Benidorm has three million visitors every year attracted to its sun-soaked beaches and many restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Calpe – Penyal d’Ifac
However, after a few days that magic mixture might wear a bit thin. And then what? Well there are many fascinating places within easy reach of Benidorm that can provide memorable, scenic day trips.
This article covers four places that I’ve particularly enjoyed visiting: Calpe about 20 km north-east of Benidorm, Elche about 70 km south-west, Guadalest up in the hills about 20 km north-west and Valencia 140 km north-east.
If you have a hire car, then these places are all easy drives from Benidorm. However all four can also be reached by scheduled services by bus from Benidorm (also by tram to Calpe and by train to Valencia), with fares varying from €2 to €25 each way. And there are coach day trips to these places advertised at hotels and around Benidorm.
Calpe
Pathway at base of Penyal d’Ifac
The coastal town of Calpe (Calp in Valencian) is dominated by the massive limestone outcrop, the Penyal d’Ifac, which rises to 1,000 feet. This extends out to the sea in what is designated as the Penyal d’Ifac Natural Park.
The park is popular with walkers, bird-watchers and rock climbers. I walked about a third of the way around the base of the rock to where the pathway stops abruptly.
It is possible to climb to the top of the rock, with an easy lower section, but quite difficult upper section after passing through a tunnel. I decided that this three hour return trip was bit too much for my senior traveller legs, so sadly missed the panoramic views from the top!
The Harbour Area
The vibrant harbour area of Calpe, by the entrance to the Penyal d’Ifac Natural Park, has many attractive seafood restaurants and bars offering sea views. It is also a good place to park away from the centre of town.
Calpe has an attractive Old Town, set back about a mile from the beach area, with cobbled streets, colourful murals on the houses and the remains of old defensive walls. Another highlight is Las Salinas, a natural saltwater lagoon, the home to many pink flamingoes.
No matter whether you are driving or travelling by bus or tram, do try to make time to call in to the enchanting, sea-front towns of L’Albir and Altea along the way.
Elche
Huerta del Cura Botanical Gardens
When you are fed up of seeing the long, beautiful beaches and the busy seafront promenade in Benidorm, then Elche (Elx in Valencian) can provide a completely different experience. And the key component of its attraction is the palm tree, or rather 70,000 date palm trees!
The vast Palmeral de Elche palm grove was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000 and is the largest palm grove on the continent. It has a unique irrigation system dating back to the Arab occupation of the area 1,000 years ago.
My favourite place to visit within the World Heritage site is the botanical garden, Huerto del Cura (Priest’s Garden). This tranquil three acre site contains over 1,000 palm tress, plus a wide range of Mediterranean plants and unusual cacti.
Imperial Palm
The 180 year old Imperial Palm, with its seven symmetrical arms growing from a single trunk, is considered the centrepiece of the botanical gardens. However I find the most enticing aspects of the gardens are the small ponds with gently flowing water and the displays of exotic cacti beneath the palm trees.
When in Elche, don’t miss out on visiting the Basílica de Santa María, an impressive 17th Century baroque church, and the Old Town, also known as Vila Murada, with its narrow, historic streets based on an Arab city planning.
The 16th Century Torre de la Calendura (Clock Tower) near the Basilica has two wooden automaton figures, Miquel Calendura and Vicent Calendureta, that strike the bells on the hour and quarter hour.
Elche is a 50 minute drive by car from Benidorm and about an hour longer by bus, passing through Alicante. If you have time, check out Alicante’s old town, El Barrio, along the way. It’s ancient winding streets are looked down upon by the Castle of Santa Bàrbara atop Mount Benacantil.
Guadalest
El Castell de Guadalest
Perched 2,000 ft up on a rocky crag in the hills above Benidorm, Guadalest provides panoramic views back towards the coast and up towards the mountains.
It is dominated by the ruins of its 11th Century Castle (El Castell de Guadalest), which can be reached by a steep pathway.
Within the main square is the baroque-style 18th Century Parish Church of Our Lady of Assumption (Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción).
There are also several curious museums in Guadalest, including one featuring 20,000 salt and pepper shakers.
Guadalest Main Square
Although Guadalest has a population of only about 200, it has several excellent bars and restaurants clustered around the main square.
For active visitors, and when the day is not too hot, there is a scenic six mile circular walking route around the nearby reservoir. That is something however that I’ll leave for my next visit to Guadalest.
If travelling by car, then allow some time along the way to see the striking, hilltop ruins of Polop Castle, which dates back to the 12th Century, and the nearby restored Church of San Pedro. There are great views down to the coast from the hilltop snack bar.
Valencia
City of Arts & Science
I’ve described Valencia, Spain’s third largest city, in a previous article, where I contrasted the historic Old Town area with the ultra-modern City of Arts & Sciences.
These two areas are connected by a two mile belt of lawns and gardens, passing under old bridges, which follows the original riverbed of the River Turia. The river was diverted in 1957 following a massive flood.
There are many excellent bars and restaurants in the Old Town central square, the Plaza de la Reina, which is overlooked by the magnificent 13th Century St Mary’s Cathethdral, a curious mixture of Gothic, Baroque, and Romanesque architecture.
Mercat Central de València
The nearby Central Market (Mercat Central de València) has over a 1,000 stalls in a 1920s Art Nouveau building with a 100 ft high central dome.
The City of Arts & Science has several key venues, including the largest aquarium in Europe, the L’Oceanogràfic. There is also an interactive science museum, the Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe, an opera house, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, and an IMAX cinema and planetarium. Seniors (65+) get a 25% discount on many ticket prices.
There is much to see in Valencia, so staying overnight might be a good idea. In which case I recommend the Holiday Inn Express in Ciudad las Ciencias, which is very conveniently sited by the City of Arts & Sciences, and has its own underground car park. Don’t forget to check for the Senior Discount rates.
Whether your hire a car at Alicante Airport or locally in Benidorm, it is important to take out Car Hire Excess Insurance and our recommended provider is CarHireExcess.com. This costs about £3 a day in Europe, or about £40 for a year, and includes cover for tyres, undercarriage and windows.
POSTED 7th FEBRUARY 2026 by STEVE HANSON. The photographs were taken by BARBARA HANSON.
To access these special rates, Under 'Rate Preference' select 'Senior Discount'Click on 'Special Rates' select 'Senior Rate'.• See discounts also at Best Western,Marriott, Radisson, Ramada and Accor.
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Scenic Day Trips from Benidorm: Calpe, Elche, Guadalest, Valencia
Benidorm has three million visitors every year attracted to its sun-soaked beaches and many restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
However, after a few days that magic mixture might wear a bit thin. And then what? Well there are many fascinating places within easy reach of Benidorm that can provide memorable, scenic day trips.
This article covers four places that I’ve particularly enjoyed visiting: Calpe about 20 km north-east of Benidorm, Elche about 70 km south-west, Guadalest up in the hills about 20 km north-west and Valencia 140 km north-east.
If you have a hire car, then these places are all easy drives from Benidorm. However all four can also be reached by scheduled services by bus from Benidorm (also by tram to Calpe and by train to Valencia), with fares varying from €2 to €25 each way. And there are coach day trips to these places advertised at hotels and around Benidorm.
Calpe
The coastal town of Calpe (Calp in Valencian) is dominated by the massive limestone outcrop, the Penyal d’Ifac, which rises to 1,000 feet. This extends out to the sea in what is designated as the Penyal d’Ifac Natural Park.
The park is popular with walkers, bird-watchers and rock climbers. I walked about a third of the way around the base of the rock to where the pathway stops abruptly.
It is possible to climb to the top of the rock, with an easy lower section, but quite difficult upper section after passing through a tunnel. I decided that this three hour return trip was bit too much for my senior traveller legs, so sadly missed the panoramic views from the top!
The vibrant harbour area of Calpe, by the entrance to the Penyal d’Ifac Natural Park, has many attractive seafood restaurants and bars offering sea views. It is also a good place to park away from the centre of town.
Calpe has an attractive Old Town, set back about a mile from the beach area, with cobbled streets, colourful murals on the houses and the remains of old defensive walls. Another highlight is Las Salinas, a natural saltwater lagoon, the home to many pink flamingoes.
No matter whether you are driving or travelling by bus or tram, do try to make time to call in to the enchanting, sea-front towns of L’Albir and Altea along the way.
Elche
When you are fed up of seeing the long, beautiful beaches and the busy seafront promenade in Benidorm, then Elche (Elx in Valencian) can provide a completely different experience. And the key component of its attraction is the palm tree, or rather 70,000 date palm trees!
The vast Palmeral de Elche palm grove was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000 and is the largest palm grove on the continent. It has a unique irrigation system dating back to the Arab occupation of the area 1,000 years ago.
My favourite place to visit within the World Heritage site is the botanical garden, Huerto del Cura (Priest’s Garden). This tranquil three acre site contains over 1,000 palm tress, plus a wide range of Mediterranean plants and unusual cacti.
The 180 year old Imperial Palm, with its seven symmetrical arms growing from a single trunk, is considered the centrepiece of the botanical gardens. However I find the most enticing aspects of the gardens are the small ponds with gently flowing water and the displays of exotic cacti beneath the palm trees.
When in Elche, don’t miss out on visiting the Basílica de Santa María, an impressive 17th Century baroque church, and the Old Town, also known as Vila Murada, with its narrow, historic streets based on an Arab city planning.
The 16th Century Torre de la Calendura (Clock Tower) near the Basilica has two wooden automaton figures, Miquel Calendura and Vicent Calendureta, that strike the bells on the hour and quarter hour.
Elche is a 50 minute drive by car from Benidorm and about an hour longer by bus, passing through Alicante. If you have time, check out Alicante’s old town, El Barrio, along the way. It’s ancient winding streets are looked down upon by the Castle of Santa Bàrbara atop Mount Benacantil.
Guadalest
Perched 2,000 ft up on a rocky crag in the hills above Benidorm, Guadalest provides panoramic views back towards the coast and up towards the mountains.
It is dominated by the ruins of its 11th Century Castle (El Castell de Guadalest), which can be reached by a steep pathway.
Within the main square is the baroque-style 18th Century Parish Church of Our Lady of Assumption (Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción).
There are also several curious museums in Guadalest, including one featuring 20,000 salt and pepper shakers.
Although Guadalest has a population of only about 200, it has several excellent bars and restaurants clustered around the main square.
For active visitors, and when the day is not too hot, there is a scenic six mile circular walking route around the nearby reservoir. That is something however that I’ll leave for my next visit to Guadalest.
If travelling by car, then allow some time along the way to see the striking, hilltop ruins of Polop Castle, which dates back to the 12th Century, and the nearby restored Church of San Pedro. There are great views down to the coast from the hilltop snack bar.
Valencia
I’ve described Valencia, Spain’s third largest city, in a previous article, where I contrasted the historic Old Town area with the ultra-modern City of Arts & Sciences.
These two areas are connected by a two mile belt of lawns and gardens, passing under old bridges, which follows the original riverbed of the River Turia. The river was diverted in 1957 following a massive flood.
There are many excellent bars and restaurants in the Old Town central square, the Plaza de la Reina, which is overlooked by the magnificent 13th Century St Mary’s Cathethdral, a curious mixture of Gothic, Baroque, and Romanesque architecture.
The nearby Central Market (Mercat Central de València) has over a 1,000 stalls in a 1920s Art Nouveau building with a 100 ft high central dome.
The City of Arts & Science has several key venues, including the largest aquarium in Europe, the L’Oceanogràfic. There is also an interactive science museum, the Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe, an opera house, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, and an IMAX cinema and planetarium. Seniors (65+) get a 25% discount on many ticket prices.
There is much to see in Valencia, so staying overnight might be a good idea. In which case I recommend the Holiday Inn Express in Ciudad las Ciencias, which is very conveniently sited by the City of Arts & Sciences, and has its own underground car park. Don’t forget to check for the Senior Discount rates.
Whether your hire a car at Alicante Airport or locally in Benidorm, it is important to take out
Car Hire Excess Insurance and our recommended provider is CarHireExcess.com. This costs about £3 a day in Europe, or about £40 for a year, and includes cover for tyres, undercarriage and windows.
POSTED 7th FEBRUARY 2026 by STEVE HANSON. The photographs were taken by BARBARA HANSON.