Benidorm Travel Guide & Money-Saving Tips

Benidorm combines two superb beaches, old-town tapas and easy ways to keep a Costa Blanca holiday affordable.

Two huge beaches and a brilliant old town make Benidorm easy to love

Benidorm is a wonderfully straightforward beach break: Levante brings the buzz, while Poniente gives you more room for a long walk beside the sea. Both bays are backed by an easy-going promenade and plenty of places to stop when the water and sand have done their work.

We also come back for the old town, where steep lanes lead to the white-railed Balcó del Mediterrània and its wide views over the coast. Calle Santo Domingo is the place to eat later, with pintxos bars packed into a short pedestrian street and a lively local feel.

This hub brings together what to know before going to Benidorm and how to save money while still getting the most out of the trip.

Good to know

The old town and Poniente beach are quieter than the Levante strip. Stay there if you want a calmer trip.

Top tips

Currency: EUR (€)
Daily spend: 35–90 EUR per person
Hotels: 25–250 EUR per night
Plug: Europlug / Schuko
Tipping: Welcomed
Timezone: GMT+1
Taxis: Uber / Cabify
Food: Glovo / Uber Eats / Just Eat

Best time to visit

Weather, prices, crowds and the events worth travelling for.

Spring

Great

Apr – May

Mild 20–25°C days and a 19°C sea by May; prices stay fair outside Easter, with moderate crowds.

Summer

Good

Jun – Aug

Hot 29–32°C days and warm sea; prices peak alongside busy beaches, especially around Levante.

Autumn

Great

Sep – Oct

Warm September sea and 27°C days give way to cooler, wetter October; crowds thin and prices ease.

Winter

Good

Nov – Feb

Sunny 17–20°C afternoons, cool nights and low rates; fiestas and New Year bring lively bursts of visitors.

Cost saving tips

Book May, June or September outside school holidays for lower room rates than July and August.
Eat lunch two streets inland, where a menu del día costs €12–18 instead of paying seafront prices.
Buy theme-park tickets online in advance rather than paying the €40–55 gate-price range.

Top tips

Start on Calle Santo Domingo around 19:00 if you want a table before the bars fill after 20:30.
Order a caña for a smaller, colder and cheaper draught while working through Tapas Alley.
Use the €1.60 town bus between the beaches and old town instead of repeated €8–12 taxi hops.
Shop at Mercadona or Lidl inland, since promenade mini-markets can charge up to 50% more.
Round up or leave small change when you are pleased with the service; tipping is welcomed but not expected.
Watch the sunset from the Balcó del Mediterrània before paying for an attraction, because the viewpoint and promenades are free.

Packing tips

Reef shoes for the rocky Cala del Tí Ximo cove and swimming around Benidorm Island.
A refillable water bottle for the shadeless Sierra Helada clifftop path.
A light jacket for cool winter evenings after mild afternoons.
Comfortable walking shoes for cobbled old-town lanes and the long promenades.
SPF 50 sunscreen for beach days and coastal walks.