Why Benidorm is one of Europe’s best LGBTQ+ holiday destinations all year long
In partnership with the Region of Valencia
LGBTQ+ holidays in Benidorm have a history that stretches back further than most European gay scenes.
The town’s first gay bar opened during Franco’s dictatorship in the 1960s – an act of defiance that planted the seed for what’s now one of Spain’s most established queer destinations, on the stunning Costa Blanca.
Six decades on, Benidorm has more than 30 gay bars in the Old Town, a Pride that draws 25,000 visitors, year-round sunshine, and direct flights from airports across the UK.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What’s Benidorm’s gay village like?
Benidorm’s gay village is one of Europe’s most walkable. More than 30 bars, cabarets, and clubs sit packed on a few cobbled streets in the Old Town, all centred around Calle Santa Faz. Indeed, you could spend two weeks here and still find somewhere (or someone…) new every night.
Days are for the terraces. Bar El Papagayo is the spot for long, relaxed drinks in the sun with a crowd that ranges from tanned regulars to curious first-timers. When the sun drops, Kafee Klee – running drag cabaret since 1994 – takes things up a notch.
The nights belong to Spirit Bar and Mercury Club, where the dancefloor stays busy well past the point where you’ve lost track of time. The crowd throughout is mixed – all ages and all identities are welcome – and the scene runs year-round (there’s no off-season in Benidorm…).
Beaches, terraces and sunset views
Benidorm’s beaches alone are worth the trip. Levante is the one most LGBTQ+ visitors gravitate towards – broad, sandy, and busy, with a promenade that connects seamlessly to the bars and terraces of the Old Town.
Poniente is longer, calmer, and ideal if your version of a holiday involves actually switching off…
Benidorm’s sunshine all the way into autumn, keeping the beaches, terraces, and hilltop viewpoints above the Old Town an option long after summer has officially ended elsewhere.
Time a visit around sunset from the Old Town heights and you’ll see exactly why people keep coming back.
Food and drink
Benidorm’s food culture will surprise you. Arab culinary traditions, the influence of merchant sailors, and the foundations of Valencian cooking have shaped a restaurant scene that decades of international visitors have pulled in every direction since.
Start in the Old Town, where Calle de Santo Domingo is lined with tapas bars to work through slowly. La Mejillonera has been serving mussels and fideuà since 1981 and remains the go-to for classic Valencian seafood. For Spanish rice dishes done the right way – arroz a banda, paella de marisco, caldoso – Restaurante Ulia on Poniente Beach is the one locals recommend. And If you want views with your dinner, D-Vora Gastrobar sits on the edge of the Old Town with a terrace looking out over Levante Beach and a menu of creative Mediterranean plates.
For something more relaxed, Bar Cofradia is a gorgeous side-street find that will reward you curiosity well – think Valencian rice dishes, traditional tapas, and pinchos with your drinks.
Eating well in Beniford is all about being willing to wander off the main drag….
Benidorm Pride 2026
Benidorm Pride runs from 1 to 6 September 2026 – the 16th edition of an event that started with a few thousand people in 2011 and now draws over 25,000 visitors, with 30,000 expected this year. The week-long format is what makes it different from most Pride events on the calendar: six full days, with Benidorm’s gay village, beaches, and outdoor venues all pulled into the programme.
The opening days centre on the Old Town’s gay bars, each running their own free parties and themed nights. Mid-week brings a pool party at Hotel Marina Resort with guest DJs and live vocal performances, followed by the free Ñ Divas Party at the Julio Iglesias Auditorium – an outdoor show in the Aigüera Park amphitheatre. Friday is the White Party, also at the Auditorium: dress code white, open-air dancefloor, with sets from international DJs.
Saturday 5 September is parade day. The procession will travel along Levante Beach, ending at the Auditorium for live performances on the main stage, with the official after-party at Ku Disco.
Sunday closes the festival with parties across every bar in the Old Town, with free entry throughout.
Gay Games 2026
Valencia is hosting the Gay Games 2026 from 27 June to 4 July 2026 – the XII edition of the international sporting and cultural event, open to participants of all genders, ages, and abilities across 38 sports disciplines.
Benidorm sits an hour’s drive south along the coast, with accommodation across the Old Town and beachfront, and makes a natural coastal base before or after the Games. Compete in Valencia, celebrate in Benidorm…
Getting there
Direct flights to Alicante from the UK take between 2.5 and three hours, with routes from London Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Bristol, Birmingham, and Southampton. From Alicante airport, buses to Benidorm run regularly throughout the day and take around an hour; taxis make the same journey in approximately 45 minutes.
For more information, visit comunitatvalenciana.com and visitbenidorm.es.
