'Beni-York', 'Touropolis', 'Package holidays'.
These are the made-up words commonly used to describe the coastal town of Benidorm and its ever growing number of match-stick skyscraper hotels, bikini clad holiday makers and crowded beaches.
Once a simple fishing village, the fate of Benidorm changed forever with the tide
(or shall I say with the 8 hour scooter ride of Mayor Pedro Zaragoza to Madrid)
in the late 1950s, when tourists were subsequently allowed to saunter around freely in their bikinis.
Today, Benidorm is better defined by its skyline than its twin crescent coastline.
As we drove along the highway, we knew we’ve hit Benidorm when we noticed several high rise buildings projecting skywards along the coast.
This touristy resort town has been particularly popular with British visitors for a long time, judging from the award winning comedy TV Series of the same name 'Benidorm' and the number of English language radio channels that can be received here.
Many pubs and restaurants bear the British flag and have names such as Piccadilly, Queen Vic or Robin Hood, making the northern neighbours feel more at home while enjoying the Iberian sun, sand and sea.
Above: The Levante beach, one of the two main beaches of Benidorm.
Above: Breaking the horizon is Benidorm's little 'Peacock Island' in the distance, an impressive focal point as seen here from the beach.
Above: Rows of asian-run shops line the streets of Benidorm, selling souvenirs and all sorts of knick knacks.
Leaving Benidorm and continuing further down the coastline, we arrived at the town of Alicante. Itching for a dip into the water, it was here where we decided to find a spot, lay out the beach mat and enjoy the rest of the day amidst the chatters and laughters of Spanish families.
Above: La Albufereta Beach in Alicante
These are the made-up words commonly used to describe the coastal town of Benidorm and its ever growing number of match-stick skyscraper hotels, bikini clad holiday makers and crowded beaches.
Once a simple fishing village, the fate of Benidorm changed forever with the tide
(or shall I say with the 8 hour scooter ride of Mayor Pedro Zaragoza to Madrid)
in the late 1950s, when tourists were subsequently allowed to saunter around freely in their bikinis.
Today, Benidorm is better defined by its skyline than its twin crescent coastline.
As we drove along the highway, we knew we’ve hit Benidorm when we noticed several high rise buildings projecting skywards along the coast.
This touristy resort town has been particularly popular with British visitors for a long time, judging from the award winning comedy TV Series of the same name 'Benidorm' and the number of English language radio channels that can be received here.
Many pubs and restaurants bear the British flag and have names such as Piccadilly, Queen Vic or Robin Hood, making the northern neighbours feel more at home while enjoying the Iberian sun, sand and sea.
Above: The Levante beach, one of the two main beaches of Benidorm.
Above: Breaking the horizon is Benidorm's little 'Peacock Island' in the distance, an impressive focal point as seen here from the beach.
Above: Rows of asian-run shops line the streets of Benidorm, selling souvenirs and all sorts of knick knacks.
Leaving Benidorm and continuing further down the coastline, we arrived at the town of Alicante. Itching for a dip into the water, it was here where we decided to find a spot, lay out the beach mat and enjoy the rest of the day amidst the chatters and laughters of Spanish families.
Above: La Albufereta Beach in Alicante
In the next post, I'll tell you about my stay at Mar Menor - "the largest swimming pool in the world".
hola felicia
ReplyDeletei love spain.
absolute envy when i go thru your blog!!! u seem to be living the life that i want to. sigh.. stuck here in singapore and dreaming of living in spain everyday of my life.
if you dont mind, can you share with me how you ended up in spain? drop me an email at walking_carrot@hotmail.com
just so you know i am not some weirdo: my name is Caris and i'm 23 this yr. graduated last yr from nanyang technological university, nanyang business sch. currently working as a public officer in A*STAR HR department. fell in love with spain since I took up spanish during my ntu days, I'm still taking spanish lessons now in Las Lilas School at Bugis. was feeding my wanderlust by surfing thru the web for opportunities to go to spain for something more than just a holiday. chanced upon your blog..
so yeah, hope to hear from you soon.
Caris
hope to hear from you.