Benidorm was a small fishing community untill in the 1960's the rollercoaster tourist business took off.

The sky-line is littered with high-rise buildings to accomodate for the tourists that flock to the three main beaches  for fun in the sun.
Alcohol consumption is still pretty high, especially under UK citizens, but it used to be much worse. Presently the place is more favored by families.

 

The pleasant climate also draws tens of thousands pensionados that escape the dark and cold winter months in Europe's more northern regions.

 

All in all Benidorm is Europe's biggest holiday resort and a cash generator for Spain's tourist industry.

 

All this goes at the expense of the typical Spanish atmosphere you still find at some other places around the Costa Blanca.

 

We visited Benidorm in April 2015.