A European city known for its beaches and lively nightlife actually has more skyscrapers per person than Dubai. It is a holiday hotspot for Brits, with around 900,000 UK tourists visiting the resort every year.
Known as the “New York of the Mediterranean”, Benidorm has 26 buildings over 100 metres tall. This means it actually has the most skyscrapers per capita and per square meter in Europe. The area, located on the Costa Blanca in Alicante, was once a fishing village before being transformed into a vibrant resort in the 1950s. Local mayor Pedro Zaragoza championed the construction of tall buildings to allow more space for leisure and green areas.
Due to its location near the sea, as well as being surrounded by mountains, there wasn’t much space for Zaragoza to expand. However, he was able to build vertically to maximise the space for foreign visitors.
Zaragoza said in a previous interview: “If you build low, you occupy all the space and have a long walk to the beach. If you build high, you can face the sea, and leave room for gardens, pools and tennis courts.”
The city is now very popular with British holidaymakers due to its sunshine, beaches, affordability and family attractions. The tallest building in Benidorm is the Intempo building, which stands at a huge 187 metres high.
The 47-floor building cost £72.5 million and was officially opened in March 2014. It has changed the city’s skyline and become an iconic landmark due to its distinctive design.
Elsewhere in Benidorm, the Torre Lúgano, a luxury residential skyscraper, stands at an imposing 158 metres tall. It boasts 43 floors with 204 luxury flats giving sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Neguri Gane skyscraper stands out in Benidorm for its rounded shape. Standing at 145 metres tall, it is the fourth-tallest building in the city and the twelfth-highest in Spain.
The fifth-tallest building in Benidorm is the residential skyscraper Kronos Building. The reinforced concrete structure stands at 145 metres tall and consists of 41 solid slabs.