What to see and do in Benidorm
Three beaches, two minutes away
Within a two-minute walk you will find three distinct expressions of the sea. Mal Pas Cove is a hidden enclave of golden sand and calm waters: as our namesake "Playa Pequeña", it offers the most intimate beach experience in the city. Poniente Beach, defined by its architectural promenade and wide horizons, is perfect for long, quiet walks at sunset. And Levante Beach, the city's most iconic shore, offers a vibrant atmosphere and a wide array of water activities.
The old town and its historic soul
The essence of Benidorm is best felt through its heritage. Just steps away, the Church of San Jaime and Santa Ana stands with its blue-tiled domes as a symbol of the town's seafaring history. Nearby, Plaza Mayor and the narrow streets of the Old Town offer a sophisticated mix of traditional architecture and local life.
Where to eat and what to do
Benidorm is a city of contrasts. From the lush greenery of Parque de l'Aigüera and Parque de Elche to a culinary scene that balances traditional Mediterranean flavours with international innovation. Whether you seek a quiet café in a hidden alley or a high-end dining experience overlooking the bay, the best of the city is effortlessly accessible.
Getting here and getting around
While the atmosphere at the Mirador is one of stillness, the city remains seamlessly connected. Alicante-Elche Airport is 60 km away, with a direct coach to Benidorm bus station or about forty-five minutes by car on the AP-7 and N-332. Once you are here the car is a nuisance: the Old Town is ten minutes end to end on foot, and the TRAM runs along the coast to Alicante and up to Dénia.
What to do in Benidorm
Beaches, coves and the marina
Mal Pas Beach
The cove the house is named after. A short, sheltered stretch of sand between the castle rock and the promenade, with the calmest water in the centre. Two minutes downhill from the door.
Levante Beach
The liveliest two kilometres in town: beach bars, sailing schools and boards and pedalos for hire. Its southern end stops right at the foot of the old town.
Poniente Beach
Wider and calmer than Levante, with a rippling white concrete promenade that is a piece of architecture in its own right. The best one for long swims and sunset walks.
Cala del Tío Ximo
A small shingle cove at the far end of Levante, below Sierra Helada. Clear water and a rocky bottom: this is the corner of Benidorm where a mask and snorkel actually pay off.
Marina and Yacht Club
At the foot of the old town. Boat trips to Benidorm Island leave from here, along with the pleasure craft, and the quay makes for a short, easy walk late in the afternoon.
Levante Promenade
It runs the length of the beach from the old town to Rincón de Loix. Terraces on one side, sand on the other: the city's long walk, and the one that best explains how Benidorm lives.
The old town and its viewpoints
Balcón del Mediterráneo
The white balustrade on the rock where the castle once stood, in Plaça del Castell. It divides the two beaches and it is the view everyone takes home. Just downhill from us.
Old Town
Narrow whitewashed streets around the church, with the old shops, the tapas bars and the market. This is pre-skyscraper Benidorm, and you can walk all of it in ten minutes.
Church of San Jaime and Santa Ana
The two blue domes you can pick out from anywhere on the bay. It sits at the top of the old town, beside the viewpoint that shares its name, two streets from Plaza de la Señoría.
Boca del Calvari Museum
Built on the site of Benidorm's first town hall, now a glass-fronted building. Inside are temporary exhibitions and a display of local finds running from the Neolithic to the 20th century.
Municipal Market
The old town's food market: the day's catch, fruit from the surrounding valleys, local cured meats. The easiest shop if you are cooking at the apartment, under five minutes on foot.
Plaza Mayor
The neighbourhood's meeting point, with terraces in the shade. The shopping streets start here, and during the fiestas this is where everything in the old town happens.
Nature, trails and the sea
Benidorm Island
The islet that closes off the bay. The crossing takes fifteen to twenty minutes and in high season boats leave every half hour. You can walk around it and dive in the waters below.
Sierra Helada Natural Park
Six kilometres of cliffs dropping almost four hundred metres into the sea, with a protected marine strip of its own. It begins exactly where Levante Beach ends.
The Cross of Benidorm
The highest lookout over the bay. The usual route is about five kilometres there and back, roughly three hours at an easy pace, and families manage it without any technical difficulty.
Punta del Cavall
The southern tip of Sierra Helada, with a 17th-century watchtower leaning out over the sea. The path starts at Cala del Tío Ximo and is short: the best first taste of the park.
Tossal de la Cala
A hundred-metre hill between Poniente and Cala de Finestrat holding the remains of a 1st-century BC Roman military fort. Open to walk around, and the whole bay is laid out below.
Parque de l'Aigüera
The city's great urban park, designed by Ricardo Bofill: a neoclassical axis cutting right across town. The Óscar Esplá amphitheatre inside it hosts an open-air programme.
Theme parks and animal parks
Terra Mítica
The big park in the area, divided into zones for the Mediterranean civilisations: Egypt, Greece, Rome, Iberia and the islands. It sits on the edge of town, on the way to the hills.
Terra Natura
An immersion zoo: the enclosures are designed so you see the animals without bars in between, grouped by continent. It shares an entrance with the Aqua Natura water park.
Aqua Natura
The water park next door to Terra Natura, with slides, a wave pool and a children's area. A combined ticket lets you do both on the same day without moving the car.
Aqualandia
Benidorm's veteran water park, up on Rincón de Loix, with some of the tallest slides in Europe. It is inside the city, so the city bus gets you there.
Mundomar
Next door to Aqualandia. A marine and exotic wildlife park — dolphins, parrots, turtles, lemurs — with paths through the planting and views over the bay from the top.
Benidorm Palace
The city's classic show venue: dinner and a musical revue with a live orchestra on a properly large stage. The most typically Benidorm night out there is.
All of it, a walk away
What is on in Benidorm
Over 350 people gathered for the annual Sopar d'Estiu dinner organised by the Comissió de Festes del Roser to raise funds for October celebrations.
On September 26, the Julio Iglesias auditorium in Parque de l'Aigüera will host Orquesta Mondragón, Duncan Dhu, 091, La Frontera and Ringo Rango.
Ecoembes tours Levante and Poniente beaches with musical bins and volunteers to promote packaging recycling.
Sant Jaume's day marked the starting point for November's patron saint festivities, including the unveiling of the official poster and several…
Thousands gathered at SkyFest and the Julio Iglesias auditorium to watch the World Cup final together in a festive, incident-free atmosphere.
Poniente beach once again offers an adapted bathing area for people with reduced mobility, alongside other accessibility services across the city's…
