Quick answer: Benidorm received its town charter on 8 May 1325 and stayed a small fishing and tuna-catching town for six centuries. In 1950 it had about 3,000 people. Mayor Pedro Zaragoza Orts (in office 1950–1967) bet everything on foreign tourism: he defended the bikini on its beaches, rode a Vespa to Madrid to win Franco's backing, and pushed through a 1956 town plan that let Benidorm grow upwards instead of outwards. That plan is why the town now has one of the world's densest skylines.
Timeline
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1325 | Town charter granted on 8 May; a fortress stands on the headland where the Balcón del Mediterráneo is today |
| 1950 | Pedro Zaragoza, aged 28, is appointed mayor; the town has roughly 2,500–3,000 inhabitants |
| 1950s | The bikini dispute and Zaragoza's Vespa ride to see Franco |
| 1956 | The General Urban Plan (PGOU) is approved, one of the first in Spain |
| 1959 | First Benidorm Song Festival, which runs until 2006 |
| 1961 | Friars raise the cross on Serra Gelada above the Rincón de Loix |
| 1963 | The town plan is changed to allow unlimited building height |
| 1967 | Zaragoza leaves office |
| 2008 | Zaragoza dies; Benidorm has about 330 skyscrapers and over 5 million visitors a year |
| 2022 | RTVE revives the song-contest tradition with the first Benidorm Fest |
Sources: Wikipedia – Pedro Zaragoza, University of Alicante – Pedro Zaragoza milestones, Via Empresa.
Before tourism
For most of its history, Benidorm lived from the sea. Its fishermen were known for the almadraba, a traditional net system for catching tuna, and many local men worked as sailors on merchant ships. The Old Town grew around the castle headland, and its narrow lanes still follow that layout; see our Old Town guide.
Pedro Zaragoza, the mayor who built Benidorm
Pedro Zaragoza Orts was born in Benidorm on 15 May 1922, the son of a sailor. He was appointed mayor by the Franco regime in 1950, at 28, and stayed for 17 years. He saw that the town's long beaches and reliable sunshine could draw the northern Europeans who were starting to travel south.
The bikini and the Vespa
The most famous Benidorm story is the bikini. In Franco's Catholic Spain, bikinis were considered shocking, and foreign women were fined for wearing them. Zaragoza allowed them on Benidorm's beaches, and the local bishop threatened to excommunicate him.
Zaragoza took his case to the top. According to accounts repeated by historians and journalists, he rode his Vespa to Madrid, with newspaper stuffed under his shirt for warmth, and persuaded Franco of the money tourism would bring. Franco backed him, and the church backed off (Wikipedia, Via Empresa). Sources give different years for the ride, from 1951 to 1959, and the University of Alicante's archive calls the bikini decree a myth in its details. The story may have grown in the telling, but its point stands: Benidorm chose to welcome foreign visitors early.
The 1956 plan and the vertical city
Zaragoza's other legacy is planning. The General Urban Plan approved in 1956, drawn up with the Alicante architect Francisco "Paco" Muñoz, laid out a grid of streets behind the beaches. It was among the first of its kind in Spain, alongside Barcelona's, and came before the national Land Law of 1956 (University of Alicante).
A 1963 change removed height limits. Building tall towers with space between them kept the beaches open and let a small area hold a huge number of beds. Our skyscrapers guide covers the towers you can see today.
Song festival to Benidorm Fest
In 1959 the town launched the Benidorm Song Festival, which helped launch singers such as Raphael and Julio Iglesias before it ended in 2006. RTVE revived the tradition in 2022 with Benidorm Fest, now held each January (Alicante Plaza). See our Benidorm Fest page.
The cross on Serra Gelada
The cross above the Rincón de Loix dates from December 1961. Local accounts link it to the bikini row, as a gesture to the church after the excommunication threat (View from La Vila). It was destroyed by a storm in 1975 and rebuilt. The walk up is in our Serra Gelada guide.
Benidorm today
Benidorm is now one of Spain's most visited resorts, with year-round entertainment, a British and Irish winter community, and a large Spanish and Dutch audience. Its fame grew again through the ITV comedy series; see our Benidorm TV series page.
History of Benidorm: FAQs
What was Benidorm before tourism? A small fishing town of about 3,000 people, known for tuna fishing and its sailors.
Who made Benidorm famous? Pedro Zaragoza Orts, mayor from 1950 to 1967, who backed foreign tourism, the bikini and the 1956 town plan.
Did the mayor really ride a Vespa to see Franco? That is the story he and many writers told. The details and the year vary between sources.
Why does Benidorm have so many skyscrapers? Its 1956 town plan, changed in 1963, allowed tall towers with space around them, concentrating hotels near the beaches.
How old is Benidorm? Its town charter dates from 8 May 1325.