Benidorm attracts a number of sporting events - in June there are the BASE Jumping Championships which take place off the Gran Hotel Bali in La Cala and at the end of October the International Taekwon-Do Championships took place at the Sports Centre.

Howard in snorkel and Damien the diver

There are plenty of sporting activities available that keep both locals and holiday makers amused - and now there will be another thanks to the perseverance of two locals - wreck diving! The two gentlemen in question are businessman Howard Stirrup (owner of Just Denise Curtains and also Deputy President of the Indoor Market) and Damien Forman, both part of the "British Benidorm" Association.  The group was set up to focus attention on security issues, particularly in the New Town/Rincon de Loix areas and also to promote tourism to the resort, and the association have a very good relationship with the Mayor.

Howard, Mayor Agustin & Damien at end with proposal

Damien is a particularly keen scuba diver and it was following a regular meeting at the Town Hall that Howard and Damien mentioned to Agustin their passion of turning Benidorm into a top dive destination. Well Howard told me that his eyes lit up and he wanted to know more and so another meeting was pencilled to discuss the specifics. Wanting to go properly armed with all the relevant information, the pair enlisted the help of diving specialists from "Celacanto Buceoaltea" - a dive centre in Altea. They prepared a detailed 11 page report to present to the Mayor and proposals of how to achieve the objectives. A similar project was launched in Cabo de Palos in Murcia and tourism rocketed by an astounding 80% once the wreck site was established.

What a vision - wouldn´t it be fantastic!

Deep sea divers love to explore and it is with this in mind that the main part of the proposal would be to sink a boat off the coast, with the ideal location being between the Levante shore and Benidorm Island. In addition to attracting divers from across the world it would also encourage marine life and the growth of coral reefs - an added bonus. Diving is an extremely popular sport and people fly for hours to discover interesting sites to explore. Imagine what this proposal could do to the resort - it would be possible to almost dive year round, with the exception of the chillier months such as December through to February.

Area for snorkelling site

There are also plenty of snorkelling enthusiasts, so to satisfy them the proposal includes creating an underwater attraction just below the surface towards the Old Town - around the Mal Pas beach area. Interesting objects would be sunk such as treasure chests, statues and maritime objects and would also be visible from the top of the Mirador - which in turn would also attract more visitors.

The Mayor was extremely enthusiastic and receptive to the plans and has given his personal go ahead to the project. The next step is investigating what permissions are needed from the maritime authorities. Agustin has promised his full support and backing the entire way, stating that he would ideally like it all set up before the start of next years holiday season! Wouldn´t that be fantastic.....

If you would like any further information pop into Howards shop, located at the Indoor Market or visit the association website on www.britishbenidorm.com