We have heard mixed reviews about Benidorm. It is known mostly for its nightlife and cheap bars but we both felt it was necessary for us to go with an open mind and come to our conclusions.
We had limited options on campsites as the majority of sites do not accept dogs. We had been told by other travellers that Benidorm gets extremely busy so it was best to book onto a site rather than just turn up. We chose Camping Armanello but when we enquired we were told they do not take advance bookings. We arrived early and there was only a choice of 3 pitches, we chose the one in the corner that was nicely in the shade and would be a great location for us with the dogs.
One of the most breath taking views in Benidorm is from ‘The Cross’. The cross is approx. 8 metres high and is located at the top of the Sierra Heleda Parc. We decided to cycle up on the E bikes (See blog E bikes in Benidorm).
The cross can be seen from miles around, it was erected in the 1950’s by the locals to bring luck and protection to the town.
The road was a gradual winding uphill incline, luckily the E Bikes made easy work for us and the view was well worth the effort.
From here we cycled to the next view point which was the remains of a 17th century watch tower and also of natural outstanding beauty.
The following day we headed into the town on foot. On Wednesdays and Sundays there is a large market right in front of Hotel Pueblo. We wandered around the market which sold practically everything from fake designer handbags to fruit and vegetables.
We stopped in a bar and grabbed a couple of beers for only 1 euro 50 each so we couldn’t complain.
Levante beach is just over 2 kms long, it is a fine golden sandy beach and even has a beach library!
We walked along the promenade until we got to the old town.
We couldn’t come to Benidorm without having tapas in tapas alley.
The following day we decided to cycle over to Playa Poniente which is the beach on whets known as the Spanish side. It was a lot quieter and the beach was almost empty.
We stopped to look at the building known as Intempo which has 47 floors and stands at 192 metres high. Work on this residential building began in 2007 and was originally scheduled to be completed in 2009. The outside of the building was finished in 2014 but the inside remains to be finished. The building is the tallest building in Benidorm, in fact the tallest residential building in Spain.
So in summary, did we have a good time in Benidorm? Most definitely! We found it very diverse with something to do for everyone however young or old and it is probably the cheapest place we have visited so it doesn’t break the bank either.
