For those with younger children you’ll be delighted to hear that Aqua Natura Water Park in Benidorm has just opened a new zone called Adventure Island. It has been specifically designed for children up to the age of 12 and set in shallow water. The animal theme of Terra Natura next door is evident, with a large bright lion and tiger head taking prime position at the top of the slides.
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It’s half term in the UK so the resort is full of families this week… but what to do with them? Naturally the beach is an obvious choice and the brightly coloured pedaloes are already lined up on the waterline along the length of Levante and Poniente beaches. It’s a fun family activity – dads to do the peddling and kids having fun going down the slide! The resort also has 5 theme parks to visit - Aqualandia, Mundomar, Terra Mitica, Terra Natura and Aqua Natura, something for everyone! You can often pick up discount vouchers for these theme parks around the resort, giving you around €5 off the entrance price but there are also combination tickets for Aqualandia, Terra Mitica and Mundo Mar which are part of the same group giving quite a big saving on the ticket booth price – but only valid until the end of June.
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Despite being many miles away from Windsor, British expats and holidaymakers here in Benidorm celebrated the royal wedding in style. Virtually all the bars broadcast the wedding – which will no doubt be in stark contrast to later in the day! The giant screen around the Marina Hotel poolside was avidly watched, with a cheer when the couple exchanged vows and became man and wife.
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What was once deemed a family friendly resort is now being tarnished because of a minority that behave recklessly. Rowdy and unruly stag and hen groups have been the subject of numerous newspaper headlines but now many resorts across Spain have decided enough is enough. Magaluf – considered the most raucous called time first, declaring hefty fines on those that exhibited anti-social behavior This was followed by many others including Seville, Marbella, Mojacar, Ibiza and now Benidorm! Following complaints from local residents, opposition councilors have been putting pressure on the town hall to take action. So what is the town halls response on this? Put up posters and banners in the ‘problem’ areas with the tagline “Enjoy & Respect”...
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Benidorm’s annual ‘Medieval Market’ located along Dove Park at the beginning of the Poniente beach in the Old Town is open and will remain so until Sunday night – May 13. Throughout the 3 days there will be processions, demonstrations and entertainment, plus many of the stallholders are dressed in period costumes to add to the authenticity. You can even watch craftsmen at work, carving wood, chipping stone, baking bread and cutting leather. The stalls have a varied selection of handcrafted goods such as soaps, jewelry, leather goods, clothing, toys and trinkets in addition to many food stalls with hams, cheese, bread, herbs & spices and dried fruits and nuts.
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The day has arrived…. the final episode of the ITV comedy Benidorm will be aired tonight following confirmation that the show will be axed by ITV bosses amid falling ratings. Rumours had been circulating since March, with many tabloids running those headlines, but writer Derren Litten had always been somewhat arrogant in replies on his twitter account to those asking that very question. There will be tears shed by many, either of sadness or joy because a bit like marmite – you either loved it or hated it. Speaking with British expats that live here, most fall into the latter category whereas generally speaking, those in the UK loved it. Perhaps they just love seeing glimpse of their favourite holiday destination, bringing back fond memories.
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The now traditional annual ’Benidorm Bangers’ charity car rally - now in it's eighth year, arrived into the resort on Saturday afternoon, following an epic 1,500km drive. All but one of the 56 vehicles made it here to a rousing cheer and applause from disbelieving holidaymakers. The convoy had a police escort off the AP7 motorway and into the centre, thanks to Jaime from the White Lion, taking them down the Levante beachfront and parking up on Calle Bilbao. Everyone could then have a look at all the vehicles and take pictures - with some even getting in before all the participants went for some well-earned refreshments and food put on by the bar.
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Originally promised last Easter, then postponed to summer 2017, at long last the new SATE Office in the Rincon de Loix has finally opened. There was meant to be a grand opening ceremony this morning, with the Interior Minister present but mysteriously it was cancelled and the office just opened unannounced! Not even the British Consulate was aware or in fact, invited! Located on Calle Derramador, directly opposite the Flash Hotel (at the beginning of Calle Gerona) it is also home to the Tourist Information Office. SATE stands for “El Servicio de Atención al Turista Extranjero” which roughly translated means the Foreign Tourist Assistance Office… the place to go to report a crime!
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Benidorm attracts millions of Brits for their annual holiday every year, but there is also a high percentage that come just for long weekends. The resort is a magnet for stag and hen parties – as was particularly evident this weekend! It is a tradition among many to dress up – some in fancy dress whilst others have tshirts printed. Tiara clad bride-to-be’s clutching giant blow up ‘shapes’, latex covered stags with a ball and chain, cartoon superhero characters. All these are actually pretty standard and you will see them walking up and down the Rincon area or along the beach front and no-one will batter an eyelid.
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For wannabe stars, now is your time to shine. Auditions are taking place in Benidorm this weekend for the ITV talent show The X-Factor. This morning the team – producer Toyah, accompanied by Suzy and Jordi spent the morning at Tiki City, on the popular Calle Gerona. Tomorrow – Saturday, April 7, they will be at Voices, where it is open-mic auditions, meaning you can just turn up and have a go. Don’t be shy – give it a try! Anyone can have a go, whether you are a local resident, entertainer or just here on holiday. After Benidorm they are taking off and hitting Tenerife for 5 days.
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Tonight’s religious Good Friday procession through the streets of the old town attracted thousands of spectators, who lined the streets along the entire route. The resort is extremely busy with Easter visitors at the moment and some hotels have even put up ‘full’ signs. There was also a very visible police presence, including National Police armed with machine guns, which some British holidaymakers found quite startling...
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AENA – the Spanish Airport Authority is to enforce a price cap on bottled water being sold at all Spanish airports, but this does not include bars and restaurants. Retail outlets will be obliged to offer 33cl bottles for 1 euro and vending machines will have to stock 50cl bottles at the same price. With Ryanair charging €3 for a 50ml bottle of still or sparking water and Easyjet slightly cheaper with the option of paying either £2 or €2.50, will onboard sales tumble?
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The sun shone – well for the first half of the day at least and Calle Gerona in the Rincon de Loix turned green to celebrate the Patron Saint of Ireland. St Patrick’s day is big business here in Benidorm and many of the bars embraced the occasion, with bunting, flags, balloons and shamrocks decorating their premises. Most dressed up – although there was one very brave gent wearing not much apart from his shamrock glasses and Guinness hat… but then this is Benidorm!
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Talent scouts from Britain’s most popular talent show, the X Factor are coming to Benidorm to conduct auditions for the next series, which will be broadcast on ITV this autumn. This will be the 15 series of the show, which has created some of the biggest recording artists worldwide including One Direction, Little Mix – the first group to win the competition, Olly Murs and Leona Lewis. The resort is famed for its incredible line up of talented entertainers and the word has spread to the bosses at Thames TV, who are sending out a team of 4 to track them down.
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