Spain’s Manhattan is best known for mass tourism. However, you can easily avoid the tourists and enjoy a long weekend to nurture your body and soul in nature and silence.
TRAVEL DECLARATION: The trip to Benidorm and the stay was paid for by Visit Benidorm and the Spanish State Tourist Office. The organizations had no influence on the content of the article.
Benidorm is one of Spain’s most touristy cities. It is located on the Costa Blanca in the Alicante province in the Valencia region.
The city is visited by tourists all year round, especially party-loving young people and sun-loving retirees. In high season, the city’s population quadruples. However, you can turn your back on the bars and sunbeds and explore the hidden side of Benidorm.
If you avoid the tourist hordes and head out into nature, you can enjoy a long weekend where you can be active in nature and relax in peace and quiet. Benidorm’s surprising silence and nature are just within reach.
1 Morning walk or run on the beach at sunrise
Get up before all the other tourists, put on your running shoes and head down to Poniente beach, the quieter of Benidorm’s two main beaches. Here you can go for a run or a brisk morning walk as the sun rises over the sea and skyscrapers before the city wakes up.
If you’re into Nordic walking, the beach is ideal for that too. You can also take Nordic walking classes on the beach. I attended a morning class with Sandra where I learned everything from how to use the poles to how to walk, run and dance through the sand. Sandra made sure my heart rate was up and my whole body was activated.
On my morning walk, I met very few other beachgoers who were out for a morning walk or sitting in the sand enjoying the silence.
Sandra also dispelled my prejudice that Nordic walking is only an activity for pensioners. She told me that she teaches people of all ages, from children and young people to the elderly. According to Sandra, there is a growing interest in Nordic walking among people in their 30s and 40s.
If you’re more into hiking in the mountains, you can do that too. Benidorm is surrounded by mountains that are suitable for Nordic walking or hiking.
You can book Nordic walking lessons on the beach or in the mountains with Marco Polo Expediciones
2 Healthy breakfasts with great views
After an active morning of exercise, it’s good to refuel with a hearty and healthy breakfast. A great place to do this is at the D-Vora gastro bar, located in Benidorm’s old town and part of the 4-star Hotel RH Canfali.
Book a table in advance and ask for one on the wooden balcony where you get great views of Benidorm’s other major beach, Levante and the Mediterranean. Levante beach is especially popular with young tourists, but they are still sleeping late in the morning, so it’s very quiet. I only heard the sound of the sea and a few hungry seagulls.
D-Vora’s healthy breakfast consists of guacamole toast, yogurt with muesli, fresh fruit salad, orange and carrot smoothie and coffee or tea. Consuming it with a view and blue sky is pure balm for the soul.
D-Vora Gastrobar, Plaça de Sant Jaume 5
3 Climb the iceberg on an e-bike
Benidorm is blessed with the beautiful Sierra Helada (Iceberg) mountain range, located in the 5600-hectare nature park of the same name. Climbing the steep mountain range is a breeze if you rent an e-bike and climb the mountain range on it.
The nature park is a protected area with 300 meters of cliffs. On the e-bike, winding around the bends and up the steep hills is a breeze. Along the way, there are several viewpoints that are worth taking breaks at.
At the lowest vantage point you can enjoy stunning views across the Mediterranean Sea to the small uninhabited Benidorm Island, a four-kilometer boat ride from the mainland. Once inhabited by peacocks, the island is protected, but you can still visit it.
The further you wind up the wide roads, where I only meet a few hikers, the view of the cliffs and the sea becomes more and more breathtaking. The ride is also quiet, as cars are prohibited in the bike-friendly part of the park. You only hear the roar of the sea.
The highest viewpoint I stop at is Punta del Cavall, which has a ruined Caletes tower from the 16th century. Here I can look out over the mountain range and the sea towards the center of Benidorm, which is tucked under the mountain range.
You can rent electric bikes at several locations in the city. I rented a bike from Tao Bikes, which also offers route maps and guided tours.
4 Enjoy the view from the Mediterranean balcony
In Benidorm’s old town, with narrow, cozy and steep streets, the remains of the city’s old castle from 1325 separates the Poniente and Levante beaches. Above it, in Plaza del Castell, a terrace with white balustrades has been built. From it, a staircase leads down to an octagonal platform from which you can enjoy stunning views of the sea and the city.
The platform, called the Mediterranean Balcony (Mirador de Mediterraneo) or Mirador del Castillo, is built on a cliff and is one of the most Instagrammed spots in the city. It’s most beautiful early in the morning or from late afternoon until sunset.
Mirador del Castillo, Placa del Castell
5 Wake up your body with gentle morning yoga
Every Saturday, Hotel Mercure, located in the city center, invites you to morning yoga in their tropical garden. You can participate even if you are not a guest at the hotel.
Yoga instructor Jesús Hernández is ready with yoga mats, yoga blocks and water under the palm trees, and all you have to do is arrive in your workout clothes. He starts the class by explaining that most people who come to the yoga classes at the hotel are beginners. Therefore, he has organized a class that gently awakens the body and where everyone can join in.
As promised, the exercises are simple, calm and focused on stretching exercises that make the body supple. I practice yin yoga regularly, so the exercises are easy for me. He focuses especially on toning the hips and shoulders, which he claims suffer from the overly sedentary work of modern people.
Jesús is very attentive and steps in with supportive yoga blocks and guidance whenever one of us is limited by lack of flexibility. He also shows us a few exercises that we can integrate into a busy schedule before we end the class.
The yoga class starts every Saturday at 10 am and lasts one hour. If you’re not staying at the hotel, just show up at reception and say you want to join.
6 Golf in the shelter of the skyscrapers
On the outskirts of Benidorm’s city center is the Las Rejas Golf Club. Here you can play golf under the shelter of pine trees with the city’s skyscrapers as a backdrop.
Las Rejas lejas is a Pitch & Putt course. The 9-hole par 3 course is ideal for both beginners and experienced players who want to practice their short game. There are also great opportunities to practice your approach shots.
The Green Fee is for one day, so you can play as many times as you like during the day. Golf lessons are also available for both beginners and advanced players. So you can learn to play golf from scratch or practice your technique on the practice range and golf course. Equipment can be rented on site.
Las Rejas Golf, Calle Pdte. Adolfo Suárez 5
7 Lunch at a local favorite
On the seafront promenade, Passig del Colon, which runs along Poniente beach, is the Posada del Mar lunch and seafood restaurant, right on the edge of Benidorm’s old town. Although the promenade and its many restaurants are well frequented by tourists, Posada del Mar is where most locals go.
Posada del Mar is a classic seafood restaurant and the food is honest and tasty. Try the small fried fish chipirones for starters and the lobster stew Caldero de Bogavante for the main course. You’ll taste two of the greatest specialties of Benidorm.
The spacious restaurant overlooks Poniente beach and the promenade while you enjoy your lunch.
It’s a good idea to arrive a little before Spanish lunchtime (14:30) as it can get quite busy.
Marisquería Posada del Mar, Pg. de Colón 3
8 Pamper your body and soul with a massage
After an active day, pamper yourself with a massage. Massages are offered in several places in Benidorm. I booked an appointment with Mercure Hotel masseuse Mariana.
Mariana’s massage aims to balance the body, so she massages, presses and stretches the body in balance. I quickly relaxed on the couch in the dimly lit room where Mariana began by applying essential oils to my body.
She quickly scanned and spotted my body’s weaknesses and tensions from tense shoulders to back imbalances and sore feet. Then her skillful hands continued to alternate between massaging, pressing points on my back and twisting hip flexors. “I felt very comfortable in Mariana’s gentle and efficient hands, which allowed her to really work in depth,” she claimed.
I’m a bit groggy after half an hour on the couch, but a few hours after I leave Maiana, I feel very relaxed and relaxed and amazed at how much she could accomplish in such a short time.
You can book an appointment at the reception, whether you are staying at the hotel or elsewhere.
Massage, Mercure Hotel
9 Enjoy the best views of Benidorm in an SUV
Before you leave Benidorm, I recommend that you treat yourself to an evening sunset drive in an SUV.
Johan from Marco Polo Expediciones picked me up at my hotel. He is a highly experienced driver who knows his Land Rover inside out. So he teasingly asked if I was ready for “the wild ride” before we sped through Benidorm’s wide boulevards out of the center.
When Johan turns off a rocky, steep road that is only passable in a four-wheel drive, he speeds up and drives wildly and safely to the end of the road. Here he stops at the Sierra Cortina viewpoint, where the most beautiful views of Benidorm, the sea and the surrounding small towns reveal themselves.
Here you can clearly see that Benidorm is built in height and not width, and it is airy with its wide boulevards. Both the square and the fact that Benidorm has grown with tourism means that the city does not suffer from over-tourism.
Johan also shows that Benidorm’s urban development is limited by the many protected natural areas that surround the city.
We continue towards La Cruz (the cross), which stands at the top of the Sierra Helada Natural Park, 438 meters above sea level. On the viewing platform, 200 meters below the cross, I enjoy the sunset over Spanish Manhattan and nature with a few locals.
It’s very quiet here as the sun sets over the city and the sea. And I feel far away from the all-night parties of young tourists and the many long-term vacationing elderly people on electric scooters.
Book an evening 4WD tour with
Where should you stay in Benidorm?
Check into the Mercure Hotel in Benidorm, a great choice for a vacation where you want to stay in tranquil surroundings. Despite being just a few minutes’ walk from Poniente beach and close to a sea of souvenir shops and restaurants, the Mercure Hotel feels like you’re far away from the tourist hordes.
It’s quiet and lush. The rooms are centered around a tropical garden with a pool in the middle. There are several cozy corners and you can have breakfast in the shade of the trees. You can also have lunch at the Maspalona restaurant, which serves good local cuisine. The tropical garden is also where you can take part in morning yoga.
The rooms are modern and stylishly decorated with plenty of space. They all have a large balcony overlooking the garden and pool. I enjoyed waking up to the view of the quiet garden while watching the sun rise over the sea on the horizon.
I stayed in a suite, which also has a seating area with a sofa. If you can do without a sofa, the standard rooms are also spacious and all have a desk.
You have the option to book rooms with breakfast or breakfast and dinner. Both are served buffet style and cava is included with breakfast.
The hotel also has a fitness center, as well as easy access to morning yoga and massage. The hotel focuses on healthy food and you can enjoy these healthy smoothies that you can also make at home.
Mercure Benidorm, Av. de Panamá 5
