BENIDORM

The name Benidorm is familiar worldwide, synonymous with packed beaches, high-rise hotels, glitz and fun, a place where millions of visitors let their hair down and enjoy good value sunshine holidays. Most never stir from the town itself, but for those that do there are huge rewards. Other lively resorts lie on the coast to the north and south, easily reached by the little train which trundles up and down between Alicante and Denia. Altea, Calpe (Calp), Javea (Xabia) and Denia are all worth visiting for a change of scene and pace, and a chance to discover more traditional resorts. Inland from Benidorm raise some of Spain's most steep and beautiful coastal mountains. This area, dotted with historic towns and villages, planted with almonds, oranges and olives, preserves a way of life untouched by the development of the last 40 years.

Benidorm, the Mediterranean's largest tourist resort, with over 4 million visitors annually, is a shining example of a superbly organized mass tourism destination. Love it or hate it, no one can criticize the slickness and efficiency of the operation, which truly provides 'something for everyone'. Winter and summer alike, Benidorm has got the formula right for visitors of every age.

Benidorm was first settled by the Moors, and developed as a tiny fishing village whose castle was constantly attacked by pirates from North Africa and the Berber coast By the 1600s this threat had diminished, the parish church was built, and the fishermen were acquiring an international reputation as tuna fishers. The town became one of many similar coastal settlements, and it was not until the late 19th century that the attractions of its micro-climate began to be known.

The first tourists were Spanish, who came in increasing, but still minimal, numbers up to the 1950s. More leisure and higher incomes coincided with cheaper air travel, and throughout the 1960s Benidorm's growth was spectacular. Hotels, apartment buildings, shops, restaurants and recreational facilities proliferated, the Spanish learned what foreign holidaymakers expected, and Benidorm's economic future was assured. Today, Benidorm will either provide everything you need on holiday, or make a good base from which to explore the more traditional Spain only a few kilometres inland.