Benidorm, Costa Blanca
Theme parks, two huge beaches and far more old town than its reputation suggests.
Costa Blanca · Alicante
About Benidorm
Benidorm divides opinion, but with children it is genuinely useful: two enormous well-run beaches, the biggest cluster of theme parks in Spain, and a small old town on the headland between the bays that most visitors never see.
The Balcón del Mediterráneo viewpoint is the classic photo, and the surrounding Sierra Helada gives the whole bay a dramatic backdrop.
Benidorm sits on the Costa Blanca in the province of Alicante.
Open the larger mapThings to do
- Terra Mítica, Aqualandia and Mundomar
- Balcón del Mediterráneo viewpoint
- Boat trip to Benidorm Island
- The old town tapas streets
Best beaches
- Playa de Levante — the busy one, with everything on tap
- Playa de Poniente — wider and generally calmer
- Cala Mal Pas — small and sheltered below the headland
Restaurants
- Tapas on Calle Santo Domingo
- Beachfront rice restaurants on Poniente
Family activities
- Aqualandia water park
- Terra Natura animal park
- The island boat trip with a glass-bottomed hull
Walks
- Sierra Helada clifftop trail
- Poniente promenade end to end
Markets
- Wednesday and Sunday markets
- Rastro flea market on Sundays
Hidden gems
- Cala Tio Ximo, north of Levante
- The Sierra Helada cross viewpoint
Benidorm photo gallery
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