A week in Alicante and Benidorm
Jul 19th 2012 | 8:33 pm
#1
Thread Starter
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 288
A week in Alicante and Benidorm
I usually come to Spain in the winter but cheap flights and hotels for last week meant a short visit to get away from the awful UK weather was in order. EasyJet from Bristol to Alicante, on time both ways and almost full, great value at £80 return. Goya Hotel in Alicante tatty with an antique TV set spitting out Spanish programmes and a dodgy air conditoner, not worth £25 a night. Camposol Hotel in Benidorm very clean but a useless air conditioner and no fan, lots of Spanish families who seemed happy enough. £20 a night with free breakfast not bad value except for the air conditioner, would have been happy with a big fan. Leuke hotel in Alicante had an air conditioner that didn't seem to work but somehow chilled the room right down and actually had a large TV with some English programmes but the room had an air of being well used and abused. £28 a night twice what I would have valued it at and full of students who were trying to see how long they could do without sleep.
Actually, pretty much what I expected for the time of year, what I didn't expect was the HEAT and HUMIDITY. A really horrible heat that made walking my usual ten miles a day hard work, mad dogs and English men... those cold San Miguels went down really well! Benidorm swapped with Spanish holidaymakers who all ate and promenaded en masse, which was fine when you worked out the times and avoided them!
Viewed some cheap apartments, 30-50,000 Euro and concluded that they were originally built to make British council tenants feel at home who wanted to relocate to Benidorm... think some of the buildings will have to go the same way as the tenements in the UK, a large quantity of TNT to bring them down in a cloud of smoke. Reckon the minimum spend would be 80k Euro to get something liveable that might actually outlive me.
Benidorm entertainment in the British sector was either dire or aimed at drugged up youngsters who didn't wake up until I was ready to go to bed. The dire bit emphasized by one pub I wandered into that was playing live music which was suddenly swamped by Brit families who started playing bingo. Another bar had a musical duo making cracks about David Cameron which the crowd, who were probably frightened their UK benefits were about to be slashed, lapped up and then tried to sing some dead music and looked shocked when I drank up and walked out.
The one hooker I saw was built like a rugby player and had the look of Neanderthal to her face, not of course to be confused with the burly transvestite Brits with hairy legs and coal man shoulders who staggered along hopeful that someone would put them out of their misery.
Out of the Brit sector, the Spanish bar owners had a tendency to pad the bill when they confused an inability to speak Spanish with being stupid but at least you could sit in an almost cooling breeze and clock the exotic young Spanish girls wandering around wearing almost nothing whilst reviving a heat blasted body with a cooling San Miguel.
Alicante much more civilised than Benidorm but the same attempts at doubling the bill on the promenade, with the added insult of a snide grin. I should learn some Spanish swear words. Both places had loads of cops patrolling either on moto's or in cars and although there were plenty of disreputable types trying to sell dodgy items there wasn't an air of violence to either place. The funniest thing I saw was three Senegalese vendors selling sunglasses next to each other getting into an altercation with each other which went on for about an hour and resulted in potential buyers giving them a wide berth. Talk about thick!
I did a few trips on the tram, somewhere like Atea offering a much quieter pace but apartments were too expensive to consider and the heat seemed even more blistering.
Overall, quite an amusing break but I will probably not be tempted by cheap flights at this time of year, much preferring both places during the winter.
Actually, pretty much what I expected for the time of year, what I didn't expect was the HEAT and HUMIDITY. A really horrible heat that made walking my usual ten miles a day hard work, mad dogs and English men... those cold San Miguels went down really well! Benidorm swapped with Spanish holidaymakers who all ate and promenaded en masse, which was fine when you worked out the times and avoided them!
Viewed some cheap apartments, 30-50,000 Euro and concluded that they were originally built to make British council tenants feel at home who wanted to relocate to Benidorm... think some of the buildings will have to go the same way as the tenements in the UK, a large quantity of TNT to bring them down in a cloud of smoke. Reckon the minimum spend would be 80k Euro to get something liveable that might actually outlive me.
Benidorm entertainment in the British sector was either dire or aimed at drugged up youngsters who didn't wake up until I was ready to go to bed. The dire bit emphasized by one pub I wandered into that was playing live music which was suddenly swamped by Brit families who started playing bingo. Another bar had a musical duo making cracks about David Cameron which the crowd, who were probably frightened their UK benefits were about to be slashed, lapped up and then tried to sing some dead music and looked shocked when I drank up and walked out.
The one hooker I saw was built like a rugby player and had the look of Neanderthal to her face, not of course to be confused with the burly transvestite Brits with hairy legs and coal man shoulders who staggered along hopeful that someone would put them out of their misery.
Out of the Brit sector, the Spanish bar owners had a tendency to pad the bill when they confused an inability to speak Spanish with being stupid but at least you could sit in an almost cooling breeze and clock the exotic young Spanish girls wandering around wearing almost nothing whilst reviving a heat blasted body with a cooling San Miguel.
Alicante much more civilised than Benidorm but the same attempts at doubling the bill on the promenade, with the added insult of a snide grin. I should learn some Spanish swear words. Both places had loads of cops patrolling either on moto's or in cars and although there were plenty of disreputable types trying to sell dodgy items there wasn't an air of violence to either place. The funniest thing I saw was three Senegalese vendors selling sunglasses next to each other getting into an altercation with each other which went on for about an hour and resulted in potential buyers giving them a wide berth. Talk about thick!
I did a few trips on the tram, somewhere like Atea offering a much quieter pace but apartments were too expensive to consider and the heat seemed even more blistering.
Overall, quite an amusing break but I will probably not be tempted by cheap flights at this time of year, much preferring both places during the winter.
Jul 19th 2012 | 8:40 pm
#2
Not Banned (yet)
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 6,404
From: East Sussex
Re: A week in Alicante and Benidorm
Good post - thanks for the feedback!
Interesting that you got a hotel room at £20 a night. Did you book on the net before you went, or turn up? Seems exceptional value for this time of year.
Interesting that you got a hotel room at £20 a night. Did you book on the net before you went, or turn up? Seems exceptional value for this time of year.
Jul 19th 2012 | 9:43 pm
#3
On the road again.
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 17,507
From: On Top of the World
Re: A week in Alicante and Benidorm
As you say mad dogs and Englishmen, but definitely not for this Englishman at this time of year.
The summer here may be dire up to now, but still preferable to me than the Spanish mid summer heat and humidity.
Much better off peak with reasonable temperatures and only the wrinklies to contend with or maybe an exciting late night session at John and Joseph's.
At last signs of an improvement back here in blighty with the jet stream moving north.
The summer here may be dire up to now, but still preferable to me than the Spanish mid summer heat and humidity.
Much better off peak with reasonable temperatures and only the wrinklies to contend with or maybe an exciting late night session at John and Joseph's.
At last signs of an improvement back here in blighty with the jet stream moving north.
Jul 19th 2012 | 11:07 pm
#4
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,008
Re: A week in Alicante and Benidorm
I usually come to Spain in the winter but cheap flights and hotels for last week meant a short visit to get away from the awful UK weather was in order. EasyJet from Bristol to Alicante, on time both ways and almost full, great value at £80 return. Goya Hotel in Alicante tatty with an antique TV set spitting out Spanish programmes and a dodgy air conditoner, not worth £25 a night. Camposol Hotel in Benidorm very clean but a useless air conditioner and no fan, lots of Spanish families who seemed happy enough. £20 a night with free breakfast not bad value except for the air conditioner, would have been happy with a big fan. Leuke hotel in Alicante had an air conditioner that didn't seem to work but somehow chilled the room right down and actually had a large TV with some English programmes but the room had an air of being well used and abused. £28 a night twice what I would have valued it at and full of students who were trying to see how long they could do without sleep.
Actually, pretty much what I expected for the time of year, what I didn't expect was the HEAT and HUMIDITY. A really horrible heat that made walking my usual ten miles a day hard work, mad dogs and English men... those cold San Miguels went down really well! Benidorm swapped with Spanish holidaymakers who all ate and promenaded en masse, which was fine when you worked out the times and avoided them!
Viewed some cheap apartments, 30-50,000 Euro and concluded that they were originally built to make British council tenants feel at home who wanted to relocate to Benidorm... think some of the buildings will have to go the same way as the tenements in the UK, a large quantity of TNT to bring them down in a cloud of smoke. Reckon the minimum spend would be 80k Euro to get something liveable that might actually outlive me.
Benidorm entertainment in the British sector was either dire or aimed at drugged up youngsters who didn't wake up until I was ready to go to bed. The dire bit emphasized by one pub I wandered into that was playing live music which was suddenly swamped by Brit families who started playing bingo. Another bar had a musical duo making cracks about David Cameron which the crowd, who were probably frightened their UK benefits were about to be slashed, lapped up and then tried to sing some dead music and looked shocked when I drank up and walked out.
The one hooker I saw was built like a rugby player and had the look of Neanderthal to her face, not of course to be confused with the burly transvestite Brits with hairy legs and coal man shoulders who staggered along hopeful that someone would put them out of their misery.
Out of the Brit sector, the Spanish bar owners had a tendency to pad the bill when they confused an inability to speak Spanish with being stupid but at least you could sit in an almost cooling breeze and clock the exotic young Spanish girls wandering around wearing almost nothing whilst reviving a heat blasted body with a cooling San Miguel.
Alicante much more civilised than Benidorm but the same attempts at doubling the bill on the promenade, with the added insult of a snide grin. I should learn some Spanish swear words. Both places had loads of cops patrolling either on moto's or in cars and although there were plenty of disreputable types trying to sell dodgy items there wasn't an air of violence to either place. The funniest thing I saw was three Senegalese vendors selling sunglasses next to each other getting into an altercation with each other which went on for about an hour and resulted in potential buyers giving them a wide berth. Talk about thick!
I did a few trips on the tram, somewhere like Atea offering a much quieter pace but apartments were too expensive to consider and the heat seemed even more blistering.
Overall, quite an amusing break but I will probably not be tempted by cheap flights at this time of year, much preferring both places during the winter.
Actually, pretty much what I expected for the time of year, what I didn't expect was the HEAT and HUMIDITY. A really horrible heat that made walking my usual ten miles a day hard work, mad dogs and English men... those cold San Miguels went down really well! Benidorm swapped with Spanish holidaymakers who all ate and promenaded en masse, which was fine when you worked out the times and avoided them!
Viewed some cheap apartments, 30-50,000 Euro and concluded that they were originally built to make British council tenants feel at home who wanted to relocate to Benidorm... think some of the buildings will have to go the same way as the tenements in the UK, a large quantity of TNT to bring them down in a cloud of smoke. Reckon the minimum spend would be 80k Euro to get something liveable that might actually outlive me.
Benidorm entertainment in the British sector was either dire or aimed at drugged up youngsters who didn't wake up until I was ready to go to bed. The dire bit emphasized by one pub I wandered into that was playing live music which was suddenly swamped by Brit families who started playing bingo. Another bar had a musical duo making cracks about David Cameron which the crowd, who were probably frightened their UK benefits were about to be slashed, lapped up and then tried to sing some dead music and looked shocked when I drank up and walked out.
The one hooker I saw was built like a rugby player and had the look of Neanderthal to her face, not of course to be confused with the burly transvestite Brits with hairy legs and coal man shoulders who staggered along hopeful that someone would put them out of their misery.
Out of the Brit sector, the Spanish bar owners had a tendency to pad the bill when they confused an inability to speak Spanish with being stupid but at least you could sit in an almost cooling breeze and clock the exotic young Spanish girls wandering around wearing almost nothing whilst reviving a heat blasted body with a cooling San Miguel.
Alicante much more civilised than Benidorm but the same attempts at doubling the bill on the promenade, with the added insult of a snide grin. I should learn some Spanish swear words. Both places had loads of cops patrolling either on moto's or in cars and although there were plenty of disreputable types trying to sell dodgy items there wasn't an air of violence to either place. The funniest thing I saw was three Senegalese vendors selling sunglasses next to each other getting into an altercation with each other which went on for about an hour and resulted in potential buyers giving them a wide berth. Talk about thick!
I did a few trips on the tram, somewhere like Atea offering a much quieter pace but apartments were too expensive to consider and the heat seemed even more blistering.
Overall, quite an amusing break but I will probably not be tempted by cheap flights at this time of year, much preferring both places during the winter.
Jul 19th 2012 | 11:49 pm
#5
Thread Starter
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 288
Re: A week in Alicante and Benidorm
Sticky Vicky was mentioned by a couple of doormen as was that Shaun guy who stars in Benidorm, both warning me off.... yes, I got the hotels on line, went through several sites to get the best deal, would have been good value if the air-conditioner had not been set permanently on eco-mode and no fan (but the cost of electricity, guess you can't blame them). Winter time I can get a two room apartment-hotel self-catering for £10-15 in Benidorm which are £50 a night in the high season, much nicer.
I was surprised by the sheer volume of Spanish holidaymakers, no sign of the recession there.
I was surprised by the sheer volume of Spanish holidaymakers, no sign of the recession there.
