Hotels in Benidorm

Benidorm

Benidorm is a city on the Mediterranean coast of the province of Alicante with about 77,000 permanent residents, known as the "New York of the Mediterranean" for its skyline. It received its town charter in 1325 from Admiral Bernat de Sarrià, and has been a tourist destination since 1925, when its port was extended and the first hotels were built. It became a summer favourite for people from inland Spain in the 1950s, and today receives as many visitors from abroad as from Spain, chiefly from the United Kingdom. The city divides around its old town into Levante and Poniente, each fronted by a long beach of the same name. Avenida del Mediterráneo crosses Levante and links the old town with the Rincón district. Offshore, the uninhabited Benidorm Island, also called Peacock Island, forms the centrepiece of the seascape. The towers are a sight in themselves: the Gran Hotel Bali, at 186 metres, was the tallest skyscraper in Spain for five years until it was overtaken by, among others, the Intempo building in Benidorm itself. Three theme parks sit around the city: Terra Mítica inland at the foot of the mountain, and Aqualandia and Mundomar on the Levante side. With a very wide range of hotels and all-inclusive stays, it suits families and groups looking for sand, entertainment and nightlife, in winter as well as summer. Alicante-Elche airport is the nearest, and the tram connects the city with Alicante along the coast.