My wife and I have been going to Benidorm for 27 years now. Used to go to the new town then decided as we got a little older we wanted
to still go to Benidorm but needed to be a little more peaceful. The old town suits us just fine. plenty to do, lots of decent shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. But a more relaxed atmosphere and a taste of the real Spain.
So in all it's what you want out of your holiday, noisy and disco's then the new town, relaxed and easy going then the old town.

AYOUDA MEJORAR EL TURISMO DE BENIDORM!!!! HELP BENIDORM'S TOURISM IMPROVE!!! Every little helps.
Please fill in this 2 minute survey about Benidorm if you are a resident or have been for 5 years or more, thank you. (Por favor completa esta encuesta de 2 minutos sobre Benidorm si es residente o lo ha estado durante 5 años o más, gracias) https://goo.gl/forms/2MxSi5TN0Kap3aH12

Jordan
I can't complete the questionnaire as I haven't been to Benidorm for over 30 years. But can you tell me what you are hoping to do to improve Benidorm's tourism?

Here's a suggestion - demolish all the ugly 30 storey tower blocks!!

Hola Jordan.
I've just completed the survey and I had to read some of the questions twice to get the gist of what you were asking .... Most seemed environmental based.
I can't remember exactly when, in respect of the actual date, but Benidorm has been officially classed as being eco-friendly for quite a few years.

In 1956 the Mayor of Benidorm ( Señor Pedro Zaragoza Orts) had a vision and he usually gets credited for persuading General Franco to lift the bikini ban.
However he introduced and implemented the first urban plan in Spain, and I believe (in Benidorm) that the same urban plan still stands today.

In 60 years, Benidorm, whilst it has obviously expanded, it hasn't encroached too far into the surrounding countryside and the decision to build upwards with the construction of tower blocks ensured that the increase in the population would have infrastructure in place for essential things such as a water supply and sewage removal.

The main carretera through the town ( Avda.Mediterraneo) was planned and built when there were only a handful of cars in the town. In fact he wanted to make it wider, but the land owners wouldn't give up any more agricultural land.
Some of the towers were designed by architects who 'cut their teeth' during the expansion of the town and who later went on to become famous.

So, Benidorm is what it is today through the vision of one man, who wanted to preserve the surrounding countryside ( the Sierra Helada is right on the doorstep of the town) and at the same time embrace tourism.

Was he right building upwards? Others now say that he was, when they consider that in other parts of Spain during the construction boom years, they were losing the equivalent of three football pitches a day to sprawling concrete urbanisations, destroying the natural habitat of animals and in some situations encroaching onto maritime land, thus destroying the 'balance' of the marine eco system too.

In my opinion, Benidorm has done its best to accommodate localism, tourism and environmentalism, but like other 'old' working towns in Spain, there are parts that need razing to the ground and investment poured in.

Sanji x