Benidorm

Understand

Benidorm was built compact thanks to the foresight of the town's mayor, who in the 1960s had a vision of a resort which grew upwards. Now it is slowly spreading westwards. Today Benidorm is famous for tall hotels and holiday apartment blocks, some of which are over 25 floors high. Benidorm offers a range of quality of accommodation, and the city attracts package holiday visitors and tourists who demand 5-star hotel and spa complexes. Due to the July–August crowd of young people, many apartments will insist on a refundable deposit for certain times of the year. There are over 41,000 hotel beds and modern tourist apartments. The biggest assets are the 4 km of Blue Flag safe sandy beaches which draw people from all over Spain in the summer months and from all over Europe 365 days of the year. Benidorm is an ideal sun destination both in summer and winter due to the mild climate where day-time temperatures rarely fall below 18°C.

1 Tourist Info Benidorm Centro, Plaza Canalejas, 1 (Centro Municipal el Torrejó), ☏ +34 965 851 311, [email protected]. M-F 09:00-21:00, Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 10:00-14:00. (updated Nov 2017) 2 Tourist Info Benidorm Europa, Av de Europa, s/n, ☏ +34 965 860 095. M-F 10:30-17:30, Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 10:00-14:00. (updated Nov 2017) Touristic guide service (Guides Costa Blanca), ☏ +34 610 42 6621, [email protected]. M-S 9:00-14:00 15:30-21:00. Offers book walking tours and other excursions in Benidorm and surroundings (Costa Blanca). (updated Mar 2021)

Watch Benidorm. This UK television situation comedy provides an amusing depiction of British holidaymakers staying at an all-inclusive resort in Benidorm. Although the Solana Resort is fictional, the scenes were filmed at actual Benidorm properties. The ensemble cast includes Siobhan Finneran, Steve Pemberton, Sherrie Hewson, and Johnny Vegas. Benidorm was originally broadcast on ITV/STV/UTV for ten series from February 2007 to May 2018. The show won the Best Situation Comedy BAFTA

Getting there

By plane Alicante Airport (ALC IATA) is serviced daily by over 30 low-cost and scheduled airlines from most major European cities. The majority of incoming flights are from the UK which offer the best value seat prices due to high competition in this sector. There are a number of online shuttle services from the airport to Benidorm for €10 or less each way. Private transfers operate from the terminal building with a journey time of 30–45 minutes to Benidorm.

By rail

Tram Alicante (el Trenet) operates a light rail train connecting all major settlements along the coast between Dénia and Alicante, with the exception of Xàbia. L1 (line 1) connects Benidorm with Alicante (1 hr 9 min) and Villajoyosa, while the hourly L9 connects the city with Dénia and other points between. You will need your ticket's barcode to get out of the station. For travelers with smartphones, there is a helpful official app (iPhone and Android) with a route planner and timetables. Guide dogs and small pets in carriers are permitted.

1 Benidorm (main tram station), Carrer de L'Estació (2 km W of town centre), ☏ +34 900 720 472. Main tram station serving line 1 & 9. In Zone B. (updated Jun 2025) 2 Benidorm Intermodal (Intermodal tram statioin). Station serving lines 1 & 9 next to bus station. In Zone B (updated Jun 2025)

By bus 3 Estació de Autobusos Benidorm (Estación de Autobuses de Benidorm / Benidorm Bus Station), Carrer Francisco Llorca Antón, 6 (far W of town). A number of companies operate international routes to many European countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Italy and France. Within the region, Alsa operates a route connecting all major coastal settlements between Valencia and Alicante. (updated Nov 2017)

By car Benidorm is close to the autopista A7 and well connected to the rest of Spain via the national motorway network, with both Madrid and Barcelona less than a five-hour drive away. Parking in Benidorm can be difficult as most streets have cars parked day and night on b

Getting around

By foot Discovering central Benidorm is easy on foot as that area is very compact especially the Levante Playa area which is chosen by most visitors as the area to stay. It is easy to walk a few miles and still remain in town. Walking time from one end of the resort to the other is over an hour's walk. There are a few companies opposite the Wednesday/Sunday market which hire or sell motability scooters for the disabled and sometimes just plain lazy who want to get around town.

By bus Llorente Bus is an excellent local bus service which runs until midnight, and also runs buses to the neighbouring towns of Altea, Finestrat, and Villajoyosa. Buses run between 06:00-24:00, and there are night buses between midnight and 06:00; schedules and route maps are available online. Individual fares are €1.50/€1.65 (day/night), payable directly to the bus driver. Visitors who plan to use the bus a lot may want to consider purchasing a Tourist Card, valid for 24 hours (€11), 3 days (€20), or 7 days (€38), and which cannot be topped up. For those staying for a longer period the Eco Card is valid for 30 days and can be topped up (€54, +€2 for the plastic card). Both card types are for individual use only and cannot be shared with others; they can be purchased directly on the bus.

See

As a purpose-built beach resort, everything is geared toward fun and enjoyment; there is therefore not much to see for those looking for culture. The surrounding towns and villages, which are less than 20 minutes drive by car or 30 minutes by bus are well worth exploring for anyone looking for 'real Spain'. In Benidorm the old town does still retain some of the quaint past, from when the town was a small village. Head for the old town church, where you will find the most interesting part of the town.

1 Punta Calfani (Balcón del Mediterráneo). The rocky outcrop separates the Benidorm coast into beaches, Platja de Peniente and Platja de Levante, each of them 2.5 km long. Once the site of a defensive structure against pirates, today it is a favourite scenic viewpoint. (updated Nov 2017) 2 Església de Sant Jaume i Santa Anna (Iglesia de San Jaime y Santa Ana / Church of St James and St Ana), Plaça de Sant Jaume, 1 (old town), ☏ +34 965 854 024. Built between 1740 and 1780, the church houses the effigy of Mare de Déu del Sofratge (Virgen del Sufragio – 'Virgin of the Suffrage'), the patron saint of Benidorm. (updated Nov 2017) 4 Parc de l'Aigüera (Parque de la Aigüera / Aigüera Park). This elongated park was established in 1990. The 3 Plaça de Bous (Plaza de Toros) is in the northern part. (updated Nov 2017) 5 Intempo. At 198 m, the tallest building in Benidorm, and the tallest in Spain outside of Madrid, was designed by the Alicante Pérez-Guerras architecture firm. Construction has been riddled with problems, and completed in 2021. (updated Nov 2017) Tossal de la Cala. Archaeological site and viewpoint. Free. (updated May 2022) 6 Museo del Motor (Motor Museum), Carrer Joan Fuster, 4 (by