If your idea of the perfect holiday is lots of beach-time, great weather, first-rate family attractions and wild nightlife then Benidorm needs to be high up your list. The resort on the Costa Blanca has an almost-iconic skyline of apartment towers in two shallow crescents next to huge sandy beaches. You have an action-packed week or two in the sun or a lazy break doing next to nothing.
Little ones are also going to love the heavyweight theme parks and water attractions right next to the resort. Source: holidaynights. This is the image most associated with Benidorm: An arc of pale golden sand, bounded by a long line of skyscrapers and dappled with a forest of blue parasols.
Granted, the beach can fill up in the summer, but even on the busiest days you can find a quiet place to nest away from the crowds that tend to swarm the waterline. If all this sea air gives you can appetite then at the foot of the tall apartment blocks are restaurants and North European-style pubs.
Source: ownersdirect. As with Levante the surf at Poniente is moderate, but less assured swimmers should avoid wading out too far as the undercurrents can be quite strong.
Source: flickr. Book ahead for special experiences like meeting with dolphins face-to-face or swimming with sea lions. One of the premier rides is the Magnus Colossus, a massive wooden roller coaster on a track more than a kilometre long.
