Brits jetting off to Benidorm for some Spanish sun have been hit with a stark warning as the EU holiday favourite is now branded a “narco hotspot”. Despite being a magnet for around 600,000 UK sunseekers from January to August, Benidorm’s darker side has emerged with Alicante police nabbing a record number of drug peddlers.
The resort topped the charts for drug trafficking arrests in the first half of 2024, outstripping Alicante and Torrevieja, according to stats from Spain’s Interior Ministry focusing on locales with over 20,000 inhabitants. Not only that, but Benidorm also notched up the most home burglaries, while Torrevieja had the dubious honour of the highest crime rate per capita in the province.
(Image: Nigel Pope)
When it comes to narcotics busts, Alicante’s municipalities are streets ahead, with over 40 times more cases than towns of similar size across Spain. Drug-related arrests in Alicante province saw a 2.4% year-on-year increase, but Benidorm’s figures skyrocketed by 23.4% in the first six months of 2024.
With an offending rate of 1.3 crimes per 1,000 people, Benidorm’s stats may seem modest compared to Alicante’s 172 narcotic offences, yet its ratio stands higher at one offence per 1,000 residents, with Torrevieja trailing at 0.47 per 1,000.
Recently, several Spanish tourist hotspots – including Barcelona, Malaga, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands – have witnessed local protests against the influx of tourists. The locals are frustrated as they don’t see much profit from the increased footfall, reports Birmingham Live.
Villajoyosa, Alcoy, and Calpe recorded the lowest crime rates. British tourists makeup the largest market for the seaside resort of Benidorm, with over 832,000 Brits visiting the famous Costa Blanca region in 2023 alone.
According to one resident, the people of Benidorm are more than happy to welcome tourists.
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