We have never been to Benidorm before and our opinion had been influenced by the lager lour culture, orange ex-pats with leathered skins, TV programs. We were extremely surprised to find a place not full of drunken, vomiting Brits but a town full of contradictions unrelated to the beer, booze and brawling. Benidorm is a place of tall hotels (the tallest 52 floors) and apartment blocks set against a dramatic backdrop of rugged mountains. It has its own micro-climate due to the protection of these mountains and its positioning in Spain and this keeps the weather clement and on average around 19C.Also walking (hubie walked - I buggied) we would come across beautiful
sculptures in the middle of roundabouts, in small parks on the promenade and the beautiful headstones in the cemetery.Interspersed amongst the modern skyscrapers were tiny Spanish houses, bars and restaurants, some perched precariously on rocks or set into the hillside.
Personally I wouldn't call Benidorm beautiful but it has a charm and character and an appeal that is fascinating.
The Spanish has managed to rid Benidorm of the lager yobs and this has now become a popular holiday destination for Spanish families. By 2018 there will be a high speed connection train from Madrid to Benidorm.
Regeneration work is staggering - 11 million euros on a beautiful 5 km promenade, the re-structuring of tatty hotels, a remarkable cleaning system that keeps the town spotless, efficient and regular buses, trains and trams with the lowest fares I have paid anywhere. Today at 8.30am it was 19C
