Benidorm Spain

Where to locate Benidorm

Benidorm is positioned in the Costa Blanca, north of Alicante in the area between Valencia and Murcia. It is close to the towns of Javea and Denia in the north with Elche and Torrevieja to the south.

Benidorm accommodation

There are many places to stay here including Benidorm hotels, guest houses, and self catering accommodation. You will find Benidorm accommodation to suit all budgets. There is a wide choice of accommodation styles offered in the near towns of Altea, Calpe, L’Alfas del Pi, Finestrat, Villajoyosa, and La Nuncia.

Rent a car in Benidorm

There is some community transport in this town but if you want to travel far and wide in this region then you really have to hire a car. There are loads of restaurants, shops, bars for you to select from if you do not plan to go any distance, some people just intend a tranquil vacation. A Benidorm car hire is going to permit you to see much more of the neighboring parts, and there are some lovely parts around here. When you arrive at the airport, there are a load of car rental companies. Also, you will find a lot of Benidorm car rental companies to pick from.

What to see in Benidorm

Benidorm is a city in the province of Alicante. Although today, the Benidorm skyline dominates the Vista for miles around with many skyscrapers, it was only just prior to the 1960s the Benidorm was a sleepy fishing village. It is reckoned that they residential population in Benidorm is over 67,000 which ranks it as the fifth highest population in the province of Alicante. With many beaches and a huge hotel industry, Benidorm is one of the most important tourist areas in the whole of Spain. In Benidorm sits in the foothills of the Puig Campana which is 1406 meters tall.

The history of the Benidorm

Remains have been found in the township from the Iberian and Roman times. James I of Aragon conquered this part of Alicante around 1245. The lands of Benidorm, just like most of the rest of the region, were awarded to Admiral Bernardo de Sarria. This major feudal lord could be considered the true founder of the city, in granting Carta Puebla to Benidorm on May 8 of 1325, he created the castle and the town. The role of this document was to mark the boundaries of the new town (as well administratively separating it from the barony of Polop) and also to try to attract the establishment exclusively from Christian families. Strategically, the origin of the town (like the other coastal towns such as Villajoyosa) was due to the fear prevailing at that time because of the superior number of Moors who were occupying the area, and possible alliances between them and their brothers in religion from the Kingdoms of Granada and North Africa. In 1335 the territorial lord was the Infante Pedro of Aragon i Anjou, and followed by his son, Alfonso of Aragon i in the Foix. Subsequently, Benidorm was passed on to the counts of Denia, and later returned to the crown. It was eventually sold it to the noble Ruy Diaz de Mendoza. This was because the financial difficulties of the monarch with the occasional zombie conflicts forced him to discard many domains.

The population suffered two terrible pirate attacks Barbary. The first was in 1410 and the second in 1448, both which hit the town and castle. Specifically, in the 1448 attack, the pirates captured and enslaved most of the inhabitants of Benidorm. This left Benidorm almost deserted.

During the XVI century the castle was repaired and expanded, but the urban village, which had returned to the barony of Polop, was apparently almost completely depopulated.

Improvement to the defensive structures and the establishment of a canal that could bring water for agriculture started to attract settlers. In 1701, through initiative a new charter was granted to the village population, which once again became an independent municipality.

In 1715 the population was about 216 residents, a figure that rose to 2,700 by the end of the 17th century. This strong population growth was possible due mainly to a significant business Fisheries based on fishing (fishing for tuna during their migration journey, through a fence of networks), in which its inhabitants were specialists. In the war of independence, Napoleon’s troops desecrated the cemetery and destroyed the castle.

During the nineteenth century continued growth and timid tourist adventures began. Although in later years with improved communications between Alicante and Madrid, other local economic sectors started going through boom times because the merchant marine entered crisis with the loss of the last overseas colonies in 1898 (Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines) and soon after agriculture of the vine (wine and raisins) came to grief with the arrival of the Phylloxera in the early twentieth century. This economic slowdown was combined with some migration to Cuba, the Maritime Quarter of Barcelona and Cadiz.

During these years saw the expansion of the port and in 1925 the construction of the first houses in Playa de Levante. After the Civil War, socio-economic activities gradually began to recover especially when it came to activities such as fishing which proved to be an outstanding success. Yet in the decade of the 50’s, steps were taken to produce a real transformation. On the one hand, 1952 proved to be a very bad year for the tuna catch which was traumatic for many of the fishing families. However, on the other hand, 1956 City Council approved the urban system of the village in order to create a city designed for leisure tourism, based on well-planned streets and broad avenues following the configuration of the beach. Thereafter, there was a sharp shift from traditional activities (fishing and agriculture) to the services sector led by tourism, which became the foundation for the city’s prosperity. Currently, Benidorm is one of the top tourist cities of the Mediterranean coast.

Monuments and places of interest

* Torre Punta del Cavallo which has been declared a Cultural landmark. Located in the Punta de les Caletes or Punta del Cavallo, the tower also known as de les Caletes (Torre de les Caletes). This included within the Natural Park of Sierra Helada.

* Tossal of Cala. (Siglos III -- I BC). This is a late Iberian settlement that is part of the history of the area of Benidorm and was used as a trading point and a wharf used since ancient times.

* El Mirador de la Punta del Canfali. This is the big rock that divides the two beaches where stood the fortress that served as a defense against pirate raids and Berber Algerians in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. Subsequently the castle was abandoned, leaving today only some remnants of the walls, which remain lying on the rocks at the lookout, also known as the Mediterranean balcony.

* Iglesia de San Jaime y Santa Ana (Church of San Jaime and Santa Ana) is located in the upper old town, on top of the hill Canfali. It was built between 1740 and 1780 after the discovery of the Virgen del Suffrage, patron saint of Benidorm.

Fiestas
Benidorm is a city where the festivities take on a special prominence. The Patron Major Festivals in honor of the Virgen del Suffrage and Jaime Apostle St. Eve begin on the second Sunday of November and conclude the following Wednesday. Apart from major festival already mentioned, Benidorm also has many festivals which are held throughout most of the year. These represent an important attraction for those visiting this Mediterranean city. The Fallas celebration is held in March, Bonfires of San Juan in June, and in October it is the turn of the Moors and Christians.

One of the events that has given Benidorm much of its fame, and has become an annual celebration since 1954, is the International Song Festival of Benidorm. In recent years the festival has fallen into decline and has received plenty of criticism for its constant changes. It has not been held since 2006 and is thought that the continuity of the festival is in doubt.

There is a wealth of entertainment available in Benidorm, this including its theme parks and many attractions. These include Terra Mitica which is one of the major theme parks in Spain, is based on the different civilizations that inhabited the Mediterranean. Also, Aqualandia Waterpark, Mundomar which is an animal park, Terra Natura which is another theme park centered around animals, along with Aqua Natura which is meant for the observation of aquatic animals and aquatic attractions.

Many tourists come here from all over Europe, especially northern Europe and most especially from the UK. The package holiday explosion was the major influence on initially building Benidorm’s popularity. The restaurants and bars are based mainly around one central area and there is plenty to do here most of the day, but the town really livens up after nightclub night when there are numerous free cabarets on offer. Of course, like up and down the rest of the coast, there are plenty of beach activities to partake in. These beach activities can be as relaxing as laying on the beach all day under the hot baking sun, to windsurfing or diving. The area also offers fantastic sport for the golf enthusiast. Benidorm golfing not only has several golf courses in the locale; there are also plenty of golf courses to choose from up and down the province.

Benidorm

Where can you eat in Benidorm

The chow in this locality is a mixture of Spanish, English, German, Dutch, Chinese, Indian, Cantonese, Hungarian, and I am sure if you look you will find other enjoyable national cuisines. If you cannot find a plate of food which is going to fit your palate in this place then there is something that is not right with your taste. A couple of the local restaurants include the Flamingo Benidorm Restaurante which is located on Calle Marbella. Here you will find good food and very helpful staff. Or there is the Kataria Restaurant, which serves a very sophisticated and stylish food. This contemporary restaurant serves a la carte and traditional Alicantan dishes, with great presentation, healthy ingredients, and the magnificent fine dining experience.

The weather conditions in Benidorm

Sunlight is the universal when it comes to weather in the district and in Benidorm. There are beautiful warm sun-drenched summers and clement sun-drenched winters. Rainfall does not appear frequently but it is well accepted that it does rainfall every so often. It can very often involve a revitalizing respite from the invariable heat.

How to get to Benidorm

Directions from Aeropuerto de Murcia-San Javier, 30729 San Javier, Spain to Benidorm Spain

Distance: 142.7 km

Time: 1 hr 25 min

Start: Head southwest

Turn right

Turn left toward AP-7

Go through 1 roundabout

At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto the AP-7 ramp to San Pedro del Pinatar/Alicante/Balsicas/C-3319/Murcia/A-37

Merge onto AP-7
Partial toll road

Take the exit onto A-7

Continue onto A-70
Partial toll road

Continue onto AP-7 (signs for AP-7/Valencia)
Toll road

Take the exit onto AP-7
Toll road

Take exit 65 toward N-332/Callosa d’En Sarrià
Toll road

Merge onto Av de la Comunidad Europea
Partial toll road

Continue onto CV-766/CV-7670/Av de la Comunidad Valenciana

Continue to follow CV-766

Slight right at CV-766/CV-7671

Turn left to stay on CV-766/CV-7671

Slight left to stay on CV-766/CV-7671

Turn right at Calle de Tomás Ortuño

Turn left at Calle de Venus

Calle de Venus turns right and becomes Av de Ruzafa

Arrive at Benidorm, Spain

Directions from Alicante Airport, Elche, Spain to Benidorm Spain

Distance: 59.3 km

Time: 0 hr 40 min

Start: Head east

Take the ramp to N-340/Elche/E-15/A-7/Valencia/Murcia

Merge onto N-338

Merge onto E-15/A-7 via the ramp to A-31/Madrid/A-70/Alicante/Benidorm/Valencia