Benidorm is often known as Little England due to the number of British tourists that flock to the Spanish resort, but one couple were surprised when they decided to visit the Costa Blanca
YouTubers Ashley McCarthy and Kelsey Lewis visited Benidorm for the first time(Image: AshandKels/YouTube)
A couple who visited Benidorm for the first time were surprised by what they discovered. Content creators Ashley McCarthy and Kelsey Lewis claimed that tourists either “love or hate” the Spanish resort.
But after finding a “really good deal” and picking up £50 flights, they decided to jet off to the popular holiday hotspot and find out what it’s really like. Upon boarding their plane, Kelsey pointed out the “variety” of passengers, from hen-dos, to families, and couples wanting a short getaway.
In a video Kelsey said they woke up to a “beautiful sunrise” on the Costa Blanca before deciding to explore the city further. They were also impressed with Benidorm’s famous beaches.
Ash said: “Look at these palm trees, look at this sand, the sand is so soft. This is a really nice beach.”
He commented on how a number of buildings along the promenade looked like “something from Dubai”. The couple later decided to take a walk along the beach towards Benidorm Old Town.
Ash continued: “I wasn’t expecting this walkway along the beach to be so nice. It’s really clean and I like how they’ve incorporated greenery, it feels almost like a garden than a promenade.”
He added: “I don’t get why Benidorm gets so much hate. I get the other side where it’s a bit tacky, a bit rowdy, but it was fun. This side’s lovely.
“There’s a reason it became so popular in the first place and that’s got to be because of these beaches.”
The pair did however find time to check out Benidorm’s pubs and bars, including one named The Red Lion. Benidorm has long been a hit with British travellers, who make up around 40 percent of visitors to the resort.
It has led to the city receiving the nickname “Little England”. Ash said: “There’s so many bars, restaurants and pubs here, you just wouldn’t make your way through they even if you lived here.”
Ash, from Wales, later admitted he was impressed by how well kept Benidorm is. He concluded: “To be honest, I don’t really understand the hate it gets.
“Yeah, there’s parts of it that can be rowdy or tacky or whatever you want to call it, but it’s a massive place and there’s a lot of areas that are really nice. It’s not just about the strip and there’s so much restaurants, bars, cafes, nature, like outdoor space, beaches and whatever that there’s enough to enjoy without even seeing that side of it.
“But I think the thing that surprised me the most was it’s really clean. There’s no rubbish on the floor anywhere. Well maintained. It’s well kept.”
The couple praised the Spanish resort for its weather as well, enjoying highs of 20C during their February trip. The area boasts well over 300 days of sun throughout the year and in March daytime highs can reach anywhere between 20 and 22c.
Elsewhere, Benidorm recently got access to its very first Wetherspoon branch. The Castell de Santa Bàrbera, the chain’s first Spanish pub, opened at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport.
It serves a range of Spanish and British dishes including Full English breakfasts and patatas bravas. Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin said: “We are delighted to have opened in Spain.
“We believe the pub will be popular with a wide range of customers travelling home from Alicante Airport, including those travelling home to the UK and those using the terminal for trips to England and beyond. We aim to open a number of pubs overseas in the coming months and years, including those at airports.”