it is not strictly speaking a pedestrian area.

traffic is however supposed to be restricted to access and residents only

i find that there isnt that much traffic but what there is in 99 pct of cases does drive slowly

I don't believe that the Levante promenade is used excessively by traffic, although there are certainly speeding issues with a small minority of the traffic which uses it. But the biggest risk of accident is perhaps due to the number of holidaymakers who mistakenly think that they are walking in a completely pedestrianised zone.

My recollection of those pre-refurbishment days in the 70s and 80s is of a bit of a traffic nightmare on the promenade. The entire length of one side of the street was used for parking by local residents, business owners and holidaymakers. Because of the narrow width of the street, that left very little space for larger vehicles to get through. Delivery vans or tour operator coaches dropping off at hotels on the seafront then brought the entire promenade to a halt, with traffic queues stretching back on to Avenida Mediterraneo, and car horns being heard all over Benidorm. With many thousands of holidaymakers on the beach at any one time, there were inevitably medical emergencies each day. Ambulances simply could not reach them quickly enough because of the traffic chaos and so changes were eventually implemented, with traffic being restricted but not completely banned.

Perhaps not perfect, but I think it is much better now, especially when compared with the Poniente promenade.

It is now a very pleasant and well maintained area to walk in (with care) and is also very well lit at night.

David

When we were there in May, we found there to be an excessive amount of "Corsa Boys" (that's what we call boy racers where I come from ) of an evening cruising along. Boys in one car were actually speeding up to pedestrians than slamming the brakes on, stopping within inches of them. God, how those people didn't have heart attacks at turning round and finding a car screaching to a halt behind them. Idiots, the lot of them.
I was under the impression it was acces for deliveries and emergency vehicles only.

I'm surprised there haven't been many accidents.
From the balcony in the Apt I go in on the front by Mcdonalds, I have seen so many near misses. My heart was in my mouth loads of times.
I think children just see the sand and run to it, this applies to all the roads leading to the front.
But I do laugh at some folk, they stroll along the road with cars right behind them or cross in front of them, and when they see them they start gesturing at them.

Lizzie.

This reminds me of a few years ago when we were at the beach. There are trees planted every so often along this piece of road and for some reason there was a hole where a tree should have been but wasn't. A police car tried to drive over the hole and ended up with a wheel stuck in it. The driver must have been mortified, lol.

Karen

I agree with JKKne, the situation is ridiculous.

Either make it 100% pedestrian or make it look like a road, so at least pedestrians have a chance!

Good point that dgutte. During our first visit, i too, thought it was fully pedestrianised, strolling along in the middle of the road pushing the buggy, when I heard a toot from behind. Turned around to find about 6 cars following me ... and I got a wave and a smile from him, no road rage off anyone, although they were probably saying to themselves, stupid eeenglish tourist.

I've been there many times and I still forget that it isn't all pedestrian and step out in front of vehicles. It's so easy to do. I agree that they should make it pedestrian only or at least strictly enforce the rules on delivery vehicles only.

I've been there many times and I still forget that it isn't all pedestrian and step out in front of vehicles. It's so easy to do. I agree that they should make it pedestrian only or at least strictly enforce the rules on delivery vehicles only.

I agree but they would also have to allow access to residents who live or are staying on the sea front too and that would be difficult to police.

Sue

I've never seen an accident on that road in ten years of going. I've seen and heard plenty of others happening on other roads around the town. Apart from the odd lunatic young kids, most people seem to drive very carefully. Most of the traffic is probably visitors going to hotel car parks, the last thing they want to do is run into someone.

I can't really make my mind up about this .
I can see the problems for kiddies running across with only one thing on their minds, (sand castles and the sea), and their parents not aware that there is a road there, but I can't see how you can completely stop the traffic on there because delivery vans and people who have the right of access in their vehicles really have no other option but to drive down the prom.

You do get the odd lunatic every now and then, and I must admit Dave gets peed off when some cars are up his backside when we walk across the road there are some people who shouldn't be driving down the prom and have no reason to drive down, except for pure laziness.
Funnily enough, the subject of the road was the only thing my oldest lad didn't like about Benidorm, I have the feeling that he too thought it was all pedestrianised and may have been strolling along, oblivious to the fact that cars were behind him.

The prom is not adequate for the number of people who tramp up and down it daily, then add a few mobility scooters and the Spanish congregating bang in the middle for a mornings yapping session, then people have to spill onto the road.

My own personal view is that the prom needs to be made wider and if that means stealing a bit more beach along the length, then so be it.

If you think Benidorm is bad, then try Salou you have to cross a dual carriageway to get to the prom, which is like a game of chance, even on traffic light controlled crossings.

I suppose a few barriers strategically placed along the length with permits to operate the barrier, would stop the odd lunatic, but then I witnessed over 300 motor bikes come down the length on some rally, which was a sight to behold, but choked us with their exhaust fumes and put a stop to any other activity.

So, IMO, widen the prom, (the bit where people walk now, pinch some more of the beach) make the road look like a road and access only via permits. problem solved

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

I can't see them widening the prom and losing part of the beach to be honest

This council are very good but it did take them around a decade to work out that the reason the pavements all over Benidorm were cracking up was not somesort of Benidorm affixed seismic disaster but more due to the tree's uprooting through pavements across the city

I can't see them widening the prom and losing part of the beach to be honest

Don't see why not, there's enough of it and pinching a bit more won't make that much difference, apart from both far ends where it already gets narrower.

This council are very good but it did take them around a decade to work out that the reason the pavements all over Benidorm were cracking up was not somesort of Benidorm affixed seismic disaster but more due to the tree's uprooting through pavements across the city

I think the Spanish are guilty of that, throughout the land.

Some hotels were built around trees, some with really old trees too near for comfort, and then some trees are actually growing up inside some hotels.....can't think of one in Beni, but can name quite a few others...in other resorts.
Tenerife was very guilty of doing that many years ago....tree lined avenues
I used to see all these people walking around with their limbs in plaster and then realised they had fallen down in some "hole" for the trees on the pavement..

The Costa del Sol is another....It's a wonder I haven't broken my neck before now, but I never watch where I'm going anyway...far too nosey to be looking out for gaps in the pavements.

When you look at the Christmas video that I did, you realise that the prom isn't very wide at all for the number of people using it and a few feet more would make all the difference. IMO .
Can't see any other option TBH.

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiii

Dual Carriageway in Salou? You do have to cross a road (depending on where you have walked from ) but is not dual carriageway, only one lane in each direction although I agree they do go pretty fast.

Have to say though that the actual promenade in Salou is very wide, palm lined and traffic free and pretty stunning, so its swings and roundabouts really.

I have to say that when I visited Benidorm last year I did think the seafront was much improved on my previous visit 12 years earlier - Its not brilliant but its still an improvement.

As Sanji will know, La Carihuela in Torremolinos has a superb traffic free prom, I'm not sure how they access the businesses with goods but I do think Torremolinos could show the other resorts a think or two in this particular field.

Dual Carriageway in Salou?

Sorry about that Mark... blame it on my age.!
I can remember a wide very fast and busy coastal road.
I stand corrected, it is a while since I was in Salou, but it def was dangerous to get across it when I was there, that's for sure.

Have to say though that the actual promenade in Salou is very wide, palm lined and traffic free and pretty stunning, so its swings and roundabouts really.

Yes, I agree, we often walked down to Cambrils and I was just trying to give a comparison between crossing the road in Benidorm to get to the beach and the one in Salou.
I probably have a downer on crossing the road in Salou, I hated it, it was very busy and I saw a woman killed after being hit by a police "jeep".

La Carihuela in Torremolinos has a superb traffic free prom, I'm not sure how they access the businesses with goods but I do think Torremolinos could show the other resorts a think or two in this particular field.

The shops/restaurants from Plaza Remo are serviced by men with "barrows" (not your typical garden wheel barrow) who park the vehicles in the plaza and then wheel the goods down Calle Bulto.
It's not unusual to see a barrow loaded up with huge bags of potatoes and veg...or boxes full of shoes and then pushed down the street.

You can also cut through to Calle Bulto at certain points from the streets behind, so deliveries would park up as near as possible to the shop to save walking the length of the street and again cut through using a barrow as no vehicles are allowed down Calle Bulto.

You will know, the shops on the promenade in Carihuela have 2 entrances ...one on the sea front and one at the rear on the walking street...running parallel (Calle Bulto.)

Benidorm just can't do this...the distance from the Avda Mediterraneo to the promenade is far greater than the streets in question in Carihuela.
So, basically deliveries would either have to park on the Mediterraneo or down a side street and then do as in Carihuela and use a barrow....however, I totally agree with you that Torremolinos town centre seem to manage quite well and is a maze of side streets and alleyways full of shops....so maybe a lesson could be learnt .

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

I think the approach they have taken is probably right. That is to make it look more like a pavement that a road, using bricks. They can't use the expensive stone of the footpath right across because the vehicles would crack it. Studies have shown that drivers are far more careful when they have none of the usual aids like road markings but I'd go further and put a few concrete benches right in the middle, generally lose the definite straight "road" and encourage more people to wander all over the place, so the cars would really have to crawl along! That would discourage drivers from using it unless they really had to.

Just returned from a few days with work in Benidorm

I've pinpointed my 'Most Deadly JKK Spot' to the roundabout by McDonalds which seems to be very popular for sudden high speed swings by Suzuki 4x4's!

On the tree situation Sanji, my only qualm is when they uproot the tree (and I admit this is a country-wide issue, though Barca seems to have it fixed!) they leave the rooted planted area and don't bother covering it up...which can be most disconcerting after several fine Rioja's!

Just returned from a few days with work in Benidorm

A tough job, but somebody's got to do it

Could you imagine the claims that would be flying in against a council in this country that left three feet wide six inch deep holes in the middle of the pavement? Where I live the scallies are looking for quarter inch steps between flags to "trip over".