Benidorm Travel Guide: Beyond the Stereotypes

Benidorm has more high-rise buildings per capita than New York. That’s not a joke – it’s actually the point. In the 1960s, the town’s mayor decided to build up instead of out, packing tourists into towers rather than letting villas sprawl along the coast. The result is a dense, walkable city surrounded by untouched coastline and mountains. It’s the opposite of what most people expect when they hear “Benidorm.”

The British stereotype – hen dos, sunburnt blokes, all-day English breakfasts – isn’t wrong, exactly. It’s just incomplete. Benidorm is also a compact Spanish city with a genuinely good old town tapas scene, two Blue Flag beaches with different personalities, and some of the cheapest eating out you’ll find on the Spanish coast. If you write it off without visiting, you’re making the same mistake as the people who never leave the Levante strip.

The Two Beaches: Levante vs Poniente

Benidorm sits on a headland with a beach on each side, and they feel like different towns. The old town casco antiguo perches on the rocky bit in the middle, connecting the two.

There’s also Mal Pas, a tiny 120m cove tucked below the old town facing Benidorm Island. It’s sheltered, quiet, and sits next to the La Llosa marine reserve – decent snorkelling if you bring your own gear.

The Old Town (Casco Antiguo)

The old town sits on the headland between the two beaches. Narrow cobbled streets, whitewashed houses, and the kind of small tapas bars where the waiter doesn’t hand you a laminated English menu – he just tells you what’s good today.

This is where most British tourists never go, which is baffling because it’s a ten-minute walk uphill from either beach. The tapas here is authentic and cheap. A menú del día – three courses, bread, a drink – runs 10-15€ at the family-run places. Individual tapas go for 3-6€. A glass of wine is 2€. You can eat and drink very well for almost nothing.

At the tip of the headland is the Balcón del Mediterráneo, a viewpoint with curved white balustrades looking out over both beaches and the sea. It’s at its best at sunset, but it’s worth a look any time – it puts the geography of Benidorm into perspective.

The old town is also Benidorm’s most established gay-friendly area, with 30+ welcoming bars concentrated in a small area. The atmosphere is relaxed and inclusive.

Nightlife and Entertainment

Benidorm’s nightlife has layers. Which layer you end up in depends on what you’re looking for.

The strip runs parallel to Levante beach – a long stretch of pubs, bars, and clubs that’s busiest from June through September. It’s loud, cheerful, and unapologetically British in places. You’ll find everything from karaoke to tribute acts to clubs open until dawn. If you’ve been to Magaluf or Blackpool, you know the general territory.

English Square (the junction of Avenida de Mallorca and Calle Gerona) is the hub of the British nightlife scene. Karaoke, cabaret, tribute acts. It does what it does well – just don’t expect subtlety.

Benidorm Palace is worth knowing about even if cabaret isn’t normally your thing. It’s a 1,600-seat dinner-show venue that’s been running for decades – think Las Vegas-style production with dancers, acrobats, and variety acts. Their current show is called ELEMENTS. Prices range from 36€ for the show only up to 100€ for the platinum-with-backstage package. Dinner starts at 20:00, show runs from 22:00 to midnight. It’s cheesy in the best possible way.

Old town bars are the alternative to all of the above. Smaller, more atmospheric, a mix of Spanish-owned spots and British-run pubs. The kind of places where you sit outside on a terraza with a 2€ wine and talk to strangers. No cover charges, no dress codes, no queues.

Family-Friendly Benidorm

Benidorm actually works well for families, mostly because everything is close together and the infrastructure is solid. Three theme parks sit in the Sierra Helada area on the eastern edge of town:

Beyond the parks, Benidorm is flat and walkable. Levante, Poniente, and the old town are all connected by the seafront promenade, so you’re never far from anywhere with a pushchair. The Rincón de Loix area at the far eastern end of Levante is popular with families – apartment-style accommodation, supermarkets, parks, and easy access to the theme parks.

Day Trips from Benidorm

Benidorm is well-placed for day trips. The coastline changes dramatically within twenty minutes, and the mountains behind are properly beautiful.

Weather and When to Visit

Benidorm gets around 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. Even in January, you’re looking at average highs of 15°C and six hours of sun. It doesn’t feel like the Costa del Sol, but it doesn’t feel like Manchester either.

June to September is prime beach season. The sea hits 22-26°C, rain practically disappears in July, and everything is open. It’s also when Benidorm is at its busiest and most expensive.

May and October are the sweet spot for sightseeing. Warm enough for the beach on good days, quiet enough to actually enjoy the old town. October is technically the wettest month (76mm), but the rain tends to come in short, heavy bursts rather than grey drizzle.

November to February is a different Benidorm altogether. The town fills with retired Europeans – Scandinavians, Germans, Brits – escaping northern winters. The temperature hovers around 15-16°C, which is jacket weather but still pleasant for walking. Prices drop, restaurants are quieter, and the pace slows right down. If you’re not chasing beach weather, it’s a genuinely nice time to visit.

Budget: Benidorm Is Cheap

This is probably the most useful thing anyone can tell you about Benidorm: eating out is so affordable that self-catering barely saves you money.

VAT at 10% is already included in all menu prices. Tipping is optional – there are no automatic service charges. Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl, and Aldi all have stores in town if you want to self-cater, but honestly, a menú del día at a local place costs less than cooking for yourself and comes with wine.

Practical Info

Getting There

Alicante-Elche Airport (ALC) is the gateway. Ryanair and easyJet fly direct from most major UK airports – Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, all the London airports. Flight time is around two and a half hours.

From the airport, ALSA runs direct buses to Benidorm. They depart from the 2nd floor (departures level), run roughly every 30 minutes from 07:00 to 23:00, and cost 9-12€ one way (about 18€ return). The journey takes 45-55 minutes and drops you at Benidorm’s bus station on Calle Francisco Llorca Antón.

Getting Around

Benidorm is compact and walkable. Levante, Poniente, and the old town are all connected by the seafront promenade. You don’t need a car unless you’re doing day trips to Guadalest or the mountains. The tram (Line 1) runs south to Villajoyosa and north to Altea, which covers two of the best day trips without a car.

Language

You’ll get by with English in the tourist areas – most restaurant staff speak enough, and many menus are translated. In the old town and Poniente, Spanish goes further. A few words of Spanish (por favor, gracias, la cuenta) are appreciated everywhere and occasionally necessary. Catalan/Valencian appears on official signs but isn’t needed for visitors.

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Frequently Asked Questions