Mallorca or as it is also referred to Majorca is one of Spain’s Balearic Islands and has gorgeous sheltered coves. There is plenty to do there as a family, especially if you love being out and about in nature’s surroundings. With beautiful beaches, fun water parks, tons of caves to explore and plenty of historically interesting buildings and areas, you will never be stuck for things to do! Check out this post on what to do in Mallorca with children. 

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Take a stroll down the Old Town

The Old Town in Benidorm has more of an authentic Spanish feel than other areas. With cobbled streets and dozens of shops, boutiques, authentic restaurants and bars, it's a place to visit and enjoy. When you are there seek out Tapas Alley for some tasty snacks.

Eat some tapas at Tapas Alley



Calle Santo Domingo, in the Old Town, otherwise known as Tapas Alley, is the place to go for bars selling traditional (and not so traditional) Spanish tapas. Tapas are small morsels of food often served with drinks, as an appetiser or snack. Popular tapas include various toppings on small slices of bread, meatballs, croquettes, calamari and Spanish omelette. There are some good deals on tapas in Benidorm's Old Town and on our recent visit we saw a jug of sangria with 5 tapas for 5 Euro!

See some entertainment at the many bars


Benidorm is known for its bars with music and entertainment. From tribute acts to Adele, Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond, to stand-up comedy from the likes of Chrissy Rock from the TV series Benidorm, and big shows including dancing and singing at the famous Benidorm Palace, Benidorm has something for most people.  Some of the places to try include Steptoes, Morgan Tavern, Jokers, and the Tropical bar which also does a mean cocktail.

Get an adrenaline rush at Terra Mítica


Just outside Benidorm is one of the biggest theme parks in Spain called Terra Mitica. With the theme of ancient civilisations of Rome, Egypt and Greece, this excellent theme park has big rides for the adrenaline junkies out there and lots of live shows based on history. It's a great place to visit with all the family, and especially with teenagers. Stop at the well-appointed 4 star Grand Luxor hotel next door.

Go location spotting for the TV series



If you are a fan of the TV series Benidorm you may want to go location spotting. Morgan's Tavern doubles as Neptunes in the TV series, whilst the Benidorm Palace, where the Garveys in the show often visit, is called the same in real life and is on the road out of town. The hotel where the majority of the show is filmed is called the Sol Pelicanos Ocas hotel and is much nicer in real life than in the show. Stay there to soak up the atmosphere of the series.

Get wet at Aqualandia


If you want to cool down in the hot Spanish sun and are especially travelling with kids then Aqualandia may be right up your street. With slides for the adventurous and relaxing pools for those that just want to chill out, as well as a huge wave pool and pools suitable for the little ones,  Aqualandia is certainly worth a trip if you love the water.

So as you can see there are many things to do in Benidorm for people of all ages. For last-minute deals to Benidorm try Voyage Prive for the best prices.

Let me know, have you been to Benidorm? 

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I spent three days here with a fabulous group of bloggers and influencers from Bristol and we had so much fun I wanted to share our exploits with my readers.

Our first day was spent in the seaside resort of Peñíscola, where we discovered amazing seafood restaurants and an imposing castle on the hill, a filming location for Game Of Thrones. We then moved to the mountain town of Morella, known for its gourmet truffles, amazing views and fabulous history. 

This post is about our last day when we visited Castellón De La Plana and Benicàssim, another seaside resort with 6 kilometres of beautiful clean sand, which is known for the FIB music festival.

After checking out of our hotel in Morella we boarded our minibus to the town of Castellón De La Plana. This town is the capital of the region and is worth a visit for the great shopping and fabulous architecture. The city was founded in the 13th century but there were settlers there for hundreds of years before that. 


The area is rich with wonderful architecture, just look at the tower on the left above. This is called El Fadri or Fadri Tower. It's a stand-alone bell tower of the Gothic Castellón De La Plana cathedral. Bult in the 14th century it is an octagonal building built in the Valencian Gothic style. The top photo is of Casino Antiguo, an eighteenth-century palace currently used for events. With its highly decorated windows, Casino Antiguo is a must-see for architecture lovers. 

We were in Castellón De La Plana to get ingredients for a paella which we would be making later, so our guide took us to Mercado Central or central market. When we were there we checked out the stalls selling meat for the paella, all with very fresh produce. 



The fruit and vegetables in the Mercado Central were exceptional too. All bursting with juiciness and vibrancy. We tried some cherries and they were some of the nicest I have ever had, not too tart just sweet and delicious. 



There were also stalls selling delicacies perfect for gifts and souvenirs including local olive oils, marmalade made with Valencia oranges and traditional sweets and biscuits.

Our next stop was Mas Dels Doblons.



This traditional farm and farmhouse has been made into a museum of Spanish living and culture. While we were here we saw how oranges were traditionally picked, sorted and pressed. Did you know that Valencia is one of the top exporters of oranges in the world? We also discovered how olive oil used to be made, in a massive stone press. 


The main reason we came was to see how paella was made authentically. Paella is believed to have originated from Valencia and was a labourers meal. The original recipe was made with what was on the land - rabbit, chicken, rice, green and white beans and snails as well as saffron.  What, no seafood you may ask? Yes, seafood is a modern but tasty addition to a paella. Many of these farms were inland too with no access to the sea so that explains the lack of seafood in a traditional paella.



The recipe made at Mas Del Doblons was made in the traditional style but did not have snails in (thankfully!). Even though I'm quite adventurous I am not sure if I would have eaten it with snails. Of course, we had to give the paella a stir to claim we had made it, complete with oversized hats!



I asked our guide about the process of making paella in Spain and had the sense that it was the domain of men, similar to the way they take over the barbecue in the UK. Paella is a social occasion when chatting with friends and with a glass of wine or beer in hand.  Made slowly and stirred gently, it's a dish to have on a Sunday with family and friends.

The paella we had at Mas Dels Dobons was really incredibly filling and tasty. We were so full as we were treated to lots of delicious nibbles before our meal. 




As well as cured meats and cheeses we also tried Spanish tortilla and other tapas. Not much room for dessert even, but I managed the chocolate fondant pudding - well I had too didn't I?
A trip to Mas Dels Doblon is highly recommended if you are interested in the Spanish history of food and local culture. It is open by appointment for visits to the museum and for food experiences such as paella making. If you need an English speaking guide Reser Tours a company based close by can help.

So after dinner, we boarded our bus to our next stop Benicàssim. 



Our hotel was the Hotel Intur Orange, a large modern hotel with landscaped gardens and a great pool area. 

The modern style in this super clean hotel was excellent and this hotel would be a great choice if you are staying in Benicàssim for the FIB Festival, as it's a short ten-minute walk. The FIB Festival is a music festival held every year in July. 



I find breakfast before a day out exploring to be the best way to start the day. The hotel had an extensive breakfast buffet too which was very welcoming in the morning.  I enjoyed the wide choice of hot and cold items, including pastries, cereals, fresh fruit, sausages and omelettes, and I got very excited when I spied the cake for breakfast! 



That afternoon we strolled the Ruta De La Villas. This area of Benicàssim has beautiful Belle Epoque villas along the seafront promenade. Many illustrious people lived here included the writer Ernest Hemingway. 









Our meal that night was at Club Palasiet, a newly-opened restaurant, overlooking Voramar Beach.



The food we had was very inventive and included octopus that melted in the mouth, tender local lamb and white bean stew and a dessert with green tea ice cream. With set menus from 25 euros and a wide range of A La Carte dishes, it's a fabulous place to go for food with a view.



I had a great time in the Castellón region of Spain. It's an area of beautiful beaches, wonderful history, and amazing food. With a flight time of under two hours from Bristol airport to Castellón (Valencia) with Ryanair, you can be on the beach in no time enjoying the Spanish sun.


Thanks to Heather from Heather On Her Travels, Emma from Ladies What Travel, Jenni from Travel To Recovery and Jane from Practically Perfect Mums for their company, humour, and lust for life.




I was hosted by the Castellon tourist board, all activities, hotels, flights, and food were on a complimentary basis. Many thanks to them.

Would you visit this area of Spain? What do you think of the activities we did?