Christmas Village in Benidorm comes up every December to mark the Christmas celebrations. Where the magic comes to life and the cold air adds to the atmosphere, it’s a slice of Christmas tucked away ready for locals and tourists alike to enjoy and truly grab Christmas with both hands.

You might not think of Benidorm as being a Winter Wonderland, because after all, how can a place that gives the impression of summer all-year round be able to host its own Winter Wonderland. With blue skies and a burning day-time sun, it’s far from the traditional Christmas feel.

Though, once the sun dips, Benidorm feels the chill of the air and Christmas starts to come around. From the 6th of December until the 9th of January, a Christmas tree stands proud with its twinkling lights, lighting up the Town Hall square. The Christmas market comes to life and the sound of Christmas music fills the air. Christmas comes back to life once more.

The little ones will be kept amused by the old-fashioned carousel and mini-fair, whilst the teens and adults can skate around on the artificial ice-rink. There might not be snow softly falling, but there will be a very Christmassy atmosphere, which gives a contrast to the afternoon lazying around the pool. Who says you can’t have the best of both worlds?

The ice-skating rink is open in the mornings until 14:00 before it closes for a little siesta. It comes back into service again from 17:00 until long after dark. The ice-skating is a beautiful place to go during the hours of darkness, skating under the stars with the twinkling of the Christmas lights from the tree. Skating boots are available to hire and included in the price, but you must wear gloves to be allowed on the rink. They are also available to buy for around 1€ if you don’t have any with you! You will need to have your legs covered too, either trousers, leggings or tights.

Now, I’m not promising it will be anything on par with Rockefeller New York or even The National History Museum at London, but if you’re in Benidorm for Christmas, it’s a great place to go and enjoy a laugh and get into the Christmas Spirit. After all, who doesn’t like skating around hand-in-hand, falling over a few times whilst the local pro skater glides gracefully past you, backwards on one leg? I guess I won’t be on Dancing on Ice anytime soon…

You’ll also find a small, but equally as lovely, Christmas market. It might not match up to the likes of Berlin and Birmingham, but you’ll still be able to find a novelty gift or a Christmas delight, roasted chestnuts. Nothing smells more like Christmas than the smell of chestnuts roasting on an open fire. You’ll also find German hot dog stands and mulled wine bars.

Christmas Village doesn’t just stop there though, inside the Town Hall, you’ll find the beautiful traditional nativity scene which will have you marvelling at it for longer than you’ll anticipate.

If you’re lacking in Christmas spirit whilst you’re in Benidorm, that will soon be whooshed away when you’re dancing to the Christmas songs and skating around the rink whilst waving at the huge inflatable Santa and Snowman whilst hearing the squeals of excitement from the children. Christmas is a feeling and here you’re sure to feel it.

The Town Hall is located at the end of Avenida Mediterraneo, under the bridge near the Pet Shop in the Old Town.

Feliz Navidad,