Hi Robert
Yes if you like walking this is perfectly possible. We have stayed twice at the Castilla hotel which is near you and with a map you will find you can walk straight down to the seafront then you can turn left and walk for as long as you wish and go out towards Benidorm Palace or alternately up towards the cross. Another day you could turn right towards the old town and carry on through Dove Park and walk (or get a bus to the Poniente side) and on to Cala Finestrat.
You can spend a lot of time wandering around the little streets in the old town and nearby there is Era Park.
Hope this is helpful and that you enjoy your stay.
Regards Sue
ps you didnt mention night time but Benidorm has loads of Nightlife!

Hi Robert .... I'm glad to hear that after 25 years, you are finally showing some sense and going to Benidorm. It is a massive resort, but bearing in mind that it comprises mainly of hotels, bars and restaurants, you may be unlikely to want to explore all of it. But 5 days is ample time to explore all the best bits.

From Flamingo Benidorm, you can walk downhill on Calle Cuenca to the Levante Beach. It will take you about 10 minutes, crossing Calle Gerona which is the hub of the resort's nightlife, and Avenida Mediterraneo which is a busy main road and shopping/restaurant area. Once on the Levante promenade, you can turn left for the Rincon area or right for Benidorm Old Town - a further 15 minute stroll.

Alternatively, you could head from Flamingo Benidorm along Calle Esperanto, which will take you directly into the Old Town in around 15 minutes. Everyone has different tastes, but hopefully you may find the little narrow streets of the Old Town a fantastic place to explore. Plenty of shops, typical Spanish bars, tapas restaurants, etc. The port is also situated in the Old Town, with the beautiful Malpas Beach on one side and Poniente Beach on the other. From there, you could take a cruise to Calpe and see some absolutely fantastic coastline scenery en route. Or, walking up the steps from the port, the Chapel of San Jaime and the spectacular view of the whole resort from the adjacent headland viewing point are also not to be missed. Opposite Parque De Elche in the Old Town, you could take a bus along the entire stretch of the Poniente Beach and into Finestrat.

It is very simple and cheap to explore a little further afield. The mountain village of Guadalest can be reached by public transport or organised excursion - some of which are free (Blanket Trips). You can also visit neighbouring towns of Altea, Calpe and Denia easily by train, the station is about a 20 minute walk or a short taxi ride from Flamingo Benidorm. The city of Alicante may also be worth a visit. Valencia is much further away, but is also worth making a day trip by public transport or excursion.

You may find some useful info in our "Local Info" and "Theme Parks, Excursions & Tourist Attractions" sticky topics, bearing in mind that not all attractions are open during February.

It would also be worth sending an e-mail to Benidorm tourism authorities at turismo@benidorm.org with your home address, requesting a Benidorm Street Map, Leisure Guide and Tourist Information booklet. You could specifically ask for the booklet on scenic walking trips, which includes various itineraries including one to 'The Cross' which has been mentioned in another recent topic. They are very efficient, you should receive literature from them within a few days.

You should find loads within easy walking distance of Flamingo Benidorm. But if you feel that you have walked a little too far, taxis are plentiful and reasonable.

Hopefully you may end up asking yourself why it has taken 25 years !!

David

I`ve just got to plug my videos
The video of christmas day will give you an idea of the size of the resort from one extreme to the other, but of course, it goes further back inland.
Enjoy.

besos xxx
Sanji

Hi Briar

Sorry to go off topic here...but..
I deliberately took footage of just how busy the resort was at xmas...
We had discussed in an earlier topic somewhere, that the place was "dead" at this time of the year.
It was the busiest I have seen it, having been 3 previous times at xmas....and it proved that Benidorm still remains alive and kicking as a popular resort for all nationalities.

I am sure I once read on here that Folk 'do' balconies up at Christmas with baubles etc. bet that looks quite nice.

Yes, they do including father christmas trying to climb over your balcony.....Plastic huge ones of course
Besos xxx
Sanji

Thanks for all the info folks and Sanji the videos are great. I would love to try the walk to Cala De Finestrat if there is a direct route and then get a taxi home. A trip to Villajojosa would also be nice, can you get a bus?.
The walk up to the cross is a might be, but I am having trouble with groin strains and the steepness may be a bit to much.
We have booked the first 2 weeks of work in September for our summer holidays and are waiting to try Benidorm in February before we book anything for September. The only problem with that is we do DIY and the flight prices rise week by week.
So its either the old favourite (Majorca) or Benidorm for September. With the great reports I read here about Benidorm, somehow I think it is going to be a very close call.

Thanks again

Robert

We walked from Cala Finestrat at Christmas back to dove parc. We got the bus behind dove parc (parc de elche at the begining of Poniente) to Cala Finestrat. We then walked over the hill to the end of Poniente and back to dove parc. We love to do this walk. When I get to Benidorm I don`t settle until I`ve walked the full length of it.

Don`t miss Benidorm old town between Levante and Poniente, for me this is the best bit of Benidorm Have a walk on the promanade after sunset.Have Tappas. and best of all chill.

You won`t have time to do and see everything, thats why everyone goes back Benidorm is very addictive.

Christine W

I am sure I once read on here that Folk 'do' balconies up at Christmas with baubles etc. bet that looks quite nice

.

Yes, this is very true. And some hotels run 'in-house' competitions for the best christmasy decorated balcony. And indeed it does look very festive and seasonal. I also like the way the tall Hotels adorn the side of their buildings with lights in the form of giant christmas trees, or Feliz Navidad messages.