Where to go if Benidorm is a dump?

amdowney

My girl and I (29 & 26) are wanting to go on a short 5 day hol. She wants beaches and good food and bars to relax. The usual.

Having travelled I want somewhere cool to go and checkout as well, perhaps a city - then came across some good Benidorm deals with good hotels, half board for £350 p/p.

Then I read about it being a dump on here so am unsure of where might be a good choice. I don't want to be surrounded by chavs!

Ta...

moonrakerz

Go up the coast another 30 mins to Calpe. Great little place.
No chavs either.

nikkilou1984

amdowney wrote: »

My girl and I (29 & 26) are wanting to go on a short 5 day hol. She wants beaches and good food and bars to relax. The usual.

Having travelled I want somewhere cool to go and checkout as well, perhaps a city - then came across some good Benidorm deals with good hotels, half board for £350 p/p.

Then I read about it being a dump on here so am unsure of where might be a good choice. I don't want to be surrounded by chavs!

Ta...

DITTO!!! I am so confused about what to do/where to go now!

Doshwaster

Fly into Alicante and get a local bus into the city. Lots of bars and restaurants, a nice central beach and almost none of the "Brits Abroad" brigade. You'll have to try to speak some of the lingo though as Alicante remains a Spanish city unlike "Blackpool-on-Med" up the coast.

I would challenge anyone to find any "good food" in Benidorm.

Ponkle22

I am really stunned that two posters on here didn't know about Benidorm's reputation - maybe people don't talk about it anymore, and yet the TV series is meant to depict it as it really is. (Not sure how true to life the TV series is)/

Take the advice given and take trips out to other beaches/areas. Google the resort and area and see if you can find any reviews on the web (trip advisor is always a good one) so you can find some top tips where to go.

Hopefully it will be better than you now expect.

Amy83

moonrakerz wrote: »

Go up the coast another 30 mins to Calpe. Great little place.
No chavs either.

Calpe is lovely, definately worth looking into OP.

Also, have a look at Altea, Moraira & Denia - just a bit further up the coast from Calpe.

nikkilou1984

Ponkle22 wrote: »

I am really stunned that two posters on here didn't know about Benidorm's reputation - maybe people don't talk about it anymore, and yet the TV series is meant to depict it as it really is. (Not sure how true to life the TV series is)/

Take the advice given and take trips out to other beaches/areas. Google the resort and area and see if you can find any reviews on the web (trip advisor is always a good one) so you can find some top tips where to go.

Hopefully it will be better than you now expect.

If that's referring to me, i do know about Benidorms "reputation" but just wondered how bad it really is as SO many Brit's (and other nationalites) travel there each year it can't all be bad....???

(and also... i don't watch the show so wouldn't know what thats like)

robpw2

fuerteventura is beuatiful

Raven

Opinions, opinions.



I find most travel forums are frequented by people who either love the place or loathe the place and that debate has been going on for over 30/35 years, its like most resorts - its what you make of it.

We love it and have been going for 11 years (sometimes 3 times a year) there are lots of really good resturants in or near the old town, some fantastic Tapa's bars (as good as Madrid or Barca) in the same area, a great selection of acts every night in the English bars up in Lavente or if you want bingo and Kareoke its there as well.

Just depends on what you're after and how well you are prepared to look.

Not far outside the town are some of the best caves in Europe, up the coast is Calpe, half an hours drive is Alicante with all its designer shops. There are golf courses, theme parks, an icer-ink and waterworlds, Guadalest, Villajoyosia and Algar and not forgetting loads of happy english folk buying cheap beer and fryups.


Its whatever ya want and whatever ya make of it but remember that the british while lovin the place only make up about 22% of its tourism, there are loads of Dutch and German visitors plus always about 50% of visitors are Spanish. So the tv show (which we love to watch) shows a part of Beni but there is so much more to it, if you want more.


(we just done 2 weeks in Turkey and at night every single bar was the same - Kareoke and Break dancers, not joking 150 bars same stuff for 14 nights. Countin the days till we get to Benidorm.



Raven

Generali

The Brits abroad bit of Bennidorm is horrible. There is an old town which is very nice and where the holidaying Spaniards go. You're likely to be tarred with the Brit brush however.

Nicest beach place I've been to in Europe was Biarritz. I love Biarritz.

amdowney

Thanks for your responses guys. I have now stubmled cross a similar priced deal to a Santa Susana, just outside of Barcelona! I love exploring big traditional cities, at least some culture!

Has anyone stayed at Santa Susana?