Posted on Tuesday, 10 June 2014

We'd heard a lot about Benidorm before we found our cut-price package last August – and we do admit it wasn't all good. My husband Terry had been searching for an affordable break for weeks before finding this deal. We had been working hard to build up our new business – a small health food shop – and really needed a break, but couldn't afford anything too pricey.I had hoped for Greece or Turkey, but when Terry showed me the price of the Benidorm deal, I had to say yes – with a little reservation. The kids saw the pictures of the beaches and some of the waterparks and were won over straight away. There was no going back at that point!

The package included seven nights for us and the kids (aged 10 and 11) in a three-star hotel, plus included flights from Birmingham. We had a quick look at the TripAdvisor reviews before making the final decision; they weren't all 'excellent', but there were plenty of happy reports – especially from families.

Since we run our own shop both I and my husband are relatively free to book holidays on dates that suit us, although we like to keep it to late August – just before the kids go back to school.

The flight from Birmingham was a lot more enjoyable than our normal no-frills flights. Everyone on board was heading to the same place and most were families like us or older couples. There was sense of excitement on board – everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Another mother with three young kids told me that the old image of Benidorm being full of drunken louts was no longer true. I was happy to hear this but thought I would reserve judgement until the holiday was underway.

Soon after arrival a pleasant young man called Ray introduced himself – he would be our rep for the week.

We arrived at our hotel at night. We found our allotted room to be simple but comfortable, but as we opened the shutters in the morning it seemed a lot better – not only because bright Spanish sunshine filled the room, but because we had a fantastic view high up over the hotel swimming pool.

Our first day was spent getting a feel for Benidorm. It's a big place – and has a big city feel thanks to the many skyscrapers. In fact, I was told by Ray that it had more high rises per head of population than anywhere else in the world!

We spent the first day on Playa de Levante, one of the two long beaches which are divided by a promontory. Some of my pre-conceptions of Benidorm seemed accurate as the day wore on – there were indeed a few sunburnt Brits reclining on sun-loungers! But the kids loved the beach; the water was quite clean and the sand was soft and golden (and we all looked a bit pinker by the day's end!)

After a long day we returned to the hotel for an early dinner, then went to bed.

The next day we visited Mundomar, one of the largest waterparks in Europe. The kids were very excited indeed - even myself and Terry had to admit that the hype surrounding Mundomar intrigued us.

At 69 euros for a family ticket, we hoped it would be enjoyable. I'm delighted to say that it was more than worth the entry fee: the Dolphin show was incredible – a spectacle that the kids would talk about for the rest of the holiday: surely the 'acid test' for a day out! It was at least as good as Seaworld in Florida, where we had gone when the kids were younger. The parrot show was also fun – although it might have been better if it was in English - and the sea lions and penguins were also very entertaining.

Before dark we dined in a fantastic seafood restaurant not far from the beach and discussed the day's activities. We met another couple with a young child at a nearby table and we all noted how relaxed the place was; we hadn't seen too much rowdiness at all. The couple told us that most of the heavy drinkers went to Ibiza and Magaluf these days!

Our first two days in Benidorm were certainly nothing like what I had in mind. We hoped the remainder of the holiday would be equally enjoyable as we watched the sun go down with some fruity sangria!

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