Benidorm has several kilometers of coastline. The most famous are the Levante beach on the east side of the old town and the Poniente beach on the west side. These are beautiful beaches with fine-grained sand, clean water and a high environmental standard. In addition, there are two naturist beaches on the east side of Levante Beach. The hike along the sandy beaches is 5.5 km long. You can walk barefoot on the water's edge or in shoes on the walkway inside.
Walking along the sandy beaches of Benidorm is like being in two different worlds at the same time. If you turn your head one way, you see a beautiful sandy beach and blue sea as far as the eye can see. If you turn your head the other way, you are in the middle of a big city with skyscrapers, restaurants and car traffic.
Benidorm is the cradle of mass tourism in Spain. It was here that the dictator Franko saw the potential for commercial activity on a large scale, and it was here that the charter companies set up their first package tours. The development of hotels and residences for the tourists started on the eastern beach - the Levante beach. Here, a wide walkway and a small park area were created between the sandy beach and the road with the connected row of restaurants. Inside, a metropolis with hotels, nightclubs, apartment blocks and shops gradually grew up. Here there were parties and nightlife around the clock.
Poniente beach was initially a place for Spaniards. Here there are narrower walkways, more residential buildings and not so many restaurants. Now, of course, the tourists have also taken over this part of the city, but it is still the residential buildings that dominate. Today, this is the modern part of the city with the most exciting architecture. The sandy beach is 3 km long and on average 74 meters wide.
The hike described in this post starts at the tip of the cliff that bounds Benidorm to the west. Follow the footpath that runs along the beach to the east from this point.
To get from Poniente Beach to Levante Beach you have to go through the old town of Benidorm. It is worth a visit in itself. Take the road that goes straight ahead in the continuation of the paseo on Ponientestranden and continue straight ahead for 400-500 metres. There you turn right to get down to Levante beach. Walk along the paseo or on the beach until it ends. There you can continue on to the naturist beaches if you want to extend the trip. Levante beach is 2 km long and on average 100 meters wide.
To get to the naturist beaches, you go up the hill at the east end of Levante beach (see the picture below).
Turn right at the first crossroads and follow the signs for Serra Gelada and Tio Ximo. After about 400 metres, there is a new fork in the road. Here you should go to the right. After a few meters you will see the first of the naturist beaches Cala Tio Ximo. This is also the largest and best with a fine sandy beach.
You can choose to follow the road around the bay to the other side and go down from there, or follow a narrow wall and follow a path from it down to the beach.
If you follow the road, you will come to a sign for Cala Ti Ximo. Follow the path to this one.
On the outside of this beach, there is another small cove where you can also sunbathe and swim naked. It is smaller and does not have such fine sand.
More excursions: www.turideer.com
Excursion of the week: Hike along the coast at Benidorm's beaches.
Length: Approx. 5.5 km each way, 11 km in total. Another 4 km if you want to go back and forth to the naturist beaches. Time consumption approx. 3-4 hours.
Suitable for: Everyone. Prams and wheelchairs are fine.
Getting there: Search for car parks in Benidorm in Google Maps. It is possible to park along the streets in the residential areas along the beaches.
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