Benidorm is known all over the world: its beaches, its hotels and the magic of summer are its most outstanding features. But, what curiosities of the city of Benidorm do you not know?
We told you the 7 things you probably didn’t know about this charming city.
The island of Benidorm, its most precious icon
The island of Benidorm is undoubtedly one of the places you cannot miss. A romantic legend revolves around it.
It is said that a giant kicked Puig Campana, the mountain behind Benidorm, to make his beloved live a few more hours of life, since he would die at dusk as predicted. The piece of land that he tore off the mountain to delay the sunset fell into the sea and became the island we now know.
A love story that tells the story of the creation of one of Benidorm’s most popular icons.
From a fishing village to a tourist town
At the beginning, Benidorm was a small fishing village. The former mayor Pedro Zaragoza, and probably the most remembered of the city, made a transformation of the industry, as the fishing sector was in decline, basing the economy of the place on tourism.
Today, it is known as one of the most touristic cities in Spain thanks to its pleasant climate and excellent beaches.
Why is Benidorm known as the “New York of the Mediterranean”?
The honour of this name is thanks to its more than 60 skyscrapers, almost 30 of them, over 100 metres high! It is considered the city with the most skyscrapers in Spain, and the third in Europe behind London and Milan.
The Bali hotel was considered the tallest skyscraper in Europe for years, although between 2010 and 2015 the Intempo building was built, currently the tallest in Benidorm.
It is an honour for our hotel to be in such a well-known and admired city thanks to its skyscrapers and buildings!
A castle converted into a lookout point
In the place where one of the most emblematic viewpoints of Benidorm is located, in ancient times, there was a boat surveillance castle.
In the 19th century it was invaded by French troops, and later defeated by Napoleonic troops, who left the castle empty. But it was not until the war of independence that the English fleet, with its enormous cannons, would demolish the castle.
Today, this beautiful viewpoint is called the Balcony of the Mediterranean, for its spectacular views, you have the feeling that the ocean is yours!
The Geyser of Benidorm
Didn’t you know there was a Geyser in Benidorm? Yes, but it is not a natural geyser, but the first artificial geyser in Spain. It was designed in 1986 and the height of the water was 100 metres.
However, due to the damage it caused to the area, both to its own nature and to nearby buildings, it was decided to make it unusable, although we hope that one day it will work again with the same strength as the first day.
The best climate in the Mediterranean
Benidorm is considered one of the cities with the best climate in the whole of the Mediterranean. Why? Thanks to its privileged location.
Its beaches are located to the south and the breeze from the sea attenuates the heat in summer and the cold in winter. In addition, the whole interior area is surrounded by mountains, which protect the city from the weather.
All this creates a very pleasant “microclimate“, both in summer and in winter. For this reason, Benidorm has become an ideal place for holidays at any time of the year.
Benidorm, the pioneer city in the use of the bikini
Our city is proud to be the first to allow the use of bikinis on the beach. In the past, women had to wear much more demure swimming costumes and it was not well seen to be able to show certain parts of the body.
But in 1953, the mayor of Benidorm at that time, Pedro Zaragoza, saw the importance of adapting to new trends. For this reason, he went exclusively to Madrid to visit Francisco Franco on his small motorbike, for 8 hours, to obtain his permission. And he succeeded.
This cost him much criticism from the more cautious, but we cannot deny that Benidorm has always been a city ahead of its time and thanks to this it has become the city we know today.
Our hotel, a classic of Benidorm
The beginning of the tourist boom in Benidorm was in the 19th century. A multitude of hotels began to be built, the Hotel Don Pancho being one of the most modern, built in 1972. We feel privileged to have been able to form part of the tourist transformation of our city!
A hotel considered the most emblematic by many of the visitors to our city, and we can proudly say that a high percentage of our guests always return on their holidays.
These are some of the curiosities that surround this city. Which of them did you not know? Which others do you know?
