Things to do in Benidorm

Before you go: seasons and getting around

• The parks do not open all year. Aqualandia ended its 2026 season in late September. Terra Mítica runs its Halloween programme from 3 October to 1 November 2026. Check each park's calendar before buying tickets (details below).
• City buses. Run by Llorente Bus (Grupo Avanza), with routes through Levante, Poniente and the centre and services to the theme parks. There are single tickets, a stored-value card (TarjetaBus) and 24 and 72-hour tourist cards with unlimited travel, including the open-top sightseeing buses and the lines to Guadalest and Fuentes del Algar. Tourist cards are sold on board lines 16, 18, 30 and 31, according to Visit Benidorm. Timetables on the Avanza website.
• TRAM d'Alacant. Line 1 links Benidorm with Alicante (Luceros station) in just over an hour, and from Benidorm the network continues to Altea, Calp and Dénia. Timetables and journey planner at tramalacant.es.

Flying in? All the options are in our Alicante airport to Benidorm guide.

Beaches: Levante, Poniente and Mal Pas

All three have held the Blue Flag since 1987, according to Visit Benidorm.

• Levante. The liveliest: 2,084 metres between Punta Pinet and Punta Canfali, with a seafront promenade full of bars and restaurants. It has sunbeds and parasols for hire, floating platforms and the Cable Ski, which runs from Easter to October.
• Poniente. The longest, at 3,100 metres, and quieter than Levante. Its promenade has a half-kilometre open-air sculpture route along Avenida de la Armada Española; the works change with each exhibition.
• Mal Pas. A 120-metre cove between the two big beaches, below the old town and facing the island. It is the divers' beach: just offshore is the La Llosa marine reserve.
• Northern coves. La Almadrava and Tío Ximo, sand and rock, next to the Serra Gelada. Good for a quiet swim and snorkelling.

Outside summer, Levante and Poniente still have lifeguards, at fewer posts. According to Visit Benidorm, the beaches face the sun until sunset in winter and until after 8 pm in summer. There are accessible beach points on Levante (Calle Murcia) and Poniente (Avenida Mont Benidorm and Parque de Elche).

Old town and the Balcón del Mediterráneo

The old town sits on the Canfali hill, between the two beaches. At the top is the church of San Jaime and Santa Ana, from the 18th century, with its blue dome; inside is the Virgen del Sufragio, the town's patron.

At the tip of the hill is la Replaçeta del Castell, the lookout known as the Balcón del Mediterráneo. It stands where the old castle was and keeps four cannons. From here you see Levante and the skyline to the east, Poniente and the harbour to the west, and the island straight ahead. Visit Benidorm recommends it for sunset over the harbour.

Other viewpoints, from Visit Benidorm's viewpoint guide:

• La Cruz, in the Serra Gelada: a 180-degree view of the whole city and both beaches. You walk up (see the route below).
• Tossal de la Cala, above Poniente, with Iberian remains and a Roman fort. It is the quietest.

Benidorm Island

The island lies just over 3 km offshore and is part of the Serra Gelada Natural Park. You get there on the boats from Benidorm harbour. According to Visit Benidorm, the crossing takes 15 to 20 minutes, boats leave every 30 to 60 minutes in high season and usual hours are 10:00 to 18:00. Weather permitting, there are sailings all year, and the boat has underwater viewing windows.

On the island you can walk its paths, snorkel and watch seabirds. Bring shoes for rocky ground, water and sun protection: it is a protected area.

We found no official ferry company website with fares. Check the price and last return trip at the harbour ticket office before you board.

Serra Gelada: walks and the Albir lighthouse

The Serra Gelada has been a natural park since 2005, the first land and marine park in the Valencia region, with cliffs over 300 metres high. Three routes, with figures from Visit Benidorm:

The coves route ends at the Punta del Cavall watchtower, with one of the best views of the cliffs. The La Cruz route is waymarked in white and yellow.

The Albir lighthouse is at the northern end of the range, on the l'Alfàs del Pi side. According to Comunitat Valenciana Tourism, it is a 2 km walk from a car park, with views over the bay of Altea and the Bèrnia range; the lighthouse has an interpretation centre and next to it are the remains of the Bombarda tower. From Benidorm, take bus 10 or 31 or the TRAM (El Albir stop) to Albir.

Go early in summer: there is almost no shade. Bring water, a hat and sun protection.

Theme parks: seasons and 2026 prices

Benidorm has five parks. Seasons change every year: check the official calendar before you buy. Adult prices from the official websites, checked on 13 October 2026:

• Terra Mítica. In 2026 it stays open until 1:00 am on 31 October, and Horror Nights run on the nights of 3, 10, 17 and 24 October, 21:00 to 24:00. There is an afternoon ticket with entry from 15:00. Under-4s go free; junior and senior tickets (ages 4 to 12 and 65+) cost less. It has its own TRAM stop, Terra Mitica.
• Terra Natura and Aqua Natura. There are combined tickets and a €21 supplement to add the other park. Parking €7 a day.
• Aqualandia and Mundomar sit side by side, with a combined ticket.
• By bus: lines 1 and 11 go to Aqualandia and Mundomar; line 42 runs from Avenida de Beniardá to Terra Natura and Terra Mítica, with few departures a day. Timetables on the Avanza website.

Museu Boca del Calvari, free

The Museu Boca del Calvari, on Calle Tomás Ortuño by the old town, is the municipal museum: temporary exhibitions of contemporary art and local history, plus the Lluís Duart archaeology room, opened in 2024, with over 500 pieces from the Neolithic to the 20th century. The highlight is a 2.2-metre Roman lead anchor stock found in the bay.

Entry is always free and the building is fully accessible. Opening hours change with the season: Visit Benidorm gives daily 12:00 to 20:00, until 22:00 in summer, while the Town Hall page gives 15:00 to 22:00 in summer. As they do not match, check before you go.

Two more municipal venues:

• Aula del Mar, on the Levante promenade (Avenida de Madrid, 35): Benidorm's seafaring history, tuna fishing and the marine life of the Serra Gelada. Open Friday to Sunday, 14:00 to 20:00 in winter and 12:00 to 18:00 in summer, according to Visit Benidorm.
• L'Hort de Colón house museum, an 1885 shipowner's house with its orchard: guided visits only, booked in advance with the Heritage department.

What to do if it rains

Benidorm is built for the outdoors, so the indoor options are few:

• The Museu Boca del Calvari, free every day.
• The Aula del Mar, Friday to Sunday.
• The church of San Jaime and Santa Ana, in the old town.
• A TRAM trip to Altea or Alicante: the ride itself follows the coast, and Alicante has more museums.

Save the island and the Serra Gelada for a dry day: in bad weather the boats may not sail and the trails have no shelter. At the parks, many rides are outdoors.

Day trips: Guadalest, Altea and Fuentes del Algar

• El Castell de Guadalest. A village on a crag, with a gateway carved into the rock, the 11th-century San José castle, several museums and views over the reservoir. From Benidorm it is reached via the CV-70. By bus, take line 16 of Llorente Bus; it has few departures (on 13 October 2026, one outbound in the morning and one back at midday), so check the timetable first.
• Altea. An old town of white houses, the church of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo with its blue dome and lookouts over the bay. Get there by TRAM (Altea station) or on buses 10 and 31 (31 is the open-top double-decker via El Albir).
• Fuentes del Algar. Waterfalls and pools on the Algar river, 15 km from Benidorm and 3 km from Callosa d'en Sarrià, with a 1.5 km circuit. It opens at 9:00 and hours vary by season. Tickets are sold at the gate on the day until capacity is reached, or online at least 24 hours ahead on its website. You can swim in the river; there are lifeguards at Easter and in summer. Line 18 goes there, but on 13 October 2026 the Avanza website showed no departures: check it runs on your dates.

To visit Guadalest and the Algar at your own pace, given the few buses, a hire car gives you more freedom.