Eagle eyed young travellers will be the first to spot Benidorm’s unmistakable skyline as your aircraft lines up for the final approach to Alicante. This mini-metropolis on the Costa Brava has been welcoming families for over thirty years and has developed considerable expertise in catering for its younger visitors.
The beaches here are all Blue Flag certified, which means water is checked regularly for pollutants and declared safe. The beach shelves gently out so even the shortest people can enjoy a splash or two. Slap some factor 50 on along with a sunhat and listen for giggles.
The Cafes and bars which front the beaches sell a fantastical array of ice-creams which will require spoons, straws and considerable dedication to finish. If someone’s tired or a bit grumpy stick one of these in front of them. You’re guaranteed at least twenty minutes of silent concentration. Have wet wipes handy and be ready for the sugar rush. If that doesn’t work, try Tigers.
It doesn’t matter how big you are; tigers are bigger, stripier and have very practical teeth. You can get face-to-face with them – literally inches – at Terra Natura Wildlife Park, an animal community that includes over 50 endangered species and will take up the best part of a day.
Everyone’s played Sonic the Hedgehog. This next treat gives everyone, dads included, the chance to be the spiky speedster. Aqualandia is one of Spain’s best waterparks with curly slides and tubes, fountains, waterfalls and wave machines. Try slides like Black Hole, Big Bang or Kamikaze if you’re feeling particularly brave. The names are a bit of a giveaway here. Expect squeaks at speed.
Older kids will enjoy a trip to Altea, just a few kilometers along the coast. The streets here are narrow and twisty and it’s easy to lose your way. Explain that this is to confuse and disorient the pirates and barbary corsairs who landed here to plunder.
To get on the sea yourself try a boat trip out to the offshore wild life sanctuary. Also here, for the intrepid, is a yellow submarine which will take you round the island a few metres below the surface.
No trip to Benidorm would be complete without a visit to Terra Mitica, one of the best theme parks in Spain with over 25 major rides, sideshows and entertainments. There’s Magnus Colossus, a rattly wooden roller-coaster; The Minotaur, a terrifying ride in the dark; two further roller-coasters; a log flume and a drop tower.
The one essential piece of news for younger travellers visiting Benidorm is that construction on the beach is banned and attracts a fine of 150 Euros. The Mediterranean isn’t tidal so sandcastles can be a trip hazard at night. That’s what they say, anyway. Sandcastles aside, Benidorm is a great getaway if you have family in tow. The Spanish love kids and it shows. Have a great time.
Adriano Comegna writes on behalf of Thomson holidays, a leading travel operator specialising in Benidorm holidays.
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