I’ve been on a stag do and hated it.

I’ve been on a family holiday and hated it.

Being the “Blackpool of Spain” is not something to be proud of.

43 comments

  1. Hear it all the time at the airport community. However as with every town in the UK they have there good bits and rubbish bits. For example the old town is more spanishy and more local in setting compaired to the rest of it which is very British.

  2. People know it’s like that and that’s why they go. I’ve been on loads of types of holidays and occasionally go on something similar to Benidorm. The tackiness is fun, it’s easy, relatively cheap, get a bit of sun, enjoy the pool and the sand. As I get older and care less about what people think about me, I’m happy to visit all sorts of places. When somebody says something like “I don’t know why people go on these holidays” with some superiority complex, I usually look at them as the idiots, because they’re unable to sit back and think a little to try and comprehend why somebody would want to enjoy a summer holiday in the sun with lager, burger, and chips lol

  3. No because it is.

    Fat burnt english chavs everywhere with football shirts on. British bulldog and tribal tats all over. Crap Elvis acts everywhere, non stop Sweet Caroline every fucking night. Irish pubs and Sky TV showing non-stop Match of the Day and Full Englishes every other building. Trash filled beaches, sick on the pavements, booming dance music from the 90s blaring at all hours. Concrete jungle, tourist shops filled with ‘authentic Benidorm’ memorabilia plastic crap made by kids in Vietnam.

    My god I could go on. It’s not a surprise people hate the Brits abroad.

  5. No of course not, the Blackpool of Spain is a great analogy. It’s not somewhere I would ever want to go.

    However it is where lots of people enjoy going and that’s fine too.

  6. The crazy thing is even more Spanish are there than English.

    two Benidorms that only mix on the beach.

  7. It’ll only be snobbish if you look down on others for going there. It’s perfectly fine to not want to go there yourself

  8. No I’m the same. If I got invited there for a holiday I’d politely decline.

  9. Not my thing, really, but I don’t judge people who like it because if you’re just looking for a party atmosphere and cheap food and drink in the sun, it’s pretty much got you covered. When I lived in Spain, I met a ton of Spanish people who’d been and said they really liked it as well.

  10. I’m guessing it’s like any tourist town in Spain, I’ve been to Salou x2, Fuengirola x2, Torremolinos, Benalmadena, insomuch it’s pretty much what you make of it. And what you do when you get there. Getting shit-faced as you bounce from bar-to-bar, ain’t gonna make you popular with the locals either.

    Whilst in those places, we’ve, the mrs and me, have visited, Grenada, Marbella old town, Malaga city, and the forts. Cable car to the mountains at Benalmaldena. Downhill mountain biking outside of Salou, Barcelona city twice, Mijas. Tarragona, and the roman ruins. Visited Cathedrals, and dined on empty beaches as the sun goes down.

    We use the local buses and trains, and it’s great fun.

    Try it, you’ll like it.

  11. No. You aren’t a snob if it’s not your kind of holiday.

    You are a snob however if you look down your nose at people that want to enjoy that kind of holiday.

    Something simply not being to your taste doesn’t make you a snob.

    I went on holiday to Gran Canaria in April there excepting it to be naff and not really enjoy it but I loved it.

    I’ve also travelled to places like Tokyo, Riga, Paris and so on and enjoyed the cultural aspects of that kind of holiday.

    Benidorm doesn’t look like my cup of tea but I’d try it.

    I’ve been to places like Skegness and Blackpool and actually really like those kinds of holidays.

  13. I love Benidorm but it’s too expensive for what it is now. Like life, a holiday is what you make it. There are many things, both touristy and culturally, to enjoy there that are not tacky, cheap or pish.

  14. Not at all. Any resort that’s infested with ‘This is England’, Gammon headed lager louts is a steer clear place for me.

  16. I went on a stag there and found it really depressing. It’s the one and only place I’ve ever seen tandem mobility scooters.

  17. Benidorm has always been a cheap tacky trashy location for as long as I can remember.

  18. I’m not a snob. But I don’t have to look at lobster burnt, obese, badly tattooed, Leeds supporting, builders bum hanging out, fried egg down their chin, pissed on Stella at 10am, fag in their mouth, sweaty, swearing, string vesting, sovereign ringing, on holiday in Benidorm. I can get that at home from the wife……

  20. Nah

    It looks a proper shithole,”Britain abroad” why go abroad if you’re wanting British things ?

  21. Benidorm is actually quite nice if you avoid the Brits and go where the Spaniards go

  22. I lived in Benalmadena for 3 and abit months last year, and is has a reputation for being fairly British and Irish. In the off season it’s pretty much pensioners. It’s weird to see so many English but still alot of locals around.

    I’ve got a cab through Benidorm before and yeah it’s shit, makes Benalmadena look like the heart of Spain by comparison lol

    Look if people like going for a piss up in little England then they are allowed to enjoy it – but a lot of these types of things are just about drinking and partying. Not for me tbh.

  23. we were invited to go to Benidorm for a family holiday, I just made up an excuse about money. Frying next to a pool and drinking would bore me after a couple of days.

    I do understand the appeal, but if I’m going through the effort of traveling and paying out I’d rather go see and do things I can’t here.

  25. A bit yeah. Let people enjoy the things they like, if it ain’t your bag then fine. No need to cast judgement on others.

  26. Okay so I’ve been 25 + times (in face I’ve lost count). I love it!

    Of course, it’s not my main holiday of the year. It’s cheap, it’s tacky and it’s got sunshine. Had many laughs over there.

    I have friends over there (Spanish. Not Brits) and they know all the best off the tourist trap bits.

    The surrounding areas are beautiful too!

  27. There’s more to the wider area. Albir and Altea are lovely and not tacky at all.

  29. Its just not your vibe, I’ve been to florida a few times and didn’t like it (39c heat and 4 hour queues in Disneyland), although iv been to Spain with my family and i really enjoyed it, i think its the company your with that makes the holiday IMO.

  30. It is much nicer than Blackpool but is still an eye-sore with the bit high-rise buildings.

    Not my kind of place, but for people who want a Britain/Ireland etc.. abroad, it’s not the worst.

    The beaches are ok, there are nicer coves etc.. out of town though, and the mountains around offer some good hikes. You’ve got Alicante within 40mins which is a good city.

  33. If that’s your assessment of it as a potential location for yourself, no.

    If it’s your assessment of it as a potential destination for others to visit, yes.

    Judging others for going or wanting to go there would be snobby because it’s a matter of taste which is purely subjective. People who go there clearly find something there that they love and we should leave people to do what they enjoy without judgement.

    And by that token, you not wanting to go should also not be judged. It just doesn’t sound like it’s for you, which is fine, you go and do the kind of holiday you like and nobody should judge you for that either.

    To avoid becoming a snob about it, if someone asks you to go, politely decline and say it’s not to your taste without trashing it. If someone else is going and you don’t see the value in it, then just be excited for them getting to do something they like and don’t mention that you wouldn’t enjoy it.

  34. Nope, I’m not a big fan of the idea of a Benidorm holiday, but growing up I loved a ‘kiss me quick’ caravan park holiday.

    Horses for courses…

  35. Not really, people like what they like. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of toffs go there and enjoy it as it’s a place you can let loose and everyone is collectively less judgemental

  36. Personally it’s as far away from
    What I enjoy about holidays as it gets

    I want to go abroad to connect with another culture eat different food and immerse myself in the lifestyle and not go the red lion have a full English and a pint of carling surrounded by English people

    Some people want England but hot and that’s fine let them have it and enjoy it, but personally I would rather go just about anywhere

  37. I disagree, Benidorm is a place of very much two sides, the old town is still very tapas, little bars, very hilly and quaint, whereas the bit that was chucked up in the ‘60’s/‘70’s is chips and cheap beer and plastic furniture and you look out of place if you’re not wearing a football shirt. Embrace it. The beach and prom are fantastic. The park up by the old bullring is magnificent. Explore and enjoy.

  38. Snobby, in my opinion.

    Obviously I can’t say for you personally, but in my experience the sorts of people who love to look down their noses at Benidorm/Tenerife are exactly the types of people who holiday in Tuscany or southern France and spend their time surrounded by other British middle class people who’ve rented out villas (as opposed to a hotel or bungalow apartment like in Benidorm) and spend their time drinking and speaking English too. Same shit, different class.

    The difference is that the people who go to Benidorm wouldn’t dream of butchering the local language while the middle class types are desperate to show off among themselves and piss off all the local waiters by insulting their level of English. And you won’t find the Benidorm types pretending to be interested in the local history or culture either.

    The English class system exported abroad, if you will.

  39. My wife and I went a few months ago with a small group of friends on an ‘Ironic’ 4 night stay after watching Bargain Loving Brits.

    We stayed right next to the old town and it was a pleasant experience with none of the lads lads lads chav culture we were expecting. The old town is very Spanish with plenty of traditional restaurants and bars. We did take a walk up to the newer part of town where I’d expect the Brits abroad type to hang out and even that was not as bad as expected. This was before the summer season, however.

    All 6 of us said we’d likely go back and a couple of our group typically enjoy the finer things in life so that was particularly surprising.

    Are you a snob? Nah but maybe you just didn’t go to the right area?

  40. If you avoid “New Town” Benidorm is actually alright.

    But yes, it is tacky, looking down on it is still snobby

    Backpool can be good too, it’s what you make of it

  41. What city is in your opinion a great amazing holiday, OP?

    Super curious about this

  42. You don’t have to go there yourself but aye you’re a snobbish you look down on people who do like it.
    Let people enjoy things.

  43. On the contrary to this I feel that dubai is a pretentious, ostentatious place where slavery is part and parcel , we are all entitled to our opinions. ( I’m not accusing op of being a dubai frequenter just felt like putting a fresh perspective on this )

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