Can't argue with what you've said but I'd still rather go to Benalmadena!!

Hi paul - I totally agree with you.

I went to benalmadena last year, and to be totally honest I spent the 2 weeks wishing we were in benidorm, - The kids were bored, (as the evening/family entertainment in benalmadena was vertually non existent), the 24 hour sqare was grotty, every meal we had out was lousy (except for the pizza sabotini - spelling?), we only came accross this on our last night, (Typical!). We spent a fortune in benal compared to what we normally spend in benidorm - The time share louts were a pain in the , as were the "Lucky lucky "men! - (We came accross neither , this month whilst we were in benidorm! ).

I won't consider anywhere else now, - I'll stick to what I know best!

Regards, Belly!

I actually love the Costa del Sol and I can't really put it into words the "feeling" that I get when I hit Malaga airport.
The cultural differences between the Valencian community and the Andalusian community are very evident and there's nothing more pleasing to me than to smell fresh sardinas being cooked in the chiringuitos on the promenade.
To compare Benalmadena against Benidorm is like comparing chalk against cheese"¦both have their uses, but you wouldn't mix chalk and cheese together.

I don't like Benalmadena and have always preferred Arroyo de la Miel, which is a town in its own right, but it has been merged into Benalmadena or Benalmadena has just expanded, but two things that Benalmadena has, which Benidorm doesn't, is a park on the scale of Paloma Park and by having a rail link in Arroyo it means you can travel up and down the coast to visit other places with a train nearly every half hour and then beyond from Fuengirola to Marbella.
Plus the Puerto Marina, which is pleasant, but over priced, over rated and a poor mans imitation to Puerto Banus/Marbella.

The mosquito's are the same, the lucky lucky men are no trouble, they are usually flogging copy CDs or videos and I've always found a simple "no thanks" is enough for them to move on, unless you want Enrique Iglesias's new CD :lol:..... time share touts are a pain in any resort and TBH, I've never come across that many time share touts in either resorts.

Benidorm is bigger, better beaches, cheaper, better restaurants, bigger and better bars, far more entertainment and variety, more theme parks and excusions, etc etc.

Benidorms beaches are better and cleaner, the entertainment is vast, more theme parks and the cost of living is lower than the Costa del Sol, but I wouldn't say it beats Benalmadena for excursions and for the cities you have Alicante and Valencia, whereas reasonably priced excursions from Benalmadena go to places like Granada, Seville, Cordoba, Jerez, Tangiers and Gibraltar, plus Ronda and Marbella.

What I don't like about Benalmadena is the strong ex-pat existence and some of them are a pain in the butt, Benidorm's ex-pats seem to melt into the town amongst all the other Nationalities and if you want to leave them and seek out some natives, then the option is there can't say the same for Benalmadena, they seem to have this aura about them which rubs off with their demeanour like this is my bit of Spain and we don't want mass tourism to spoil our party, just a pity after living there for several years that some of them never figured out how to speak some Spanish.

For me, the best two things about Benalmadena are Paloma Park and the way out.
The best thing about Benidorm is the way in, with a one way ticket ...

however, put me in La Carihuela which is the other side of the Puerto Marina Benalmadena and I'd be very torn indeed.

Sanji

Benidorm is bigger, better beaches, cheaper, better restaurants, bigger and better bars, far more entertainment and variety, more theme parks and excusions, etc etc.

Having visited Benalmadena in 2004, I agree with the above.
The only thing that really impressed us was the Marina and Paloma Park.

Sorry Sanji, I didn't mean to contradict you, I was busy writing my post and by the time i'd finished, you'd placed yours before me. Sue

I went to both resorts last year and I can say I love them both!
In Benalmadena we went to the zoo, crocodile park, the dolphins, etc and had a great time!
In benidorm we had fun too!
I agree Benidorms beach is way better, prob the nicest sand I've ever felt but I find the sea in both resorts a bit rough! Benalmadenas sea front has a very shingly dip right at the edge which I always had to carry my daughter over but once past it it was fine and we enjoyed wave jumping!
The marina was great in Benalmadena too and we loved walking round it!

Visited Benalmadena last year and had a great time, loved the Park, and the rail service up and down the coast. Also visited the Pueblo, very very impressed. Returned home and hubby and my sons wanted to return.

However, theres plenty more places to explore, and we decided on the Terralta Apartments in Benidorm. We had no worries at all about the apartments, they had excellent reviews, but must admit, we were a little apprehensive about Benidorm, only because of the negative comments we had read about it.

We were very very impressed! We all had a fantastic holiday. We found it slightly cheaper than Benalmadena. A resort full of different nationalities enjoying themselves! We stayed in the old town but did visit the 'newer' town on a few occasions.

We ate out every evening in both resorts and sometimes at lunchtime too.
Couldn't fault any of the bars/restuarants we visited in either resort ( I made sure I read all recommendations on bars/restuarants on here first - and every recommendation was spot on!) . Preferred Benidorm beach to Benalmadena. Loved Paloma Park in Benal and the Marina too.

But to summarise - for us, Benidorm just has that edge.........we're looking to book again next year. There are so many places we just didn't get time to visit.

Elaine

Well i've just done both resorts in the past 6 weeks.
Here is my thoughts on both.

Spent 7 days in Benalmadena in sept staying at the jupiter/minerva complex. Which i didn't like. The location wasn't the best, the square over the road was grotty, the surrounding streets were full of dog muck.
But i thought that the marina was lovely and sitting in the bars down here was nice.
Beach wasn't as nice as i thought that it would be. Loved Arroya especially the ruptured duck, and the old man who sits over the road.

Would i go back No

Benidorm, stayed in the La perla hotel opposit the hotel orange, and a gem of a hotel. The loaction was busy, but then i was staying in the centre. Streets were clean and didn't see any dog muck. The beach was as always wonderful. Plenty of great bars with loads of shows on.

Would i go back to benidorm without a doubt.

The only thing that i didn't like was the 4 gypsie women who wander the streets at night. Because they rob people. Watched them going through the pockets of a man in the street, opp kfc. They just took his wallet and walked off.

We stayed in the Jupiter/ minerva complex in July and to be honest it was ok but we payed a third of the price to stay in the old town of Benidorm last year and loved it.

For me Benidorm wins, I did like the park in Benalmadena but to me it didn't have as much 'personality' as Benidorm. I may be slighlty biast as I have been to Benidorm a lot. My main reason for Benidorm ios that I like the more secluded coves beyond the Rincon end of town.

On a side note , I just came back from 3 days in Albeferria (?) Portugal - wow! If you haven't been go! Its very reasonable to fly and stay there and the resort prices are good and its stunning.