Benidorm - good/bad debate??

LilacPixie

shellsuit wrote: »

We stayed in the Mediterraneo, right opposite the Benidorm Palace.

It's a low rise hotel which is unusual for Benidorm!

Flamingo Oasis for us. Lovely but I was terrified my 13 month old would take a tumble on the marble foyer

Doshwaster

Barcode wrote: »

I went earlier this month - after a conference in Madrid, we thought it would be interesting in an ironic way. Well, we were wrong, very wrong.

I don't mind a bit of tackiness when on holiday - but Benidorm just goes too far. There's nothing remotely Spanish about the place at all. Pubs with signs outside saying "We show all of the soaps!", nothing to eat apart from burger/pie/all day breakfast and chips and the sort of people that you would go out of your away to avoid at home.

lilac_lady

Have you seen the tv programme of the same name? Tells it like it is, I suppose.

poet123

Awful, awful, passed straight through and didnt even stop. Benidorm the programme has it spot on. That said, I believe the old town is quite picturesque and our gay friends love it for the night life.

nikkilou1984

Hmmmmmmmmmm i'm quickly thinking my bargain hol isn't really worth it then......!!!

Chester85

It's nothing like Blackpool, Blackpool is an expensive dried up dump with absolutely nothing going for it

Whereas benidorm is a cheap and affordable contemporary dump with a nice set of beaches and an average theme park with a good few waterparks and a lovely nature reserve

The Old Town is lovely, especially the Church but I wouldn't stay in the Levante (new bit) if you paid me. Bingo, impersonators, tribute acts, 80s comedians and burger bars

As for the rest of the Costa Blanca, theres' some wonderful villages and mountain and coastal scenery that you can explore (those that haven't yet been ethnically cleansed of the Spanish by English and Belgian expats)

Doshwaster

nikkilou1984 wrote: »

Hmmmmmmmmmm i'm quickly thinking my bargain hol isn't really worth it then......!!!

You don't have to spend all of your time in Benidorm. There's plenty of nicer places nearby. There's a excellent and cheap tram service which runs south to Alicante and north to Denia which you can use to explore the coast. Hop off at a stop, have a look around, then move onto the next place: http://www.benidorm-info.com/travel/tram_fgv/index.html. El Campello is a nice small seaside town about halfway between Alicante and Benidorm.

Incapuppy

Barcode wrote: »

Think I'm exaggerating? Here is photographic proof:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=174312&id=222303309

I will only ever return in a hostage situation.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

stephb34

I think sometimes it depends on what time of year you go to places, i always think a lot of popular holiday places are chavs ville this time of year. Me and my parents like Benidorm but tend to go may or autumn or december, its better then. But it depends what you want from a holiday, the beach is cleaned at 6am every morning, theres varied entertainment, something for everyone, then there's Terramitica, terra natura, mundomar, benidorm palace,golf course, the old town. Spanish food in the old town or neighbouring villages, british, chinese, indian food in the levante area.

colmil

Rather strange, but we were talking about Benidorm only yesterday at work, I have been three times and to me it offers whatever anyone wants, the bars and nightclubs are there, but there also some nice ones in the old town, which is a lovely place to wander around.

The buses are cheap, there is a small beach at Finistrate( think that how to spell it!) at the far end of the resort, Altea is a short ride and is a lovely peaceful small resort.

I think that some people simply never look beyond the high rise blocks and the beach.