March 2026


www.nitravelnews.com IT’S A JOY TO BEHOLD


grill. There are also two à la carte restaurants to choose from, offering Spanish and Italian menus.


But that’s only part of the story: on our trip


BEHOLD BENIDROM! | 41 on the promenade.


It is a Sunday event much to be enjoyed. No wonder it translates as ‘The Joyful Town’. More prosaically it is officially described as


we also had to visit Alicante, a city famed for its attractive waterfront and marina. Easily accessed by public tram from the many coastal towns and villages dotted around the region, the fares are not just cheap, but given prices at home, unbelievable. Vila Joiosa There are 20 stations on


the smooth, 90 minute run from Benidorm. On route are Creuta/La Vila Joiosa stations with a fabulous beach


backed by


‘a coastal town and municipality in the south of Valencia’.


But, back to Alicante city: step off the tram at the underground station at Mercado in Alicante and it’s a short walk to the joys of Plaza Peurta del Mar, with its reasonably priced outdoor artisan stalls and a myriad of very keenly priced bistro style restaurants near the casino.


Just don’t overdo the picture


postcard traditional houses, adding to the draw.


It is the historic and administrative capital of the Comarca of Marina Baixa. It has over three kilometres of beaches, including the Platja Centro, close to the town centre. On our short stop, local seniors/pensioners danced alfresco, in an organised club right


vino, as the famous wave- themed walkway mosaics are confusing enough to the


eye. Also, avoid the busy period


around 5pm homebound on the


tram. Although air conditioned, it gets very, very crowded and uncomfortable especially if the seats aren't available.


BENIDORM UNCOVERED


BRIAN McCALDEN has been checking out some of the lesser known ‘tourist’ areas around the famous Benidorm, with flights under three hours from Belfast, to Alicante airport.


BY BRIAN McCALDEN


JUST a 15 minute taxi ride outside the excesses of Benidorm lies both the beautiful Villa Joiosa seaside town and the nearby Melia Villaitana complex, if you really want to treat yourself to some luxury!


The Melia is more like a Mediterranean


village than a hotel, and even has a replica of the Altea Church, complete with a bell tower and tiled dome. There’s a lake-style swimming pool


lined


with an artificial beach of shimmering rocks and powder-soft golden sand at the heart of the grounds,


which


are nestled between two championship golf courses.


There are four pools to dip into in total, each one circled by spacious sun terraces topped with loungers and parasols. Little ones can have a blast at the integral water park and splash zone, just opened earlier this year. There’s football pitches, tennis courts and the YHI Spa has a list of pampering treatments. A running track round the perimeter also doubles as a relaxing walk after the more than sumptuous, multifacetted breakfast.


The spa facilities include a dry area with


a Finnish sauna, a Turkish bath, a Roman bath, an ice fountain, a floatarium, bithermal showers and a water area with Jacuzzi, bubble garden and superpower water jets. The price of this service is €25 per person, but costs much, much more for individual optional treatments. For me, the ‘Dead Sea’ floatarium was unreal and hard to surpass, but then so was the help-yourself cava and orange juice at the buffet style alfresco breakfast. Eat, drink and be merry, I say. The Melia Villaitana actually offers a variety of eateries, including an international buffet place and a poolside


IF YOU really want to enjoy the experience of actual Benidorm, there’s nowhere better than the four star Innside Costablana. It is situated on Levante Beach, within a 10-minute wander of both Benidorm’s lively new town and the old quarter, so you get the best of both worlds.


Meals at the Kitchen Restaurant involved watching the chefs making various dishes at the show cooking stations, while the Syndeo Bar is ‘cool’ in the evenings too. Live music adds to the ambience. But, as any visitor will know, people watching in Benidorm takes on a whole new meaning – but it has to be experienced, not described.


That would take the satirical prose of Mark Twain, combined with the shifting objective, omniscience of William Golding to get anywhere near. If not previously experienced, you have been warned.


Less dramatically, but just as enjoyable, the old quarter is packed with a huge array of shops, bars, and restaurants, each a new discovery.


Our best meal of the week was actually in a tiny bistro/kitchen tucked away down a narrow side street with a lovely young host.


Happy Shrimp’s food is served hot, tasty and with a smile. It can be found on Calle Rosari; don’t miss the ribs.


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