Venture beyond the typical bars and beaches of the Spanish hotspot
Benidorm has always been a magnet for fun-loving Brits and has proved itself to be a far superior destination than originally thought
BENIDORM has always been a magnet for fun-loving Brits but there is little beyond the buzzing bars and sun-baked beaches, right?
Wrong. This southern Spanish hotspot has plenty to lure all sorts of holidaymakers which I discovered during an active and thrilling three days.
After a large paella lunch overlooking the beautiful Poniente beach, hill biking in the heat seemed a big ask.
We picked up our electric cycles from city centre hire shop Tao Bikes and gingerly pedalled but fortunately it’s not too exhausting.
The battery gives the power without the perspiration.
Simply pedal for a few seconds and the machine noiselessly whisks you away.
It’s a sheer climb to leave the town as we ascend to the Sierra Helada Natural Park but the bike makes mincemeat of the gradient.
It almost feels like cheating.
But without the slog we could fully appreciate the spectacular coastal views and look out for secluded coves to visit later.
After such reward with so little effort I am not sure I deserve a ten-course meal.
But it would be a shame to miss the delights of Llum de Mar’s tasting menu with delicious local fish and meats.
Set in the delightful old town, we divert to hear a guitarist silkily caressing the strings under the moonlight against a Mediterranean backdrop.
Life could not be finer.
The following day we head back to the same district, packed full of tempting bars and restaurants from which to watch the world go by.
But that can come later as we hire jet skis from Carlos Water Sports.
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Our destination is Benidorm Island, more of a rock in the shape of a bow of a sunken ship.
Soon we are blasting across the spray in single file, cursing the slowcoaches in front who dampen our need for speed.
Even so, it is a pleasant way to take in views of the shoreline.
But we are not done here.
Next up is scuba diving.
My last experience of this, on a storm-tossed boat full of traumatised girls nursing nosebleeds, turned out very badly.
And it was even worse for the young woman whose head I trod on in my panic to get back on board and escape the Atlantic.
But the Mediterranean Sea in Benidorm bay is far calmer, even if I am not.
Things improve after a thorough shoreline briefing from experienced guide Luis Garcia from Diving Stones and we head back to Benidorm Island and launch into the water.
Still, it’s not easy.
Reducing the pressure in my head and ending the searing pain in my ears takes practice.
It’s worth it, though, to see colourful fish fighting over what looks like a piece of seaweed in front of my nose.
Luis patiently coaxes us deeper and deeper and just when I think I have nailed it, I find I’m hurtling to the surface.
Luis tells me to keep my feet still or the same thing will happen again.
It does anyway as I hit fresh air again like a champagne cork fired at the ceiling.
Last time I scuba-dived, my sharp exit was out of pure cowardice.
Now it seems I am unable to stay down out of sheer incompetence.
Luis spots the problem and more weight is added to my belt.
Somehow last night’s ten-course meal had not been sufficient to bulk me up.
But with my weight sorted, the wonders of the deep await.
My favourite moment is glancing up the side of Benidorm Island which seems like a mountain and seeing the surreal sight of waters breaking at the peak.
Back on the boat I feel proud to have lasted the distance, though I’m a little seasick.
But it doesn’t stop me tackling a seafood lunch in Benidorm port with great gusto.
Next up is a visit to the Bodegas Mendoza winery where we dutifully listen to a brief talk about oak barrels before getting stuck into their tasty and affordable wines.
Standing in the pretty stone courtyard, listening to the girls talking about wine while slurping some of the region’s finest vino, seems a great way to spend the afternoon.
And that’s even before they bring out regional snacks.
Go: Benidorm
GETTING THERE: Many airlines fly from UK airports to Alicante.
The closest airport to Benidorm. Prices start from £54 return in January. See cheapflights.co.uk.
For more information about the region go to visitbenidorm.es.
Nicely refreshed we head back to our hotel, the Melia Villaitana.
This 5H gem, designed to resemble a small village, looks like it would be utterly unaffordable to ordinary holidaymakers.
But two Brits I meet in the bar booked two nights including flights from the Midlands for little over £200 each.
And they couldn’t believe the facilities you get for that money.
Rather than a boring rectangular pool, this hotel lets swimmers weave their way around the various buildings on two levels.
With a big grin, I breast-stroke under verandas and bridges and detour into alcoves.
You can even swim up to the steps of the church.
A pleasant microclimate offers year-round golfing on the hotel’s two courses.
And here I finally got to grips with the sport under the expert tutelage of pro Angel Duran.
Years ago I had tried to learn using borrowed clubs.
My plan was to whack the ball and my dog would fetch it.
On the rare occasions I did weakly connect, the ball would lamely plop into my mutt’s mouth just feet away.
But now after a few pointers I am thrilled to be blasting the ball down the fairway.
I am hitting way more than I am missing, in the general direction of forward, and I could not be more thrilled.
With such great facilities it would be tempting to stay at the hotel but a jeep tour in the mountains is well worth it.
Benidorm’s dense town planning means you are quickly out of the city and among nature.
Time doesn’t permit further exploration but Marco Polo offers numerous attractive options including mountain biking, coasteering (a swimming/climbing combo) and canyoning (similar with more scary plunging).
But for those preferring quieter pastimes there is still plenty to do.
At Benidorm Cooking Experience () we learned how to knock up a tapas at their pleasant city-centre base.
It goes down well but my appetite for Benidorm remains.