Benidorm is brilliant — I've lived on the Costa Blanca for ten years and I still love it — but if you're here for a week or more, spending every single day on Levante beach can start to feel a little repetitive. The good news? You're sitting in the dead centre of one of Spain's most varied coastlines, with mountain villages, dramatic capes, UNESCO-listed towns and pretty market squares all within an hour's drive.
These are my personal favourite day trips from Benidorm, tested and refined over a decade of living here. Some are obvious. Some are not. All of them are worth your time.
Before you head out, make sure you've got a comfortable base to come back to. Browse our Benidorm holiday rentals — booking direct with JV Properties saves you up to 18% compared to Airbnb or Booking.com, and you'll have someone who actually knows this area on the end of the phone.
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1. Altea — The White Village, 20 Minutes North
Altea is Benidorm's polar opposite and that's exactly why you need to go. Drive or take the TRAM (€2.85 each way from Benidorm station) and within 20 minutes you're in a completely different world. The cobbled old town sits on a hilltop above the bay, all whitewashed houses and blue-domed church, with panoramic views over the Mediterranean.
I always head straight up to the Plaça de l'Església — the main square in front of the church — and grab a coffee at one of the terrace cafés. The artisan shops along Calle Mayor are genuinely good: ceramics, leather, local gin. For lunch, La Costera or La Capella are both excellent, with terraces overlooking the sea.
Practical tip: Altea's old town is entirely on foot. Park at the lower seafront car park (free in June if you arrive before 10am) and walk up. Allow half a day minimum.
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2. Guadalest — Mountain Village & Reservoir, 25 Minutes Inland
Guadalest is the most visited inland village in Spain and I'll be honest — it shows in July and August. But go in June on a weekday and it's genuinely magical. The village is perched on an impossible rocky pinnacle above a turquoise reservoir, accessible only through a tunnel carved into the mountain.
The Castillo de San José at the top gives you views that stretch all the way to the sea on a clear day. There's a small museum of miniatures inside (quirky but worth it), and the village has decent tapas bars where you'll find proper homemade almond cake — almendrados — made from the local almonds grown in the valley below.
Practical tip: Drive — there's no direct public transport. The AP-70 toll road makes it very quick (€1.90 toll). Go early: the car parks fill up by midday in June.
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3. Calpe & the Peñón de Ifach, 35 Minutes North
Calpe's giant rock — the Peñón de Ifach — is one of the most recognisable landmarks on the entire Costa Blanca. At 332 metres, it's technically a Natural Park and you can hike to the summit in about 45 minutes from the base. Take water, decent shoes, and go before 9am in June because the upper section has no shade whatsoever.
Afterwards, Calpe's Playa de la Fossa is one of the prettiest beaches on this stretch of coast — long, sandy, calm water. For lunch, the Hafen (port) area has the best fish restaurants; Los Zapatos and La Sirena are two I return to regularly.
Practical tip: Calpe is worth comparing with Benidorm if you're planning a longer stay on the Costa Blanca — very different atmosphere.
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4. Alicante City — 60 Minutes South
Alicante is a proper Spanish city and it's drastically underrated as a day trip. The ALSA bus from Benidorm bus station runs regularly (about €5 each way, 75 minutes) or drive the AP-7 (roughly €6 in tolls).
The Castillo de Santa Bárbara is the anchor — a huge Moorish-era fortress sitting above the city with free entry and genuinely spectacular views. Take the lift from Postiguet beach (€2.90 return) rather than walking up in the heat. The Explanada de España — the famous palm-lined promenade — is where you want to spend the late afternoon, ideally with a horchata from one of the terrace bars.
For lunch, skip the tourist traps and head to the Mercado Central on Avenida Alfonso el Sabio — fresh produce, great tapas bars, local life. I've had some of my best meals in Alicante at Casa Julio just off the market.
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5. Penyal d'Ifac Natural Park & Moraira, 45 Minutes North
Moraira is where expats who can afford it tend to end up, and spending a day here you quickly understand why. It's low-rise, elegant, genuinely beautiful — with a small fishing port, a 16th-century castle overlooking the harbour, and some of the clearest water on the Costa Blanca at Playa del Portet.
The Tuesday market in the village centre is worth timing your visit around if you can. Handmade goods, local honey, decent wine from nearby Jalón Valley vineyards.
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6. Jalón Valley Wine Route — 40 Minutes Inland
June is a wonderful time to explore the Jalón (Xaló) Valley — the vines are lush and green, the almond and cherry trees have done their thing, and the Saturday market in Jalón village is one of the best in the region. The local Muscatel wine is produced in a cooperative right in the village (Cooperativa de Altea y La Marina) — you can taste and buy direct, usually around €3–5 a bottle.
Combine with lunch in Jalón at Bar Moltó, a no-nonsense local place beloved by everyone from British expats to Spanish families on a Sunday drive.
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7. Villajoyosa (La Vila Joiosa) — 15 Minutes South
Villajoyosa is Benidorm's nearest neighbour and its most underrated. The colourful painted fishermen's houses along the seafront are genuinely photogenic — legend has it they were painted bright colours so fishermen could identify their homes from the sea. The Valor chocolate factory is here too, with a small museum and factory shop.
The Thursday market is lively and very local. Playa Centro — right in front of the old town — is a proper sandy beach without Benidorm's crowds. Allow half a day.
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8. Tabarca Island — Day Trip by Ferry
Tabarca is Spain's smallest inhabited island and one of the Costa Blanca's genuine treasures. The ferry departs from Santa Pola (50 minutes from Benidorm by car; about €20 return ferry crossing). In June the water is already warm enough for snorkelling — Tabarca is a Marine Reserve so the fish life is remarkable.
The island has two or three restaurants serving fresh fish and rice dishes — the arroz a banda (rice cooked in fish stock) is famous across Alicante province. Book a table in advance in June because the island gets busy on weekends.
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Getting Around: Practical Tips for Day Trips from Benidorm
- TRAM: The coastal tram runs north to Altea, Calpe and Denia — cheap, scenic, no parking stress
- ALSA buses: Good links to Alicante, Villajoyosa, Valencia
- Car hire: Opens up Guadalest, Jalón Valley, Moraira — expect €25–40/day in June. Book in advance
- Organised tours: Several companies in Benidorm offer guided day trips to Guadalest and Alicante — fine if you don't want to drive
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Whichever day trips you tackle, Benidorm makes a brilliant base — central, well-connected, and full of excellent self-catering apartments that make coming back to cook your own dinner (or raid the fridge) far more appealing than a hotel room. View our available properties and remember: booking direct with JV Properties means no platform fees, no hidden charges, and up to 18% off what you'd pay on Airbnb.
Browse all Benidorm holiday rentals and make the most of everything this corner of the Costa Blanca has to offer.
