A humble Spanish fishing village has evolved into a tourist magnet, attracting crowds totaling millions annually.
A Journey from a Quiet Fishing Village to the "New York of the Mediterranean"
In 1964, a 23-year-old painter named Ramon Martinez Martinez decided to pack his brush and leave his struggling job in Madrid, Spain, in pursuit of fresh opportunities. He headed towards the understated coastal town of Benidorm, little knowing that it was on the brink of a significant transformation. At the time, Benidorm was a sleepy seaside town, mainly known for its tuna fish and orange groves. But as Martinez settled, a burgeoning tourism scene was about to take off, promising him a ticket to a better life.
Fast forward to 2023, and Benidorm stands as an impressive tourist metropolis, touted as the "New York of the Mediterranean" and renowned for its soaring skyscrapers. Gone are the orange groves and fishing boats, replaced by over 2.7 million tourists annually - 36 times its permanent population. With a reputation as both an economic success story and a symbol of unrestrained tourism growth, Benidorm is the subject of a new book, "Benidorm" by British photographer Rob Ball.
Speaking to CNN over Zoom, Ball shared his motivation for capturing Benidorm's unique landscape. With a decade and a half of photographing coastal landscapes under his belt, Ball saw his latest work as a "prequel" to those images - a means of understanding the decline of local tourism as travel became more accessible to the masses in the 1960s.
A Tale of Two Sides
A staggering one-third of Benidorm's visitors hail from the United Kingdom, making the town an unsurprising hub for British pubs, full English breakfasts, and broadcasts of British sports on outdoor screens. Every March, the town comes alive with the eager crowds heading to watch the popular Cheltenham Festival - a horse racing event in England - on TV.
Love it or loathe it, Benidorm continues to divide opinion both domestically and abroad. For some, the sunny Spanish destination offers the perfect holiday- hot weather, familiar faces, and vibrant nightlife. For others, the town encapsulates the most inauthentic travel experience conceivable, with Benidorm synonymous with debauchery and sleaze. Ball chose to focus on Benidorm's positive aspects – its natural beauty and groups of happy tourists relaxing on the sand.
Known to many in the UK as the "Blackpool with sun," referring to a popular British seaside town, the nickname can carry either a complimentary or disparaging connotation based on the speaker. Regardless, it's the enduring appeal of Benidorm and the experiences it provides that keep visitors coming back year after year.
As Martinez embarked on his new life in Benidorm, he likely couldn't imagine the town's meteoric rise and enduring allure that would follow decades later.
"Everyone came, my parents included, seeking new opportunities," recounted Jaime Martinez Gallinar, Martinez's son and CEO of the Hoteles Benidorm Group of three four-star hotels, from his office high in the Benidorm sky. "It was much like the story of the pioneers of the American West."
Martinez initially found work painting the new hotels popping up along Benidorm's coastline. His employers, often unable to pay him, would offer him shares in their businesses or apartments in their buildings. As Martinez's portfolio and influence grew, so too did the ambition of the city's new mayor, Pedro Zaragoza.
Zaragoza, a close friend of Martinez, is a legendary figure in the history of Benidorm. The city as it stands today is built on Zaragoza's vision - characterized by towering skyscrapers, wide boulevards, and pristine swimming pools. His vision was so far ahead of his time that somewhere as coastal and laid-back as Benidorm seemed out of place with downtown Manhattan-esque developments in the '60s.
In 1959, Zaragoza made the daring decision to legalize bikinis on the beach, despite facing potential excommunication from the Catholic Church. His courage paid off, as he returned from Madrid with the dictator Francisco Franco's full support. Zaragoza's resilience and Martinez's calculated gamble were richly rewarded in the years that followed. After the explosion of package vacations in the 1960s, international tourists by the hundreds of thousands flocked to Benidorm, marking the beginning of a successful and enduring tourism industry.
Building Skyward
Benidorm's architectural development in the early days was characterized by a free-for-all approach. Sandwiched between the mountains and the sea, the only way to accommodate the ever-growing number of tourists was to build upwards. The 21st century brought two of Spain's tallest buildings outside of Madrid – the Gran Hotel Bali (built in 2002) and the Residencial Intempo (completed in 2021), both located in Benidorm.
Despite continuous development and the boisterous tourist hub of the city center, some may expect that locals would resent the influx of tourists and the subsequent changes. However, protests against mass tourism and the escalating rental and housing costs that come with it have predominantly occurred in other Spanish cities, not in Benidorm.
"We love tourists," said Gallinar. "During Covid, it was like a ghost town, it was so sad. We discovered how much we depend on them. It isn't like Barcelona - here, everyone is welcome."
Gallinar takes pride in the Benidorm pubs that remain open until 3 a.m. and the diverse mix of Spaniards, Brits, and tourists from various nations, enjoying themselves in an atmosphere unlike anywhere else.
"People think Benidorm is for the elderly, for British people, for hooligans," Gallinar said. "There's a stereotype that Benidorm is a cheap place. But there's a Benidorm that nobody talks about."
However, Gallinar recognizes that tourism in Benidorm could eventually become too much for the city's environment to bear. "The challenge now is to grow with the natural environment," he said. "The land is almost used up. Benidorm is almost full all year round. If we keep growing, maybe we will find that we begin to destroy the environment."
As global demand for the Benidorm experience remains unabated, it's inevitable that the city will continue to adapt and evolve, ensuring it retains its allure as both a beloved and controversial destination for decades to come.
Published by Hoxton Mini Press, "Benidorm" is available in the UK now and the US on May 22.
- In the 1960s, the arts scene in Benidorm started to attract many individuals, following the growing tourism, offering new opportunities for fashion and beauty, lifestyle, and even the style of living.
- With the influx of tourists, the city's landscape shifted largely from a sleepy fishing village to a bustling metropolis with towering skyscrapers, booming fashion-and-beauty industries, and a lively lifestyle scene.
- On a warm Bali beach, you'll find locals and tourists alike enjoying the picturesque views of the Mediterranean style, dotted with cozy fish restaurants and vibrant cafes that have come to symbolize Benidorm's unique charm.
- Both the traditional artists like Ramon Martinez and the modern travelers seeking trendy getaways can appreciate the beautiful juxtaposition of classic tuna fish and the ultra-modern spaces in Benidorm, making it an undeniable destination for every style of traveler.
- In the chic hotels of Benidorm, you'll find a modern fusion of tastes and sensibilities, blending the artsy soul of a struggling fisherman's village with the luxury and sophistication of bustling tourist meccas like Bali or New York City.
