Magic Pirates Island Resort Benidorm

Be clear on the location before you book: Magic Pirates Island Resort is NOT on Benidorm's Levante or Poniente seafront. It sits inland in Finestrat, around 6 km from the centre of Benidorm, immediately next door to the Terra Mítica theme park and a short drive from Aqualandia and Mundomar. From the resort you cannot walk to the beach or to the English square — you'll need the resort shuttle, a taxi (around €12–€15 each way) or a hire car.

For most families that is actually a feature, not a bug. The resort is designed to be a self-contained holiday — the on-site water park, animation, restaurants, bars and entertainment mean you genuinely don't need to leave. You get the mountains and quiet of inland Finestrat at night, with Benidorm 10 minutes away when you want it. If your priority is walking out of the lobby straight onto Levante Beach and into a row of British bars, this isn't the right hotel — look at Sol Pelícanos Ocas, Servigroup Marina Mar or Rosamar instead.

The single biggest reason families pick Pirates Island is the theming. The wooden gate at the entrance is built as a pirate-resort archway. The main lagoon pool has two full-scale themed galleons rising out of the water, complete with cannons that spray jets across the pool, rope-rigging, fish-themed climbing walls and a curving water slide running down the back of one of the ships. There is also a zip line running over the water.

Next to the lagoon there is a dedicated children's splash park with low slides, shallow play water and a smaller themed ship, plus a separate kraken-themed climbing frame and netted play tower. Kids generally lose their minds for it — and parents get to sit on a sun-lounger 10 metres away with a drink in hand, which is a big part of why the reviews are as strong as they are.

Don't let the wild pirate exteriors fool you — the bedrooms themselves are genuinely modern and calm. Standard rooms have a clean Scandinavian / coastal feel: rattan-cane headboards, warm wood furniture, brass lamps, crisp white bedding with linen accent throws and proper blackout curtains. Air conditioning, flat-screen TV, en-suite shower room, safe and balcony or terrace are standard.

The resort is laid out in low-rise terraced buildings around the central lagoon and gardens, so most rooms open onto a wide wooden walkway with views back into the resort — the same look as the aerial photo on this page. Family rooms with a separate kids' area, interconnecting rooms for bigger family groups, and themed pirate suites for kids are all available; the pirate suites are the rooms most often requested by families with under-10s.

Pirates Island runs primarily on all-inclusive, and the food standard is well above the Benidorm all-inclusive average. The main buffet restaurant runs themed nights (Spanish, Italian, Mexican, BBQ, Asian) with live cooking stations — pasta, plancha-grilled meats, fresh-cut carving, paella, salads and a generous dessert section. Kids have their own buffet station with familiar options.

There are also several à la carte restaurants on-site for variety — typically Italian, grill / steakhouse and a themed pirate dinner — that you can book during your stay (some are included on AI, some are a small supplement). Multiple bars are dotted around the pools, the lobby and the entertainment area, all included on the AI band.

Entertainment is one of the headline reasons regulars come back to Magic resorts. The animation team runs a full daytime programme around the pools (games, mini-disco prep, family activities) and an evening programme on the main outdoor stage — dance shows, magic acts, live music, themed pirate productions and the famous mini-disco for the under-10s.

The signature pirate-themed evening show on the outdoor stage is the visual highlight of the hotel — full theatrical lighting, big LED screens with the resort's pirate branding, costumed performers, choreography. It runs in season and is included in the AI rate.

Alongside the central lagoon and splash park, the resort has a separate on-site water-park area with bigger slides aimed at older kids and adults, plus quieter pools, sun terraces, themed garden areas and chill-out cabanas for parents. There is a kids' club for younger guests, organised teen activities, and a separate adults-only relaxation pool for grown-up downtime.

Other amenities cover a small wellness area, mini-market, ATM, laundry service, 24-hour multilingual reception, free Wi-Fi throughout the resort, lift access in the accommodation blocks, on-site parking and an in-resort shuttle. Buggy and high-chair hire are available on request.

This is unambiguously a family resort. The atmosphere is built around children aged roughly 3–12 and the parents and grandparents travelling with them. Multi-generational holidays (mum-and-dad plus grandparents) work especially well here because grandparents can take a quieter table at the AI restaurant while the parents are in the splash park with the kids.

It is not a couples-only adult retreat and it is not a party hotel. Couples without children and groups looking for nightlife will find it too quiet and too kid-led — Sandos Benidorm Suites or Hotel Don Pancho on Levante are much better matches for those trips.