Benidorm

This quintessential tourist town is located in the province of Alicante and bathed by the Mediterranean Sea. It has a population of approximately 72,000 inhabitants (2010), of which 30% are foreigners.


The diverse nationalities are drawn to the area and take up residence due to its fantastic climate.  Average temperatures in spring time are around 23ºC, 31ºC during the summer months, 19 ºC in the autumn and 18ºC during the winter. 


The scenery within its 38,51 square meters is varied with mountains, beaches and farmland. The city has its origins in the Tossal de La Cala, where the evidence of its first settlers has been found.
It is believed that this village was occupied by the Iberians during the III and I centuries A.D and that this civilization was influenced by the Greeks and the Phoenicians.
The livelihood and economy at that time was fishing and the culture was influenced by the Phoenician-Carthaginians from Ibiza. Rome was also present in the ‘Partida de Moralet’ where they have found the remains of a roman villa.


The name Benidorm comes from the Arab culture where Beni means the “sons of” or ‘children or descendants of’.
During the reign of James I the city was inhabited by Moors and was used in the medieval defence system of the area.
On the 8th of May 1325 Bernat de Sarriá granted Benidorm its Town Charter, thus establishing it officially as a town and marking the boundaries in an attempt to attract Christian families to settle.


During 1410 and again in 1448 Benidorm suffered devastating pirate attacks that ravaged the town and castle.  Due to these attacks and to the shortage of drinking water the population declined. The aristocrat Beatriu Maria de Fajardo Mendoza was responsible for building a channel or dyke that brought water to the town which was vital for its development.


In the first half of the nineteenth century Benidorm experienced more growth. The following are some important monuments that can be seen in Benidorm:
La Torre Punta del Cavallo.  This is a 16th Century defence tower located on the Punta de las Caletas and the Punta del Cavall, just above sea level.
The church of San Jaime and Santa Ana which is located in the old town, at the top of the Canfali hill and was built between 1740 and 1780 after the discovery of the Virgin of Suffrage, the patron saint of Benidorm.

There is a wealth of leisure activities in addition to the nightlife, tourist activities and sports.
The variety of the local cuisine is influenced by fresh ingredients such as seafood and Valencian rice.  Typical dishes from the area included rice soup with mullet and pumpkin, rice with beans and turnips, Poor man’s fish stew, rice with fresh anchovies and spinach and ‘coca’ which is a savoury dough filled with tuna, tomato, onions and peppers or coca a la calda which is a similar to a pizza with a thick rectangular dough base, toppings vary.
There are also many festivals celebrated throughout the year which attract tourists to the area and reflect the many residents from around Spain, the Basque Country, La Mancha, Galicia, Andalusia etc., the most celebrated of which are:  
- The Feast of Sant Antoni del Porquet, held on January 17th.
- Falls, held in the month of March.
- Bonfires of Saint John, held in June.
- The Moors and Christians held early October.
- The Festivals in honour of the Patron of Benidorm the Virgin of Suffrage which takes place the second week-end in November and finishes the following Wednesday.