This is how you completely reinvent Benidorm for your clients
Teresa MachanIt’s time to shake off any pre-conceived and outdated ideas about the Alicante resort, as Teresa Machan discovers during a late-autumn jaunt to this underrated Spanish destination
It’s early morning in Benidorm, and aside from a jogger bobbing along the pristine promenade, I have one of the city’s long strands of urban beach to myself. The powdery sand is pricked with palm trees and sunrise licks the sky in fiery crimson tongues. I slip into the warm Mediterranean, remembering that it’s late October, and sigh contentedly. The Spanish resort that everyone has an opinion about is making a good first impression.
Today’s Benidorm caters for many types of holidaymaker, according to Visit Benidorm. Cyclists, hikers, spa-goers, golfers, snorkellers, scuba divers, families and couples of all ages – and not just the stags and hens and party groups who’ve given the resort its notorious reputation. And Benidorm can add accessibility to this list – this is one of the most accessible European beach cities I’ve visited, and it also has scores of gay-friendly bars, many of them in the Old Town.
I’ve come with an open mind and a keen appetite for activities. My friendly three-star hotel, Hotel Agir, is on the arterial Avenida del Mediterraneo, which runs parallel to Levante Beach. This formerly traffic-choked road is now a leafy pedestrianised street with seating, a cycle lane and striking lighting. After breakfast, I walk to Tao Bikes, where I hire an e-bike to get me up and around the coastal cliffs. At €20 for a half day and €30 for a full day, rates are reasonable.
If I were here for a couple more days, I would cycle to the pretty coastal village of Althea, or give the guided Gastronomic, or Wine Cellar routes a whirl. Instead, I pay for a two-hour hire and follow the Route of the Coves, which winds its way up from the eastern edge of Levante Beach to the Sierra Helada mountain range. Signposts lead to hiking routes, short and long. Fifteen minutes in, I stop at a vantage point to look down on the beach coves of Tio Ximo and Almadabra, and for spectacular views across the city and its swathe of urban beach.
Those clear rocky coves invite snorkelling, but I’m saving that for a trip to Benidorm Island, after lunch. I meet Sergio Frau from Visit Benidorm at Ulia, a fish restaurant at the western tip of Poniente Beach. An incredible 105 metres wide at its broadest point, Poniente is a quieter alternative to Levante and its promenade is lined with restaurants, bars and beach shops.
FIND YOUR BENIDORM
Frau is unfazed by preconceived notions about Benidorm. “I’m proud of Benidorm and what we offer,” he says. “Besides our 6km of Blue Flag beaches we’ve got 140km of cycle paths, two prestigious golf courses and some of the region’s top hikes in the Sierra Gelada Natural Park.”
Partying Brits will still come for the bars and watersports of Levante Beach and the amusements of English Square, but the message here is “it’s easy to find your Benidorm”.
“I challenge anyone who comes to say that they can’t find the Benidorm for them,” says Frau.
Ulia is known for its paella, and the terrace is busy with locals enjoying the autumn sunshine. Our waiter brings a huge pan of fideua – paella made with short, spaghetti-like noodles – and though the pan almost fills the table we’re soon scraping scraps off the bottom.
From here it’s a quick walk to the port, where motorboats leave for Benidorm Island. At Aqua Sports, I rent a snorkel and we head for a wedge-shaped rock about two miles offshore. In summer, the captain says, boats arrive every 15 minutes. Today, our boat of three has the island to ourselves and the gin-clear water reveals eagle rays, barracuda and small tuna.
At sunset, visitors flock to a viewing point dubbed the “Balcony of the Mediterranean”, beneath the ruins of the castle, around which the Old Town grew. There are descriptions in braille and a section of wall has been replaced with transparent wheelchair-height panels.
Later I splash out on Iberian acorn-fed pork cannelloni at the boutique Villa Venecia hotel, close to the blue-domed church of San Jaime. The restaurant balcony, which hugs the promontory, is the perfect spot for a lazy lunch.
HOTEL CHECK
Frau says many hotels took the opportunity to refurbish during Covid. In the last three years, H10 Hotels, Mercure, Innside by Melia, Barcelo and Pierre & Vacances have all opened properties. Among these, with balcony rooms overlooking Poniente Beach and a beachfront dining terrace, is the Barcelo Benidorm Beach, a box-fresh renovation in retro pastels.
At the refurbished Primavera Park hotel, which overlooks one of several city parks, there is a chic west-facing rooftop bar complete with infinity pool and a DJ booth. Cocktails with a sunset view don’t get much better.
Accommodation runs the gamut from affordable three-stars to bike-friendly hotels and luxe spa properties. The renowned Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, a 13-minute drive inland, has hosted Bruce Springsteen, Penelope Cruz and several high-profile sports personalities.
My priorities on a beach holiday include good local food, opportunities to keep active, a hotel with character and nearby towns and villages to explore. So far, so good. My last activity, a half-day jeep tour, seals the deal. There are jeep trips to the mountain village of Guadalest and to Fuentes de Alagar’s waterfalls and natural swimming holes, but I opt to visit Bodegas Enrique Mendoza, a winery in Serra Helada’s foothills.
On a tour of the experimental pruning field, we learn about organic viticulture, before visiting the bottling room and cellar, filled with 1,200 French and American oak barrels. We sample wines paired with artisan cheeses, charcuterie and the bodega’s extra virgin olive oil, and in a final flourish, Enrique Mendoza’s Muscatel is complemented by bitter Valor chocolate.
My Benidorm fling finishes how it started, with a swim. At sunset, the promenade is shared by local families, holidaymakers and dog walkers. Bobbing under the fiery sky, I realise I’ve made a mental list of things I didn’t manage to do. I must’ve found my Benidorm…
Book it: A week at Primavera Park Benidorm with Jet2holidays, departing on 30 March 2024, costs from £637pp including flights from Stansted. A week at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa costs from £1,471pp. jet2holidays.com; en.visitbenidorm.es
Benidorm snapshot
Smarter: Sell off-season holidays to spa-goers and wellness seekers, city-breakers, older clients seeking winter sun and those into cycling, walking and hiking. There are significant fiestas in February, March and November, and Benidorm Pride happens in September.
Better: Not many Mediterranean destinations can offer six theme parks (Aqualandia, Terra Mitica, Iberia Park, Aqua Natura, Terra Natura and Mundomar) within striking distance of the beach. This mix is a win-win for families.
Fairer: Benidorm is walkable but there’s more to see by bike. The local bicycle rental system, Bicidorm, is easy to use, and for hillier or longer cycles, e-bikes can be rented. The route between Benidorm and the coastal town of L’Albir and the steeper ride to the viewpoint at Punta del Cavall are both recommended. La Marina Baixa is good for mountain biking.
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