Vibrant Levante beach last weekend

The continued good weather here in Benidorm is great news - particularly for those holiday makers who have chosen to spend their Easter break here. The Levante beach has been packed, with many even taking to the waters to cool down! This week also sees an influx of domestic visitors, with many driving from Madrid for the "Semana Santa" - so parking will be even more difficult than normal.

Beaches in Benidorm

Breathtaking view - you wouldn´t believe this was Benidorm

If you want a slightly more tranquil beach environment then head to either the Poniente or La Cala beaches - both sandy but much quieter. However, if you are a little more adventurous why not head to one of the semi hidden coves dotted around the coastline.

Tio Ximo

Almadrava and Tio Ximo are 2 such treasures, both located at the foot of the Sierra Helada in the Rincon de Loix. You can drive part of the way to both or if you don´t have a car then you can pop onto the number 24 bus. This will take you part of the way but they only run a limited service between 11am and 1pm then again 5pm till 8pm. From the bus stop there is a short-ish walk to either, but Tio Ximo is far more accessible.

Sunny weather

However, this prolonged dry spell hasn´t been appreciated by all. The hoteliers, bars and restaurants love it but it has been devastating for local farmers. This Autumn and Winter has been the driest of the last 150 years and as a consequence virtually all of the almond and olive crops in the province have been lost, costing farmers around 60 million euros in lost revenue.

Turron - main ingredient is almonds

The price of watering crops has soared for farmers, now costing 60 euros per hour which most cannot afford. When you look at the price of local crops such as oranges, you can pay as little as 40 cents per kilo at the market. Factor in the cost of watering and having to employ people to pick them, then you can start to understand how farmers are suffering from this drought. Shortages will cause prices to rise and one local industry which will feel the pinch are the turron producers.

Crops devastated

Almond groves in bloom

Jijona, just outside of Alicante is the birthplace of turron production - a sweet nougat made with almonds and manufacturers will have to resort to buying almonds from outside of the region, no doubt resulting in escalating prices. Antonio Rico, Director of the Institute of Geography at Alicante University has warned of the long term damage to the local economy. With lack of long term rain damage to the almond trees will be permanent, costing the local economy 142 million euros. He has called on the Department of Agriculture to approve a restructuring plan to include planting new trees immediately. If you ever drive out towards Jalon when the almond trees are in flower it looks like a blanket of snow - so pretty, it would be a shame if this was lost as it´s a real magnet for the community.

Reservoir shortage

With the shortage of rainfall bad news was reported about the Guadalest reservoir this week. In the last quarter of 2013 enough water was lost from this and a second reservoir into the sea, which would have been enough to supply the town of Benidorm for an entire year! Emergency reservoirs are now having to be activated but the Mayor of Benidorm has stated that there is no risk of water shortages for households and businesses in the town.... hmmmmm.