Benidorm Information

Benidorm might not be everybody's cup of tea but if you're looking for all the attractions of a large scale resort then go there as there are none better. Five million visitors can't be wrong. It's a common myth that Benidorm is nothing but a load of British pubs attracting thousands of rowdy lager louts. Not true. Benidorm attracts visitors from all over Europe and is an extremely family orientated resort with something for everyone. In fact the most common language you'll hear as you wander the streets is Spanish as the resort caters well for its own people.

Tourism dates back to the early 1960s when Benidorm was no more than a small fishing port centred on a domed church next to Plaza del Castillo. Today Plaza del Castillo is called Placa del Castell thanks to the growth of the Valencian language but the same old church remains on its rocky peninsula surrounded by an unbelievable number of hotels, apartment blocks, bars and restaurants that a visitor could be forgiven for believing they were in Las Vegas rather than on the coast of Spain. The tallest building is the Gran Hotel Bali at 186 metres.

The old church of San Jaime is an ideal spot from which to describe the geography of Benidorm as it is the heart of the old town which splits the resort into two parts. To the north is Playa Levante, a 2km long beach of golden sand with restricted traffic access along the promenade and the livelier of the resort's two main beaches. To the south of the old town is Playa Poniente which is 3km in length, also has golden sand but is narrower with far fewer hotels and a road separating them from the beach.

As director of Spanish Fiestas I've travelled to pretty much everywhere in Spain so I'm familiar with what the brochures call "the Real Spain". I had low expectations when going to Benidorm for a week to prepare this section of our website but was
completely wrong. I really enjoyed the place, highly recommend it for singles and family holidays as well as to retired people who make up the majority of the foreign population during the winter months when some long stay bargains are on offer.