One of the most picturesque must see places to visit when holidaying in Benidorm has to be Guadalest. Located ap 600 metres above sea level in the mountains it is the most visited village in the whole of Spain - and once there you can understand why.
Take the local bus from Benidorm to Guadalest
Don't worry if you are here on an all inclusive package with no car .... get the bus! The No. 16 goes from the Plaza Triangular every day ... but only once a day mind! The bus starts in La Cala Finestrat at 9:45am, reaching the top of the Avd Mediterraneo at 10:05am and the Rincon de Loix at 10:10am. A single journey costs 3.75€ - a bargain considering its ap 50km away! The journey time from the triangle is a little over an hour, passing through La Nucia, Pollop before heading onto the mountain road. The return bus departs at 1.30pm giving you ap 2 hours in Guadalest - which to be honest is ample.
Get an English fry-up just like in Benidorm!
Once in Guadalest you can stop at one of the numerous cafes or bars for refreshments - there is even an English tea room serving an all day English fry-up! As you approach the "citadel" there is the obligatory photographer taking pictures of your group - available as a framed print for 5€ or further up there is another photographer which inserts their photo onto a keyring costing 4€. These are both ready for when you walk back down ... a bit like snappy snaps! They are not at all pushy so don't feel obliged to purchase if you don't like it.
Plenty to see
There are 4 "museum"s to visit - The Museo Microgigante 4€ for adults/3€ children; The Municipal Museum - the house of the Orduna family built in 1644 & walk up to the original Castle 3€ adults/ 1.50€ for children; the 18th Century Heritage House which is free - you are even given a printed sheet in your own language which takes to through the rooms and lastly the Minatures museum costing 4€ adults/3€ children.
Once you have passed all the museums there are many gift shops selling all manners of souvenirs which are a delight to browse through... everyone leaves with a little something - me just a few more somethings than my husband wanted!
Breathtaking view - like from the Mirador in Benidorm
... and finally you get to the breath taking cliff edge and get to look down at the reservoir - which was the most amazing turquoise colour. This reservoir supplies drinking water to Benidorm and the surrounding areas. When there are forest fires nearby the fire brigade water planes skim over the reservoir to scoop up water to put out the flames! It really is a picture opportunity as you can see.
You can get down to the reservoire and there is a solar powered boat that takes you around the "lake" which operates between the months of April and September. There are two departures - at 1pm and 3pm and it takes around 50 minutes. Obviously you can not do this if you are in Guadalest on the bus, but for those that are driving it is a great thing to do. Many people walk across the dam at the top end and sit around the edge with a picnic.
The bus back is slightly quicker as its all downhill so you can arrive back at your hotel in time for lunch! An enjoyable half day out and a total change from the hustle and bustle of Benidorm - definitely a trip I would recommend.
