Benidorm may be known for its cheap-and-cheerful holiday resorts, almost year-round sunshine, sandy beaches and lively nightlife.
But the high-rise coastal town on Spain’s Costa Blanca has a dark side that’s not exactly hard to find.
Less than 150 yards from a popular mobility scooter rental centre, and holiday apartment blocks, is Camí Azagador de Soria, or as it’s colloquially known, “Gypsy Lane”.
Express.co.uk visited the narrow, winding lane, with expat, musician and charity volunteer, Jonny Elraiz. The Croydon native explained that the area, too dangerous for our reporter and photographer to spend much time in, was populated by Romanian gypsies that rented the properties to the homeless.
The area Jonny’s vehicle stopped in was in front of a red and white house, without a door. The villa also had a bare mattress sticking out of it, with a sofa outside.
Yards away from the crumbling house was a huge pile of rubbish and a burned-out car.
He agreed that the scene looked like something from a “disaster movie”.
“The gypsies that run this area, these ones tend to be more from Romania and they rent these out to homeless people”, he explained.
When asked whether it was just Spaniards that populated the run-down street, Jonny said: “There was a British guy [who lived here], a while ago.” He didn’t, however, has his name.
Those looking to stay in the ramshackle accomodation, would need to pay the gypsy ‘owners’ “£20 to £25-a-week”, according to Jonny.
“That’s affordable, it gives them a little bit of security, you know what I mean?”.
