10 Best Things to Do in Benidorm

This is the central landmark that separates Benidorm’s 2 main beaches. It’s a great spot if you want to briefly escape the regular beach crowds of Levante. The chequer-tiled plaza on top of the rocky outcrop offers panoramic seascapes over the Mediterranean, and the dramatic skyscraper skyline of the city behind. The Balcón del Mediterráneo overlooks its own tiny beach, which can serve as an alternative and secluded beachfront getaway. Its own promenade is lined with cafés where you can enjoy a drink with a view. 

As Benidorm’s main theme park, Terra Mítica features well over 20 rides that are laid out in different theme zones. These include Egypt, Greece, Iberia, Rome, and The Islands. There’s a ride for every thrill level, ranging from carousels and mild rollercoaster-like train rides for the youngsters, to those that offer pure adrenaline rushes for the brave. For the ultimate thrills, try the inverted rollercoaster called Titanide or the high-spinning disk of Synkope – it reaches speeds of up to 100km/h. Day passes are around €25. 

Around 15 minutes’ drive northeast of Benidorm, the region’s rugged terrain makes for scenic hikes with panoramas over the Mediterranean as your reward. There are different organised hiking routes that you can take. They’ll help you discover secret coves along the coastline, sightings of wildlife, and even lead you up to a lighthouse or a scenic headland for best vistas. A regular route towards the cliff-edge Camino del Faro track can be accomplished within a 3 to 4- hour steady hike.

The kids can have a great day out, swimming, splashing and sliding at Benidorm’s own Aqualandia waterpark. It has well over a dozen great slides for different age and thrill levels. While Italy’s Aqualandia has won awards, Benidorm’s claims it has the highest slide in all of Europe – aptly called the Verti-Go. For milder pleasures, there’s the Great Jacuzzi Iguazu, designed like an enormous ravine landscape with waterfalls and bordered by lush gardens. Benidorm’s Aqualandia is open on weekends only.

For a colourful place to shop that also offers a brief timeout from the sunny coast, step into Mercado Mercaloix. It’s Benidorm’s indoor market in the neighbourhood of Rincón de Loix, around 10 minutes’ walk north from Levante Beach. There’s plenty to see and buy inside, with various stalls offering items from clothing and fashion accessories, to gadgets and children’s toys. There’s also a section where you can sample fresh produce from local farmers, ranging from cheese to cold cuts and baked goods. When all that exploring makes you thirsty or peckish, you can grab some refreshments at the mini food court.

Before you hit Benidorm’s coast for most of the action, take it slow and enjoy a tranquil stroll through this green oasis in the heart of the city. The park is uniquely designed with 2 beautiful Roman-style auditoriums connected by a 300m palm-lined promenade. The auditoriums serve as venues for various cultural shows and summer concerts. Further north, you’ll find Benidorm’s Plaza de Toros bullring. Around a 10-minute walk south of the park, you’ll hit the beach promenade that borders the sands of Playa Levante.

This market is usually held in the wide, open parking lot on the Albir highway, around 5 minutes’ drive north of Levante Beach, on Wednesdays and Sundays. Local vendors set up tents showcasing their wares that range from leather fashion goods and accessories, novelty items and knick-knacks of all sorts, household items, and food. Although some items bear price tags, most don’t, so you can always bargain hard. There are regularly opened cafés along the opposite side of the highway, where you people-watch over a coffee or beer. 

Terra Natura is a 32-ha theme park and zoo recreating habitats from the super-continent of Pangea, as well as the Americas, Asia and Europe. The park has around 1,500 specimens and 200 species in total, 50 of which are in danger of extinction.

Terra Natura regularly hosts shows with story-telling clowns and fairies, as well as fun characters. Since 2005, the park has been doing excellent educational and conservational works in favour of the planet's biodiversity. It also takes part in international breeding programs for endangered birds. 

As the sun sets over the Mediterranean horizon off Levante, the streets of Benidorm come to life with the colourful neon lights. Bars and clubs do a roaring trade here, and each venue offers something different: live bands playing classic rock and Top 40 songs, late-night dance clubs, and laidback bars that simply focus on drinks with terraces to take in the views over the promenade. One of the best streets to find an eclectic mix is Calle Gerona. It’s where bar and pub crawls are common, with plenty of stops in between for fun and games, and even foam parties.