The most cosmopolitan, funniest, colourful and atmospheric city in Spain offers far more to the LGBTQ+ community than you might see at first glance. Many dusty views of the metropolis on the Costa Blanca are outdated and one thing is clear, the first impression is deceptive. Few holiday destinations have such a rich offer for the community and also offer a tailored tourism offer for everyone. Benidorm has earned the title “Gay friendly”.
Admittedly, if one sees the skyline of Benidorm on the countless pictures that can be found in the net, one may get the impression that this metropolis at the Costa Blanca did not completely recognize the signs of the time. The building boom in the 70s has created a scenery that not everyone likes at first sight. But it is as always in life, the first impression can also be deceiving and so behind the scenes a completely different picture shows up. Even if you may not believe it, Benidorm has become one of the absolute LGBTQ+ hotspots on the Mediterranean. The Spanish sun and the lightness of life can be clearly felt in the city. Certainly, the city with its more than 300 skyscrapers, the highest density of skyscrapers in the world in relation to the number of inhabitants, also accommodates many English tourists.
THE SPANISH MANHATTAN AT THE COSTA BRAVA
What may deter at first, turns out to be an advantage for the LGBTQ+ community when you take a closer look, because you seldom experience such a friendly atmosphere towards the rainbow flag as with our European neighbours. Especially during the Pride Week the whole city and therefore also the tourists in Benidorm celebrate. Rainbow flags decorate the endless beach promenade and whether gay or not, it is celebrated together. Of course, the daily sunbathing band should be in the foreground of a holiday in Benidorm. Therefore the main attractions of Benidorm are of course the three beaches. They have the Blue Flag, an award of the European Union. These are the Levante, Poniente and Mal Pas beaches.
BENIDORM, A CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS
Benidorm is a city that apparently never sleeps and a city that offers a lively LGBTQ+ nightlife. Clubs, bars, dark rooms, discos, drag shows and much more can be found especially in the old town of Bendirom, which is visited all year round by tourists from all over the world. If you don’t just want to enjoy the sun on the beach and are a little more looking for thrills and adventures, Benidorm also offers a wide range of leisure activities, as the five best amusement parks in Europe are also located in Benidorm.
In late summer, however, the main role is naturally played by Pride at the end of September. The “European Summer Closing Pride” showed once again this year that it is possible to demonstrate under the Spanish sun and celebrate at the same time. The city’s countless European guests celebrated Pink Week in Benidorm for a whole week. On Sunday’s Gay Pride not only local visitors from Bendirom, Valencia or Alicante were guests, but also Britons, Scandinavians or German tourists. The colourful demonstration train drove along the beach promenade and the city centre to the huge L’Aiguera Park Amphitheater, where celebrations lasted until late into the night and renowned artists* stood on stage. This year, for the first time, the GLEICHLAUT & GAYTRAVEL TV editorial staff moved to Bendirom and one thing is promised, it was certainly not the last time for us on the Costa Blanca.
