole distance of Playa Levante. It's noticeable
the number of people in wheelchairs who are attracted by Benidorm's long, flat
promenade in
selecting their holiday destination.
The bars which make up this first stretch of Levante beach soon filter out and
are mainly replaced by small hotels, apartments, cafés and gift shops. The few
bars you come across tend to have Dutch or Scandinavian owners but most
establishments are Spanish owned.
The beach itself is fabulous with beautiful, golden sand and crystal clear
waters. Every night around 10pm Benidorm council's beach cleaners start work.
They collect every piece of litter and every cigarette butt, rake the sand then
large sand ploughing machines go over every metre of the the beach so it is in
absolutely pristine condition the next morning.
There cannot be a cleaner beach in Europe and their efforts have earned both
Playa Levante and Playa Poniente the EU blue flag award which only goes to
beaches which are spotlessly clean, safe, well managed and which have seawater
quality of the highest standard.
There are sunbeds for rent throughout the length of the beach and various
novelties such as the fantastic sand sculptures which seem to get larger and
more intrinsic every summer. The one of Jesus celebrating the Last Supper is
amazing. Spare a
few coins for these true artists.
Another interesting spot is the Biblioplaya, a library actually on the sand
which tends to mainly attract retired people to the shade where they can have a
read or play a game of chess. There are regular play areas
for children with elaborate climbing frames.
As we approach the far end of Levante more foreign pubs start to appear. La
Amsteleria is a great Dutch joint (pardon the pun) where you have a beer pump at
your table and serve your self. The meter on the pump tells the waiter how much
you've drunk when you ask for the bill.
Bar Sol
is a friendly British one with a great terrace serving up some fine pub grub
type food or if you're watching your figure try one of their huge salads. If
you're actively looking for some trashy Brit pubs just go back a row or two from
the beach around here and you'll find lager at a Euro a pint and adverts for
East Enders and Corrie!
Just opposite the McDonalds (yes, another one) there's a wacky range of beach
sea activities available including the banana ride, rafting and the ever popular
cable ski. Most of these are open from about May to October from approx. 10/11am
till 7pm.
For something more laid back you can book a boat trip along the coast
to Calpe
or out to Benidorm Island.
A word of warning ... look out for jellyfish as a few have been around for
the last two summers. This is because average sea temperatures have risen in
recent times which attracts these heat loving creatures. They're tiny things but
a sting isn't pleasant. Apply vinegar if stung.
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