Benidorm - Always On Form

Are you ready for a spirited song and dance? Perhaps some tasty food and a crowd full of smiles? This all happens during the religious holidays in Benidorm. On the Costa Blanca they do it right, year after year and this year's calendar features a fervent feast for the senses that will linger long in the memory. It’s definitely worth making the pilgrimage, even if you aren't of a religious persuasion.

Ring in the spring

In March, a grand re-enactment takes place on Poniente Beach. This is where locals re-enact the discovery of an unknown ship that arrived there in 1740. Thought to be carrying the plague, the fearful locals set fire to it and pushed it back out to sea. Days later a magnificent statue of the Virgin Mary was uncovered from among the wreckage, completely untouched. Spooky! As a result, year upon year a ship is ceremoniously despatched back into the ocean in a ball of flames.

In the middle of March, Benidorm welcomes the 'Falas' festival. This is thoroughly embedded in the local psyche. Fallas is thought to originate from the need of local tradespeople to discard and burn their scraps of wood, to make way for a spring clean out. This ritual has sky-rocketed in Benidorm, where locals now erect mammoth and beautifully adorned statues that are burned to the ground in front of thousands on the 19th of March. Prior to the great blaze, a flurry of music, processions, street entertainment and fireworks go off over several days.

Say hello to Semana Santa

If you think March sounds hectic, then wait around until April. Semana Santa heralds the holy week or Easter. Generally, it takes place in April, however the calendar works in weird ways and occasionally it can occur in March. Commemorated throughout all of Spain, the Semana Santa in Benidorm is a definite must-see. A guidebook can be obtained from the local tourist office. Due to the nature of the holiday's meaning, Semana Santa can be solemn and introspective in its undertones, but there is a deeply dignified and serene beauty in the atmosphere.

The Day of the Holy Cross

The Day of the Holy Cross (Cruses de May) happens in mid-May. This is a proud celebration of the Christian symbol. Devout locals festoon their holy crosses with flowers and parade through the streets, dancing and singing together. It's a jubilant celebration of Christianity and a life spent in passionate devotion. For both atheists and believers alike, it still resonates as a vibrant and colourful event.

Summertime siestas

June is a month of languid and long days in the sun. In Benidorm the locals celebrate with processions and horse parades in mid-June for the 'Romeria de la Virgen del Rocio'. Horses whinny and shimmer in their velvety coats, and a fair and markets host a range of traditional songs, dancing and activities.

The time-poor traveller would do well to stop and smell the ocean and hear the melodic Flamenco guitar in Benidorm, even if it's for a few months.