Benidorm: Your A-Z Guide

A

Avenida del Mediterráneo

The widest of boulevards, Avenida del Mediterráneo, runs from Plaza Triangular and the Old Town all the way into the Rincón de Loix area.

Parallel to Levante Beach and a street down from The Strip, this magnificent artery in the heart of Benidorm is populated with retail and jewellery boutiques, bars, restaurants, hotels, a bowling alley, funfair and a casino.

This is Benidorm.

You can keep your Champs-Élysées and your La Rambla, for us Benidorm’s Avenida del Mediterráneo is, and always will be, numero uno.

Avenida del Mediterráneo

B

Balcón del mediterráneo

Famous throughout Spain, Benidorm’s Balcón del mediterráneo is an iconic landmark.

Reaching out into the Med, with a view over a shimmering sea to Isla de Benidorm, this most graceful of viewing points captures the very essence of Benidorm.

Directly behind you, the Church and Old Town, and at either side the fabulous beaches of Levante and Poniente.

When you’re in Benidorm, you’ve simply got to ”Do the Balcón”

Balcón del mediterráneo

C

Cable Ski

Operating in Benidorm since 1966, the Cable Ski platform has to be one one of those landmarks that just shouts out: ‘You’re in Benidorm’.

Positioned off of Levante Beach at the Rincón de Loix end, it will be a sight familiar to all Benilovers.

The majority might well have only watched the cable skiers in action while sipping on a sangria!

But they understand that Cable Ski is so much more than a commercial enterprise offering watersport enthusiasts a thrilling experience.

It is an integral part of the Benidorm landscape.

Cable Ski Platform

D

Dove Park

Also know as Elche Park, Parque de Elche in Spanish and Parc d’Elx in the local Valencian language.

Close to Benidorm Port, at the end of the Old Town’s ‘Walking Street’ and the beginning of Poniente beach, Dove Park has become an essential part of the Benidorm lexicon.

A green urban space running in line with the beach and Carrer de Sant Pere; extending to just past Hotel H10 Porto Poniente.

There’s a water fountain, children’s climbing frames, pop-up stalls at certain times of the year and doves (hence the English sobriquet).

We do occasionally hear some people refer to it as Pigeon Park – but no matter what you call it, Dove Park is, and always will be, a chapter in the Benidorm Book.

Dove Park

E

El Castell

Plaza del Castell is the centrepiece of the Benidorm stretch, sitting atop the Old Town promontory and splitting in half the Levante and Poniente areas of Benidorm.

It is a glorious spot, providing seriously awesome views of the whole resort; a handful of bars and restaurants, music nights in the summer, the blue-domed church, anchor and cannon monuments as well as the occasional flamenco dancer!

Employed often in scenes from the British Benidorm TV series, and many times by Spanish filmmakers; if you’re on holiday in Benidorm, it’s a rite of passage to make your way up to the Castle Square.

Plaza del Castell

F

Fancy Dress Party

A completely British construct, Benidorm’s Fancy Dress Party has become an essential Benidorm participation event.

Kicking off on the day after the end of November Fiestas (always a Thursday), this is now Europe’s largest Fancy Dress Party!

It all began so innocently when a local bar owner offered a free drink to anyone who came in wearing Fancy Dress.

Fancy Dress Party

Little did they know that years later over 40,000 people would pile into Lepanto, Gerona and Derramador streets to soak up the mayhem of ”La Fiesta”.

Floats, sponsored by the bars and hotels, add to the incredible atmosphere.

And unbelievable costumes, that have been in the planning for months, are on full technicolour display.

G

Gay Pride Week

Celebrating its 16th anniversary in 2025, the first week in September has become one of the must visit times to book your Stay in Benidorm.

Parties and Parades. Music and More Parades!

The Old Town is filled with the rainbow colours, the place is a buzz of excitement as people from all corners of Europe descend on Benidorm to enjoy one of the biggest and best jamborees in the annual Gay calendar.

C/de la Palma, Gay Pride Week

H

Hotel Don Pancho

Benidorm has over 100 hotels and apartments. You also have several campsites dotted throughout the resort.

However, when it comes to accommodation, it’s the Hotel Don Pancho that is so uniquely Benidorm.

Opened back in 1972 by the five Torrubia brothers and still in the ownership of their descendants today, it is a place synonymous with Benidorm even for people who have never stayed there and might never stay there!

The name resonates across the decades and today still continues to be the benchmark for quality.

Hotel Don Pancho

I

Intempo

The liking or disliking of Intempo is somewhat of a moot point these days.

Just as the Hotel Gran Bali before it was a distant sign that you were closing in on your holiday destination as your bus sped along the motorway; Intempo now stands even taller and is testament to the ongoing re-imagining of a future Benidorm.

A sure sign that the resort doesn’t rest on its laurels.

Intempo

The Poniente side of Benidorm continues it’s rapid redevelopment, one that will over time meet the demand for holidays in this part of town.

But it will probably be a very long time, if ever, that a building is built that looks down on the 47 floors of Intempo.

J

John & Joseph’s

Serving up your classic menu of British pub food for near on 40 years.

In Benidorm.

In Spain.

Some might say that hardly does Benidorm any favours. We would have to politely  disagree.

They are a paragraph in the Benidorm script, adding rather than detracting.

The All-New John & Joseph’s

The Brits have helped to make a success of Benidorm, whether as tourists with a wallet full of euros (pesetas back in the day) or builders of businesses and bars along The Strip and elsewhere across the resort.

And John & Joseph’s is part of that, providing the people with what they want even if it is Steak & Kidney Pie.

We’re positive this type of establishment in Benidorm will continue to surprise and succeed; John & Joseph’s will need to – they’ve recently invested in a proper refurb!

K

Karaoke Bars

Where would Benidorm be without the Karaoke Bar.

A staple of the resort with some establishments dedicated solely to the cause while others interweave it alongside their schedule of live music acts.

You can grab the mic day or night in Benidorm, and as long has you can hold some kind of note there’ll be an appreciative audience ready to applaud.

From the famous Black Chicken to Piccadilly and the Benidorm Palladium, these bars have contributed to that particularly British feel.

Some love it. Others less so. But Karaoke is one of the key pieces in the Benidorm jigsaw!

Karaoke is King

L

Levante Beach

What makes Levante Beach the Benidorm beach is more to do with history, the Brits and the bars and restaurants that populate a superb promenade stretching out from the Rincón to the Old Town.

For many years this was the only beach British tourists associated with Benidorm, unaware and uninterested in Poniente and little Mal Pas.

And so, in the eyes of the UK, Levante Beach was, and still is to a degree, Benidorm’s beach.

Levante – Benidorm’s Beach

Times have changed and holidaymakers, like ourselves, spend most beach days on Playa de Poniente.

But there is no getting away from the fact that Levante Beach is closest to the majority of hotels and so easy to walk to and from under a hot summer sun.

And the range of food and drink outlets is second to none, with a heady mix of the Spanish, British, German, Irish, Belgian and Italian.

M

Markets

After the Weather and the Tribute Acts, it’s Benidorm Markets that emerge as a major talking point for visitors to Benidorm!

Thankfully, the resort has a few and you will find even more in the nearby towns of Albir, Altea, La Nucía and Villajoyosa.

But for true Benilovers, it is Benidorm’s Indoor and Outdoor Markets that matter most.

Indoor Market

And they both have, to quite a large extent, played a pivotal role in making people feel at home when they’re in Spain, especially for the Brits.

Market Day in the UK is all about history and tradition and here in Benidorm it’s just the same!

N

November Fiestas

In all Spanish towns and villages there are multiple days and weeks throughout the year when there is some kind of celebration happening.

But the one that takes pride of place is the Patron Saint Festivities to honour the Saint of each particular place.

And in Benidorm that is the Fiestas Mayores Patronales in honour of the Virgen del Sufragio and San Jaime.

The streets are transformed, music can be heard all around town, floral decorations adorn each street in the Old Town and the current Queen of Fiestas gets the party started.

November Fiestas – Party Time

It is genuinely a majestic time in Benidorm and has become increasingly popular not just for residents but for tourists, too.

Especially when the day after the November Fiestas ends, the Benidorm Fancy Dress Party turns up!

If you haven’t been at this time of the year make a date in your diary for the spectacle that is Benidorm’s November Fiestas.

O

Old Town

The Old Town is the making of Benidorm, transforming it from a mass tourism destination into something a little bit different.

Something a little more real, earthy.

Residents work and live and eat and shop in the Old Town. Children go to school in the Old Town.

And while thousands of tourists head to the narrow web of intersecting streets, the sense of community is rarely diminished.

In fact, the blend of those who live and work here and the fleeting visitors who come and go, creates an original vibe that simply works.

Stroll down a quiet Old Town street, stop for a caña and maybe some tapas; very quickly you’ll understand why Benidorm Old Town ticks all the holiday boxes.

Calle Santa Faz, Benidorm Old Town

P

Poniente Beach

Increasingly popular with British holidaymakers who have discovered why the Poniente side of Benidorm offers an altogether different holiday experience.

The design of the multicoloured, wave-like promenade elevates the beachfront to new heights; the perfect complement to the new modern skyscraper apartments being rapidly erected in this side of the resort.

A gorgeous beach at any time of the year, with a variety of bars and restaurants lining the 4km stretch from the Old Town to the Mirador de la Música at the opposite end.

With its laid back atmosphere, Spanish slant and easy-on-the-eye beauty, Poniente Beach is where the people who know, now go!

Poniente Beach – ©Visit Benidorm

Q

Queen Forever

Tribute Acts are at the very core of the Benidorm entertainment package.

One look at our Benidorm Show Calendar will give you an inkling as to the full variety of shows to take to the stage in multiple venues across town.

From the famous Benidorm Tom (Tom Jones) to She’s Pink (Pink) and 3rasure (Erasure) to Simon Patrick (Elvis) there is a musical genre for all tastes and generations.

But maybe one of the most popular is the band Chess who perform under the Queen Forever name.

The four guys pump out Queen classics from Morgan Tavern at midnight. Every night!

In Benidorm, as the great Freddie Mercury once said, ‘The Show Must Go On’.

Queen Forever

R

Rincón de Loix

Often referred to as the ‘British End’ of Benidorm, you would probably be right to call this the real New Town area; where there are many apartments and hotels huddled together, a lot of them in the shadow of the Sierra Helada mountain.

During the summer you’ll see lots of families and out of season, older couples.

Your Stag and Hen groups tend to decamp into Rincón hotels during the spring months of April and May making it an all-year-round sort of place.

Along with Poniente, Levante and the Old Town, Rincón de Loix is a neighbourhood in and of itself and one where thousands of British tourists opt to spend their one or two weeks in the sun.

Rincón de Loix at Night

S

Saint Patrick’s Day

All around the world the emerald green is donned, the pints of Guinness flow and the music plays on and on into the early hours.

Benidorm is recognised as one of the places to celebrate Saint Patrick and with Cheltenham Week such a huge event now, the whole resort goes a little mad for a few days in the middle of March!

Even Benidorm Town Council get in on the act, illuminating with green lighting El Castell, El Tossal de la Cala and the Town Hall building itself.

Saint Patrick’s gets the Green Light

T

Tapas Alley

Over the past few years Benidorm’s Tapas Alley has grown in popularity.

It is on the must visit list of most holidaymakers and understandably so.

Originally centred on Calle Santa Domingo, additional tapas bars have opened in adjoining streets so that the Alley is now a small, compact zone of delicious eateries.

Our Essential Tapas Alley blog goes into more detail but the key takeaway from our A-Z Guide is this: if you have yet to visit Tapas Alley, jog along, it’s a Benidorm essential!

Tapas Alley, Benidorm Old Town

U

Uncle Ped’s

Benidorm has to regularly take it on the chin when it comes to British-themed pubs, low-priced pints and mobility scooters!

It’s a negative view that stems from a rather quaint type of British snobbery.

With nearly a million British holidaymakers arriving in Benidorm each year it should come as no surprise the resort is skewed towards typically British characteristics, even though in a foreign country.

Uncle Ped’s

And a cheap pint of lager in the face of scandalous prices back in the UK – who doesn’t want that?

And, yes, mobility scooters are common place but the resort is 4 miles in length and about 1.5 miles deep – not everyone is a triathlete!

Uncle Ped’s is very much representative of this type of bar and culture in Benidorm: Fun, Cheap and Friendly.

V

Visit Benidorm

The team at Visit Benidorm have made giant strides over the years in showcasing Benidorm to new markets across Europe and beyond.

While at the same time ensuring those countries that adore Benidorm, such as Spain, Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium and the UK, continue to bear witness to the resorts quality and sustainability initiatives as well as its ongoing development.

A concerted effort has been made to expand the Benidorm offer, introducing more to the holiday mix than a beer in a pub.

From Snorkelling to E-Bikes, Benifest to Tapas Week and globally famous entertainers dropping in for a concert, Benidorm has an attraction or event that appeals to most.

Keep up the great work, we say.

And let us introduce more people to the never-ending delights of Benidorm.

Visit Benidorm Sign

W

Walking Street

The Paseo de la Carretera is a thoroughfare that links the Poniente side of Benidorm with the Centro area and Plaza Triangular.

And then on in to the Levante and New Town zone.

In the summer you will see it at its busiest as people decant from the beach for lunch, and scuttle between the two sides of the resort out of curiosity and sometimes because they are just plain lost!

It quietens down out of season but still has that good vibe feel, whether having a coffee with holiday friends, shopping or simply weaving your way through the Old Town.

In many ways it is a microcosm of the resort as a whole, connecting both parts with Casco Antiguo being central to it all.

‘Walking Street’

X

Ximo

(Tio) Ximo Cove is one of Benidorm’s beaches, hidden away around the Levante headland.

We often rock up for a bit of snorkelling in the clear turquoise sea, or sometimes to enjoy the peace and quiet of a rocky cove with a bocadillo and cold drink in our beach bag.

It’s another side of Benidorm most visitors are unaware of or maybe just not that interested in.

But along with the adjacent Cala Almadraba, it highlights the contrast that Benidorm can surprise you with when beginning to look a little further than the main drag.

(Tio) Ximo Cove

Y

Your Benidorm

Whenever we chat to visitors to Benidorm, especially those who have been coming to the resort for years, even decades; what is very apparent is that Benidorm means different things to different people.

Some people have never been to the Old Town, others never leave the Old Town.

Those who stay on the Poniente side have yet to see a single Tribute Act along The Strip, while thousands of people see three or four every night.

Some Brits like a game of bingo and a night of karaoke while other Brits only go to Spanish bars and restaurants.

And this is the beauty of a resort like Benidorm.

It is multi-dimensional, capable of pleasing each and every one who visits.

And that means it will always be Your Benidorm.

Your Benidorm

Z

Zaragoza

All Benilovers owe a debt of gratitude to The Man With A Plan, Pedro Zaragoza Orts, mayor of Benidorm between 1950 and 1967.

He was the chap with the vision, transforming Benidorm from a sleepy fishing village into a world leader in mass tourism; helping to provide a resort where young couples, groups of friends, and families from all levels of society could come for a holiday.

He essentially democratized the overseas holiday and where he led the rest of Spain’s coastal towns followed, helping to fundamentally change the Spanish economy for the better.

The Man With a Plan – Pedro Zaragoza

Benidorm has so many landmarks and attractions that we are quite sure a few are absent from our A-Z Guide.

But this is a snapshot, our snapshot of the Benidorm we love.

Feel free to add your own…