Benidorm by Ana

The Journey to Spain

It was this very idea of somewhere hot, with palm trees gently swaying in a soft Mediterranean breeze, that compelled 18-year-old Ana to seek out pastures new.

Alicante City, Costa Blanca.

Her compatriot, poet and novelist Vincas Krėvė, wrote ‘Jei myli, turi pasitikėti’ – If you love, you have trust – and Ana’s love for Spain and the Spanish language set her on a journey from her native Lithuania, via Germany, to Alicante.

Incredibly, during that first week she met her future husband Marcos, native to the region and the first person to mention Benidorm; a name and a place that would help define Ana as she moved to the resort to find work in the thriving tourism sector.

Benidorm, Costa Blanca.

Living in the nearby town of Albir, after a good seven years working in a wide range of Benidorm hotels, from reception to reservations, Covid’s arrival knocked the stuffing out of the holiday market and led Ana, like so many, to reassess.

Benidorm by Ana

Her love for Benidorm, Marina Baixa and the Costa Blanca region lit a fuse – how to keep people informed of what was happening here while the Pandemic prevented them from travelling.

Ana’s knowledge of the area and the tourism industry led to the birth of her YouTube channel, Benidorm by Ana. 

Focusing on regular news updates and video tours of Benidorm and the towns and villages across the region, Ana’s mission was to be both informative and entertaining while looking to elevate Benidorm above and beyond the negative, outdated views held by many in the mainstream press.Ana reaches out to her audience via her successful English-language and Spanish-language channels, highlighting the culture, landscape, history, food and entertainment of the places we all love to come to for a holiday. 

With her experience in the hotel industry, the Benidorm by Ana channel was the first to provide official hotel tours which proved enormously helpful to would-be holidaymakers deciding on their accommodation.   

To this day Ana is still in love with the area and the work she does to help promote it.   

And meeting her subscribers in person gives her the same buzz. ‘We’ve had so many tourists come up to us and say ‘It’s our first time in Benidorm and we absolutely love it, thank you for your videos, we are here because of them’ – special moments like this make the hours of filming absolutely worth it!’ 

Private Tours

Building on the success of her YouTube channel, Ana and husband Marcos thought of ways to help visitors get more out of their holiday in Benidorm.

Although many companies offer excursions for tourists, they were largely created to suit big groups. Ana wanted something for smaller groups of family and friends: something a little more personal and unique. 

As a result Benidorm by Ana Tours was launched to provide a customised and flexible private tour service designed around the individual.

Some of Ana’s Favourites

A walk through the Sierra Helada Nature Reserve up to Albir Lighthouse with stunning views at the top and even the chance to catch a glimpse of a dolphin if you’re lucky!

One of the most iconic destinations in Spain, Guadalest has to be on your Costa Blanca bucket list. Visiting with Ana by your side makes the day that bit more special.

The blue-domed church and historic Old Town of Altea are quite simply divine. You could meander the cobbled streets and nosey amongst an eclectic bunch of shops for hours. Ana will guide you all the way!

Ana’s Spain

You can get to know a bit more about Ana on her website but here are some of the things Ana loves best about her adopted country – in her own words.

Favourite Spanish Food

Tortilla de Patata con Cebolla (Spanish Omelette with onion); it’s not easy to make a good tortilla, and it’s an art in itself to flip it. My favourite snack, served in almost every bar! 

Favourite place in Marina Baixa

Sierra Helada Nature Reserve – it connects Albir and Benidorm and is such an incredible place for sport, collecting aromatic herbs or to simply enjoy a lovely springtime walk. Stunning views and some virgin beach areas with crystal clear water, it’s a place where your mind can stop for a second and rest. 

Favourite place in Spain

So impossible to choose only one, Spain is full of incredible places and destinations. Mallorca is one of our favourite islands, Galicia with its thermal lakes during winter, Sevilla and its picturesque beauty and unbelievable history.

And Sierra Nevada, one of the highest points in Spain, where many of us head to see snow! But honestly, the list is endless. 

Favourite Spanish word

Tapeo! It means so much, it’s tradition, history, family, friends, love and enjoyment all wrapped up into one small word! Tapeo is Spain. Part of Spanish lifestyle, when family members or friends gather up on the terrace of a bar to share a beer, wine or any drink, accompanied with a tapa, and where the entire evening is spent having conversations and moving from one bar to another.

This is why we also decided to include the Benidorm Tapas Tour into our tour selection – for all those who would like to discover authentic Spanish cuisine and get to know more about its history.

For more information you can visit Ana’s Benidorm by Ana YouTube channel and Benidorm by Ana Tours website.