Posted on Tuesday, 8 November 2022

General Franco's only good idea, arguably, was to develop a tourism industry in Spain in the Sixties and Seventies.

Despite his questionable popularity, if it was not for his efforts in this area then each year there might not be millions visiting cities like Madrid and Seville – or the many miles of sandy beaches that line its Mediterranean coast.

Barcelona to Benidorm

The type of tourism found in Spain can vary a great deal, as I found out when I visited the Catalonian capital Barcelona, followed by the famous beach resort of Benidorm.

There could perhaps be no greater contrast in destinations.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

The streets of Barcelona

I have wandered the wide, gridded streets of Barcelona many times before, and there always seems to be something new to discover.

The architecture of Gaudi is perhaps the most famous draw, with the stunning Sagrada Familia soaring upwards like a huddle of beautiful alien stalagmites.

Indeed, Barcelona has not lost its appetite for rule-breaking architecture. Jean Nouvel's Agbar Tower is one example – a cucumber-shaped building that preceded London's 'Gherkin' by two years.

In other parts of the city, too, buildings veer unabashedly towards the sculptural.

Beach in Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona: The ideal European city break

Add to the architecture of Barcelona, the relaxed cafe lifestyle with the constant supply of tapas, the warm temperatures, the friendly people, the beach and the lofty forest-covered mountains that hem the whole place in – you have a city that quite possibly has it all.
Park Guell, Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona vs Benidorm

Benidorm is quite a different proposition from Barcelona. I wanted to see it with my own eyes – since the name has an almost legendary status in the world of Spanish tourism.

How far is Barcelona from Benidorm?

I took a blablacar.com ride down the coast.

It’s 308 miles from Barcelona to Benidorm, which takes around 4 ½ hours to drive.

My accommodation in Benidorm

After a pit-stop in Valencia, I arrived at my hotel by mid-afternoon.

In reality my room in Benidorm was a cabin, but a very nice one with en-suite bathroom and TV.

Opposite the accommodation, which was set back around two miles in the city's suburbs, was a 24-hour sex club.

I wondered if the rest of Benidorm would maintain this tone!

Poniente beach, Benidorm

What is Benidorm like?

Having unpacked, I walked down into the city and immediately the place reminded me of some South East Asian resorts; a lot of high density towers designed to accommodate as many tourists and ex-pats as possible.

Some of the older streets in the centre which sloped gently down to the sea reminded me of English seaside towns somehow; but this was about 10 times bigger than Torquay and would even put Blackpool in the shade in terms of scale and bustle.

Eating out in Benidorm

Fish and chips in Benidorm

I moved closer towards the beach and couldn't help noticing how much English food was on offer - alongside regular seafood-based Spanish fare. Fried breakfasts, roast dinners and even mushy peas!

That other English favourite – the Indian curry – was to be my evening meal, served with an ice cold Carling which only cost 2 euros.

Benidorm beach

I was impressed by the long, wide sandy beach – but in a city supporting so many visitors, such a large beach was certainly necessary.

I strolled the full length of the beach as night fell and enjoyed views of the city which looked very pretty all lit up.

Who visits Benidorm?

I was struck by how man Spaniards travel to Benidorm on holiday alongside the Brits, although they seemed to have diametrically opposed ideas of what a good feed was!

Benidorm is certainly a mixed bag: you have the hen parties from Liverpool and Manchester hitting the bars with gusto, old British couples enjoying their seafood dinners, Spanish families nibbling tapas, and even the odd establishment catering to Norwegian and Dutch palettes.

Is Benidorm cheap?

The unifying idea of Benidorm, it seems, is that it is very affordable.

Beach in Benidorm

Benidorm travel advice: Best time to visit Benidorm

With warm, dry summers and mild winters, you can holiday in Benidorm all year round.

If you’re wondering the best time to go to Benidorm, June, July and August are ideal if you worship the sun and are looking to enjoy the water parks, pools and Benidorm beach.

During this time, temperatures regularly hit 30°C and you can expect around 11 hours of sunshine a day.

Whilst generally cooler Benidorm holidays in winter are the perfect opportunity to explore the local culture and scenery. Benidorm is much quieter at this time of year, but you will still be blessed with average daily maximum temperatures of 17 C.

My general thoughts of Benidorm

This sprawling resort was in huge contrast to Barcelona.

I had wondered why there seemed to be so few Britons in Barca – and I finally understood: they were all down on the coast in places like Benidorm!

While I personally preferred Barca, I enjoyed seeing the other side of the Spanish tourist industry. 

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