Known internationally for its extensive beaches, its warm weather 365 days a year and its skyline dominated by its many skyscrapers, Benidorm leaves none of its visitors indifferent. A peculiar town, a unique town. Sometimes eccentric, sometimes modern, sometimes a paradise. Anything can happen in Benidorm and you can see everything there.
However, putting aside all types of judgment and opinions, Benidorm is a corner of the world that has a hidden history, tradition and many stories to tell. Do you want to know more about it?
When did tourism begin in Benidorm?
To talk about the history of tourism in Benidorm we have to go back a few years. Right back till 1893, the year in which the town, at that time a small fishing village, began to receive its first visitors attracted by the sea and the climate. This is also the year of the first tourist brochure in Benidorm.
However, you have to jump onto 1952 to understand how Benidorm began to be what it is today. The Almadraba del Racó de l’Oix ceased its activity and it’s fishing, on which many of the families had depended to live, they went into a recession. To find a solution for this problem, the town Council approved in 1956 a new urban plan of the municipality to make the town a place especially designed for tourist leisure.
Pedro Zaragoza, mayor at that time, trusted in the natural potential of Benidorm to achieve it and that made him go down in history as the main driver of tourism in Benidorm and author of its economic boom.
Benidorm, sustainable urban model?
The General Plan modifications of 1956 ended up planning a vertical Benidorm following the matchbox theory, according to which, this type of construction ensures the same building volume as the traditional horizontal but using less land. It was also given free way for buildings to grow without limitation of height but always respecting a minimum distance.
And this is the way we have come to what Benidorm is today: a town full of vertical towers overlooking the sea and with enough space each to create garden areas with swimming pools and other services for the neighbours living there.
The opposite of what many may think, Benidorm is considered a benchmark of a sustainable urban model. Those who have studied it, defend their responsible way of occupying the land, their low consumption of resources and energy efficiency (fruit of their high density and concentration) and how respectful it is with its environment. A few years ago, it was designated as one of the nine Spanish towns with the purest air (responsible, in part, for its construction in height and its location) and as a town that makes rational use of water.
Benidorm Celebrations
Benidorm is also defined as celebration and tradition. Legend has it that on the 16th March 1740, fishermen working on the Benidorm beach saw a glimpse of a boat on the horizon, dragging a wooden boat approaching the shore. The sailors of the first boat saw the second adrift with no one on board and decided to rescue the boat. On board, the sailors only found a hidden image of a Virgin with a child. The mysterious origin and the rumours that soon spread were that the ship brought the plague, its fate was decided, it would be burnt. The next day, only ashes were left, the children of the town went to look for nails and irons among their remains but the only thing they found was the image of the Virgin, intact despite the fire.
This is how the Virgin, baptized from the Suffrage, became Patron Saint of Benidorm. And it’s her and the patron Saint James the Apostle, to whom the Benidorm locals honour every year in their Major Festivities. The fact that Benidorm is a town conceived for tourism and receives thousands and thousands of visitors each year, is perhaps the reason why its inhabitants value their festivals and traditions with special appreciation. It is something that represents them alone and that allows them to connect with their roots.
Whatever the reason may be, the truth is that the town fully implicates itself every year in the celebration of its festivities. The big days begin on the second Saturday of November and extend until the following Wednesday, but throughout the year there are many activities and events related to it. Known as ‘Benidorm Fiestas’
Benidorm temperatures
That Benidorm enjoys an enviable temperature throughout the year is obviously not by chance. Have you heard about its microclimate? Its strategic location is responsible for this.
Alicante is, in general, a province of mild winters and less hot summers in comparison to other areas of Spain. But, among all its towns, Benidorm is the one that enjoys the best conditions. Why?
First, due to the orientation of its beaches. Its 6 km face south, which allows you to enjoy the sun from the moment it comes up until it sets. Secondly, have you ever seen a map of Benidorm? Did not you notice that it looks like a walled town? It is surrounded by mountains that act as a barrier to the cold fronts and the clouds that arrive from the north, the west or the east.