Benidorm – an amazing coastal resort city on the Costa Blanca, Spain. – a popular center of attraction for tourists from all over the world, including for residents of the UK. How many brits live in Benidorm? And why do they love this city so much? We will see it below.
Benidorm is very different from other Spanish cities, due to the large number of skyscrapers in the city. For this reason, it was nicknamed the “Spanish Manhattan”. Two of these skyscrapers – the Hotel Bali and the unfinished In Tempo residential building – have become urban symbols.
According to the data published by the INE on January 2018, the population in Benidorm was 67,558. 727 more inhabitants than in 2017. In summer the population can reach 500,000.
Rincón de Loix: the English district of Benidorm
Benidorm is considered one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Spain. Here you can find people from almost every country in Europe and South America. At the same time, there is a fairly clear distinction between the districts, as far as the population is concerned. Spaniards mostly live in the center area and around the Poniente beach. The areas of Cala de Finestrat and Cala de Villajoyosa, are chosen by people from Eastern Europe, including Russia. And the English district of Levante (or, as it is officially called, Rincón de Loix) is the area where British expats in Benidorm, settle down. According to the latest INE data, there are 2305 Brits living in Benidorm, this is 11% of the population.
However, this area is not “English” in the full sense of the word, despite the abundance of authentic pubs, British flags, shops with English products and other peculiarities of the classic English quarter. It is rather an international area where, with the numerical superiority of the British, live Dutch, Danish, Irish, Scandinavians and other european citizens. The international character of Rincon de Loix is reflected even in the names of local streets: London, Malta, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Moscow. At the same time, Rincon de Loix and its surroundings have another colloquial name – “zona guiri”, which means “foreigners area”. And as the name suggests, everything here is intended for them.
Entertainment in the English area of Benidorm
Historically, almost all entertainment is concentrated in the English district of Benidorm, some of which appeared relatively recently. In particular, we are talking about the attraction of water skis on the Levante beach, which allows to engage both professionals and amateurs. The great variety of entertainment, is one of the reasons why so many Brits are living in Benidorm.
On the first Saturday of September, before the school classes start, a famous gay parade takes place on the Levant promenade. Prior to this, the Rincón de Loix district becomes for a week, the main celebration site of the LGBT community. The number of participants in this event, as a rule, exceeds 30 thousand people. Most of them come from the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, Holland and other “broad-minded” states.
Besides, located along the promenade of the English zone of Benidorm, you can find a lot of british expats in Benidorm enjoying a traditional British beer and their favourite music.
On the Avenida del Mediterraneo, parallel to the main promenade, the casino and slot machines are the main entertainment. The rest of the avenue is mainly occupied by clothing and footwear stores. In the upper part of the district of Rincón de Loix, is the Benidorm Palace. Where you can see performances by Spanish artists, as well as other countries (including Russia). Only 5 minutes away by car is the “Aqualandia” water park, one of the most famous Spanish water parks. And also “Mundomar”, a marine animal park.
Property prices in the English district of Benidorm
In the British district of Levante, most of the buildings are quite old. The price of the apartments here, does not reach € 100,000. However, as a rule, they need major repairs. Naturally, you can not expect a safe and pleasant neighborhood on these apartments. Most of the time, these flats are intended for rent throughout the year.
In the east and northeast part of Rincon de Loix, you can find many good properties located in fenced urbanizations, with swimming pool, tennis court and minigolf. A large amount of luxury housing in Benidorm is located here. For example, the residential complex “Gemelos 28”, where the rent of a two-bedroom apartment costs 128 euros per night. On average, the price of a luxury apartment in the English district of Benidorm starts at € 3,000 per square meter. At the same time, the price of the villas and chalets, located far away from the lively entertainment places, is close to 2.5 million euros.
British real estate agents in Benidorm
If you want to buy a flat or a house in the English district of Benidorm, the specialists of the company “Alegría”, who have extensive experience selling homes in this area, and who know all its peculiarities, will be happy to help you. Our staff speaks English fluently, so you will not have any problems communicating. We will answer all your questions, we will provide complete assistance to select and buy a home, according to your preferences and budget. In addition, the company “Alegria” offers a full range of after-sales services, so you do not have to worry about anything. Our main office is located in Alicante, however, we have a branch office in Benidorm. And if you wish, you can always request a personal appointment with our British real estate agents in Benidorm.
