Where's Bertie? He's in a large car park at the bull ring at Benidorm. Exact location: 38.54756, -0.13109.
Weather: Sunny and warm, but a lack of air clarity.
My run this morning took me a few miles along the coast, discovering along the way that the next beach/resort area, to the south of Jávea, was far nicer than the one in Jávea itself, where we walked yesterday. My turn around point was just beyond a beachside car park which would have been a lovely place to spend the night*.
Quick snap, mid-run, looking back to Jávea.
Maps and resources were consulted over breakfast, with the decision that today's destination (via a service point in Benissa) would be Benidorm, about an hour's drive away. A few years ago we would have avoided a place with such a tacky reputation, but to do so would have been based purely on prejudice, not on prior experience, so we resolved to come here even if it was only a brief visit.
Having reviewed all of the parking options on Park4Night for Benidorm, the best bet for our purposes seemed to be the bullring. It's a bit out of town, but still an easy enough walk (1.7km to the beach) and it's such a big car park that a space would be guaranteed. What I hadn't noticed in any of the reviews was reference to how sloping it is. Tolerable, but not ideal.
A great hunger was upon us by the time we arrived, so lunch was our priority, after which we headed off down to the resort. Our route took us through parkland the entire way to the old town, so initial impressions of the place were favourable.
The 'old town' is barely recognisable as such, with the bars and tat shops being far more noticeable than the narrow streets or any of the architecture. We strode on through, aiming for the 'Balcó del Mediterrani' viewpoint, the site of an old castle, jutting out into the sea, cutting Benidorm's beaches in two. The only evidence of the old castle is a few glass panels in the ground, showing scant remains of old walls.
Platja de Levante; nice hilly backdrop
Platja de Poniente; nice hilly backdrop
The most remarkable thing about the place (other than the sheer quantity of high-rises) was the number of people around. To our surprise, whilst there were a lot of Brits around, there were a lot of Spaniards too:
Such a contrast to all the shut-up-for-winter resorts we've visited, not just on this trip.
We weren't out for very long (an hour and a half?) but the impression I formed during that time was that, if we felt like a cheap winter package holiday in the sun, I wouldn't discount a week in Benidorm as an option. I think we could fritter away a week in and around the resort quite happily (not that we intend to prove the point on this trip!).
(*As everywhere looks the same once it's dark and all Bertie's blinds are closed, what I really mean is it would have been a lovely place to wake up and have breakfast this morning).
Weather: Sunny and warm, but a lack of air clarity.
My run this morning took me a few miles along the coast, discovering along the way that the next beach/resort area, to the south of Jávea, was far nicer than the one in Jávea itself, where we walked yesterday. My turn around point was just beyond a beachside car park which would have been a lovely place to spend the night*.
Maps and resources were consulted over breakfast, with the decision that today's destination (via a service point in Benissa) would be Benidorm, about an hour's drive away. A few years ago we would have avoided a place with such a tacky reputation, but to do so would have been based purely on prejudice, not on prior experience, so we resolved to come here even if it was only a brief visit.
Having reviewed all of the parking options on Park4Night for Benidorm, the best bet for our purposes seemed to be the bullring. It's a bit out of town, but still an easy enough walk (1.7km to the beach) and it's such a big car park that a space would be guaranteed. What I hadn't noticed in any of the reviews was reference to how sloping it is. Tolerable, but not ideal.
A great hunger was upon us by the time we arrived, so lunch was our priority, after which we headed off down to the resort. Our route took us through parkland the entire way to the old town, so initial impressions of the place were favourable.
The 'old town' is barely recognisable as such, with the bars and tat shops being far more noticeable than the narrow streets or any of the architecture. We strode on through, aiming for the 'Balcó del Mediterrani' viewpoint, the site of an old castle, jutting out into the sea, cutting Benidorm's beaches in two. The only evidence of the old castle is a few glass panels in the ground, showing scant remains of old walls.
The most remarkable thing about the place (other than the sheer quantity of high-rises) was the number of people around. To our surprise, whilst there were a lot of Brits around, there were a lot of Spaniards too:
We weren't out for very long (an hour and a half?) but the impression I formed during that time was that, if we felt like a cheap winter package holiday in the sun, I wouldn't discount a week in Benidorm as an option. I think we could fritter away a week in and around the resort quite happily (not that we intend to prove the point on this trip!).
(*As everywhere looks the same once it's dark and all Bertie's blinds are closed, what I really mean is it would have been a lovely place to wake up and have breakfast this morning).
Looks like you've missed Storm Ciara which we have all been experiencing here. I'm just off to fill in a bit more of my local coastline - the wind is still lingering, but blue sky and sunshine coming through. 8:30 am.
ReplyDeleteAll sunny and calm here, which is a bonus not just for us but for the region as a whole. I'm not sure how they would have coped with two destructive storms in the space of a month, just as they're trying to put right the damage after the last one.
DeleteHope the wind died down for you and a good walk was had (not that the two are mutually exclusive, but less windy is generally better than more).