Benidorm – the Manhattan of Spain
The coastal town Benidorm is situated in the Alicante province and is a municipality. This was a relatively small village before 1960; at present it is a tourist town with lots of beaches, hotels and skyscrapers and its economy is mainly driven by tourism. This city has a population of about 74,000 people. The hotels and skyscrapers form a skyline that made people call this city as the Manhattan of Spain.
History
This tourist town is patronized by people from northern part of Europe. The British Citizens love this tourist destination. The popularity of this town grew multifold because of the explosion of package holidays. Further there are a large number of nightclubs, bars and restaurants in this town that make it attractive for the tourists. There are a number of cabaret acts that are performed free; they start at 9:00 p.m. and continue till early hours in the morning.
Climate: The maximum and minimum average temperatures in this city are 27°C in July-August and 6 °C in January.
Art and Culture: Wax Museum – is one the famous museums where the wax models of various famous personalities and celebrities are exhibited.
House Museum – is housed in a 19th century building and has many sculptures, paintings and exhibitions.
Agricultural Museum (Museo de Agricola) – contains historic farming tools and equipment.
Cuisine: Since this city is tourism centered, you can get the food of different countries at varied budgets. The Coca Farcida is the specialty item in this town.
Sports and Entertainment : There are 3 major beaches in this town and since 1987 they have blue flag which is a European Union standard. These beaches are as follows:
Levante Beach – has a walkway along the seafront where there are shops, cafes, bars, etc. and the coastline is beautiful. It is well suited for children who want to paddle. For elders you have rafts, diving boards and water slides. Water sports such as water skiing, paragliding, jet skiing, snorkeling and scuba diving are popular.
Poniente Beach – is popular for water sports, regular life guards, ramps for disabled and a number of beach activities.
Malpas Beach – is relatively unknown and hence the crowd is less. You can have sun bath in a quieter environment.
Shopping: This town is popular for Arts and Crafts and you can purchase these items from the bazaar as per your budget.
Business: The economy of this town is driven mainly by hotel industry as well as tourism.
Photo Credit: Pixabay