Benidorm, North Costa Blanca
BENIDORM
Benidorm is the tourist centre of the Costa Blanca and along the Mediterranean. It has beaches classified among the finest in Europe – clean, broad and fully equipped with services and bathed by clear, crystalline water.
Benidorm is famous for is fine climate throughout the year and offers countless opportunities for rest, relaxation, fun & entertainment, swimming, sunbathing and certainly lots of nightlife.
Benidorm is a big sprawling metropolis, but the backdrop to Benidorm is the magnificent mountain range known as Sierra Helada. Like most of the Costa Blanca towns, Benidorm was once a tiny fishing village, but is now a "love it or hate it" place.
As you approach Benidorm it looks like Manhattan in New York with the huge high rise apartments and hotels towering into the sky.
Benidorm is one of Spain’s largest tourist resorts and is very well-known because of the amount of British who have been on package holidays to Benidorm. It is a fact that Benidorm is the Costa Blanca's most popular tourist destination with over 4 million visitors every year. With only a flying time of about two hours from most Northern European airports and only half an hour from Alicante’s NEW airport, long weekend breaks to your property in Benidorm are a great advantage.
Benidorm is rather unique in that it attracts many different segments of holidaymakers. In the hotter summer months many younger people visit Benidorm for the vibrant nightclubs and the huge amount of bars and pubs. Benidorm also attracts many pensioners and retirees in the winter months, who enjoy the warmer weather and the many facilities such as restaurants and shops all very close together within walking distance and all with very reasonable prices. Benidorm also attracts young families because of the fabulous beaches lined with the promenade full of lively bars with live music, restaurants and shops. Young families also enjoy the many activities such as the five theme parks in the Benidorm area.
Benidorm had suffered from a somewhat downmarket and tacky image. Thankfully the Benidorm tourist board have now addressed this negative image and are looking to take the resort more upmarket.
BENIDORM THEME PARKS
There is a superb amount of attractions in Benidorm. Of course there are nightclubs, bars and restaurants galore but Benidorm also has a number of unique attractions not found elsewhere, namely the Benidorm theme parks, Terra Mitica, Terra Natura and Aqua Natura, Aqualandia and Mundomar.
BENIDORM BEACHES
The reason Benidorm has become so large and so popular is the beautiful setting with three miles of fine sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. There are two wonderful long sandy beaches, Playa Poniente (sunset beach) and Playa Levante (sunrise beach), separated by a rocky promontory, the Canfali vantage point that offers great views in each direction.
The Benidorm beaches are long and wide although very crowded in summer. Levante (to the left) is probably busier than Poniete. There is also a very good beach south of Poniete at Finestrat.
There are plenty of watersports available such as waterskiing and parasailing. For scuba-divers you can visit the Llosa reef teeming with sea-life.
BENIDORM OLD TOWN
Benidorm also has a lovely old town area, this area is very traditional, very Spanish and quite peaceful. This area is centred around the Canfali vantage point and the Parque de Elche. The old town district has all the major shops of Benidorm as well as some good bars.
BENIDORM NIGHTLIFE
Benidorm nightlife is famous. Needless to say Benidorm is packed with restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes and nightclubs, many of them English and Irish. There are literally thousands of bars and pubs and drink prices are very low. As well as this there is a lot of free entertainment such as comedians, bands and tribute acts. This makes Benidorm such a fun place.
PEACOCK ISLAND
From the Benidorm beaches you can see a rock known as Peacock Island because of the birds there. You can catch a boat there from the port. The waters are very clear and filled with schools of fish.
BENIDORM SHOPPING
Visitors to Benidorm can enjoy a great variety of shopping, from the markets and the cheap Chinese bazaars to the designer shops at the La Marina Mall in Benidorm. The Carrefour supermarket in Benidorm is a huge hypermarket with many types of food from Spanish to English (British). Another place popular for food shopping is the Iceland supermarket.