If you’ve been to Benidorm before you will probably know about the many attractions of the resort and where you want to stay, so this information is mainly for the benefit of first time visitors.
The centre of Benidorm is the old town, the original fishing village. To the east (the right as you look at the map) is the Levante Beach area and the Rincon de Loix. To the west (the left as you look at the map) is the Poniente Beach area. And just beyond Poniente Beach, is La Cala, or La Cala de Finestrat to give its full name.
The old town is where many of the original population and their descendants live. It is also where many of the shops and other businesses aimed at the locals are. But, more than that, and of particular interest to visitors, at its heart are a series of narrow lanes crammed with tapas bars, cafes and restaurants, which make it a great place to drink, eat or simply walk around. In this area you will see a lot of foreign tourists, but you will see even more Spanish people, tourists and locals.
The Levante Beach area, also referred to as the new town, is where most of the pubs and clubs are. The promenade on the front is usually busy from mid morning to about midnight throughout the year. There are bars and restaurants all along the front – several of which will have live music. You will also see many people sunbathing and even swimming most days of the year. The road parallel and just behind the seafront, the wide Avenida Mediterraneo, is mainly a shopping street with many clothes and tourist oriented shops. This road is only busy with people during the day, but as a main thoroughfare, will have traffic most of the time. Although not particularly heavy traffic. Benidorm is a remarkably easy place to drive in, as most people don’t arrive by car, except in peak summer.
The next street back from the beach, Calle Gerona, is one of the main entertainment streets, with several better restaurants at the western end and many cheap eating places, British style pubs and some of the well known nightspots, such as Morgan’s Tavern, Stardust and Broadway, which host a string of live acts. The next street, Calle Lepanto, also has several nightspots, such as the Red Dog Western Saloon and Jokers. Whilst crossing the above mentioned streets is Benidorm’s famous “Square”. The “Square” isn’t a square at all, it is just a pedestrianised street, Avenida de Mallorca. Here you will find a series of popular venues, such as the Cafe de Benidorm, the Hippodrome, Sinatras, Champions, Bahamas, Beachcomber, Chaplins, and others. Many of these will host a number of tribute bands, comedians and other acts every night. And the good thing is you can just walk in to any of them and if you like what you see you stay and if not you walk out. There are no entrance fees and drinks prices are very reasonable, just a bit more than you pay in the pubs. In this area some of the establishments are open untill breakfast time.
At the eastern end of the town is the Rincon de Loix. If you look at a map and see a main road, Avenida Ametlla de Mar, that goes inland from the beach, everything to the right of it, and part to the left of the road, is the loosely defined Rincon de Loix. It is worth bearing in mind that everything to the right of Ametlla de Mar is on a hill, and that, generally speaking, the hills nearer the sea are steeper than the ones further back. Avenida Ametlla de Mar and the streets that lead in to it are very well served with all kinds of shops, bars and restaurants, and the indoor market is in this street. Also, along this road, about 1 km. back from the beach, is the Benidorm Palace, where there are nightly dinner shows.
On the western side of the old town is Poniente Beach. The beach is nice and it has a new promenade, but there is little reason why you would want to stay there. There are a few bars and restaurants along the front at the old town end, but they peter out the further west you go. And inland from the promenade it is all just residential.
Beyond Poniente Beach, about 3 kms. from the old town, is La Cala de Finestrat. This is a bay with a nice wide beach separated from Poniente Beach by a promontory. A lot of new buildings have gone up around here in recent years and there are ever more shops, bars and restaurants to support it. There is a frequent bus service into the centre of Benidorm. If you want a quieter location you could consider this area, but otherwise you would be better off in the old town/Levante Beach/Rincon de Loix area.
So, in conclusion, if the beach is your main interest, consider any beach front properties along Levante Beach. Alternatively the properties along Avenida Mediterraneo or up the hill a bit at the eastern end of the beach which are only a short walk from the beach and are likely to be cheaper. If the idea of staying in an area that feels more Spanish appeals then it has to be the old town. If being near the night life is the most important criteria, then the nearer you are to the “Square” the better, but anything from the eastern side of the old town to Ametlla de Mar is only going to be a maximum of 15 mins. walk. And anything a little up the hill in the Rincon de Loix is still not very far, particularly since you will be walking along well lit streets. And finally, if you want a quieter holiday, choose La Cala.
Of course, apart from location, other important factors are likely to be the quality of the properties, facilities offered, and price. You may like to see details of Our Grading System which will give you an indication of the respective qualities of the properties.
Wherever you decide to stay you will find that the area is clean and well kept. Benidorm is very well managed by the council. The beaches are cleaned every morning, the streets are swept and rubbish is collected daily. There are no “no go” areas and there is very little trouble, even in the area around the “Square” in the early hours of the morning. Another point worth mentioning is that when you see photos of the Benidorm skyline it looks like a mass of skyscrapers, but when you are there you realize that there is plenty of space between the buildings. This is because each building tends to have a swimming pool and maybe small garden, tennis court and parking, plus there is usually some one or two story buildings with shops or restaurants in between. So, despite the tall buildings, there is a feeling of space. Surprisingly, but through a combination of the space between buildings and the gentle rise of the land inwards from the coast, you can often see the sea (albeit through buildings) from quite far back.
If you have any further queries or would like to check the availability of any hotels or apartments close to certain areas or resort facilities, please contact us.