Costa Blanca North
The history behind Benidorm
By Donna Williams •
Published: 04 Jul 2024 • 15:56
Benidorm was not always the bustling tourist destination with its golden beaches and skyscraper hotels that are so well-known today.
Its history can be traced back to the Bronze Age, leading to a fascinating journey through the centuries.
As with many areas in Costa Blanca North, Benidorm was influenced by the Romans and the Moors. Although the Roman settlements were small, evidence of the Roman military enclaves can still be seen today at Tossal de la Cala.
King James 1 of Aragon
The reconquest of Benidorm by Christian forces took place in 1245 and was led by King James 1 of Aragon, one of the longest-reigning monarchs in history.
He incorporated it into the newly created Kingdom of Valencia, having previously signed a Treaty with the Moors.
In May 1325, Admiral Bernat de Sarria of Polop awarded the area a town charter, and it officially became known as Benidorm.
With its status confirmed, Benidorm became a strategic weapon for Admiral Sarria to wield in his bid to stop Admiral Roger of Lauria, Lord of Altea, from rising to power.
After fending off pirate attacks by the Ottomans and Barbaries, the 17th century saw a notable improvement, mainly due to the construction of an advanced irrigation system.
By the 18th Century, Benidorm had become famous for its fishermen, and the success of its fishing, together with the improved irrigation system, helped fuel a stronger local economy.
Sign up for personalised news
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our
Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Marketer, copywriter, storyteller and President of Samaritans in Spain. They say variety is the spice of life and I am definitely loving life!
Leave a comment Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Known as the PEOPLE’S PAPER, Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain. And it’s FREE!
Covering the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, Almeria, Axarquia, Mallorca and beyond, EWN supports and inspires the individuals, neighbourhoods, and communities we serve, by delivering news with a social conscience. Whether it’s local news in Spain, UK news or international stories, we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home.
With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month, EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain. The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close.
Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP), Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall). All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers. All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE.
Sign up for personalised news
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Close
