There’s no denying that some people come to Benidorm to follow in the footsteps of those before them. Maybe it’s to follow Wayne Rooney, Joan Collins and Iker Casillas to Thai Asia Gardens in Finestrat, maybe it’s to follow Penelope Cruz to Altea, maybe it’s to track down Ricky Tomlinson, remember the guy from The Royle Family?  But, most commonly, it’s to see the sights of the Benidorm TV Series and seek out Mateo, Madge and the rest of the Garvey family.

If there’s one question I get asked a million times by strangers in the street and online it’s “Where is the Hotel Solana?”. Closely followed by “Where is Neptunes?”. So, I thought today would be a perfect time to share the different locations featured and where the series of Benidorm is set so you can track down and follow the footsteps of those before you!

Sol Pelicanos

The Sol Pelicanos is the hotel dubbed as The Solana in the Benidorm TV series. But, don’t be fooled, the Sol Pelicanos location was only the outside and the pool area. The reception that you see on TV is not that of the Sol Pelicanos.

You won’t find the blow and go set in Benidorm as these were filmed at a studio outside of Benidorm. You can, however, visit the pool bar made famous by Mateo and see the pool areas that are far more bustling than you see on TV. The grounds and the pool area of the Sol Pelicanos has lush greenery and inviting waters, made better that you can sit in the water sipping a cocktail or beer!

Acuarium II Apartments

The lesser known set of Benidorm, which took me some tracking down, is the bedrooms of the Benidorm TV Series. I must admit, this one took some fairly intense detective work. But, anyway, here it is!

The Acuarium II Apartments are next door to the Sol Pelicanos and they are the rooms that were used to film Benidorm. They are not the rooms that the cast stayed in whilst they were filming!

The Pink House

That iconic reception with the stairs leading upwards? Well, that’s shot in The Pink House located near The Benidorm Palace, next to Iceland. You can’t get in, but you might be able to sneak a look inside through a window, if you’re lucky.

In the very first series, you might remember that the reception was fairly different. This is because originally they filmed in the Ocas part of the Hotel Sol Pelicanos, however, it was interrupting guest experience and making the stay disruptive plus, it was difficult for film crew, so they moved to the Pink House to film reception scenes.

Morgan’s Tavern

If you want to sit in the nightclub that the Benidorm cast sat and watched all their shows and where a lot of the drama happened late at night, then you’ll need to head to Morgan’s Tavern, which was named Neptunes on the show. You won’t catch Asa belting out a tune, but you will come across a lot of other great acts!

Hotel Don Pancho

The Hotel Don Pancho was featured on one of the most recent episodes as a hotel to pick up less upper class clientele. However, in reality, the Hotel Don Pancho is a gorgeous hotel anchored in the centre of Benidorm providing an oasis escape from the craziness of the bustling centre. It’s surrounded by exotic plants and a relaxing atmosphere. It’s an adults only hotel. They also offer an afternoon tea which is pleasant and something different to do.

Algar Falls

You might remember a day trip on Benidorm, which according to Google was Series 3, episode 2. It’s the one where Mick and Janice have an argument and Brandy plays a prank on Martin so he ends up in the waterfalls without any clothes on. Well, the trip was to Algar Falls in Callosa which is a beautiful place to spend a day. You can take dogs off season and it’s a lovely place to take a picnic. The waters are bitterly cold but definitely welcomed in the summer heat.

The Benidorm Island

The Island was used as the setting for the wedding of Joyce and Monty. It’s the small island just before the horizon in the Mediterranean Sea. There are boat trips that will take you to the island departing everyday from Benidorm Old Town and Rincon de Loix. There are fabulous views from the top of the island back towards Benidorm and a small bar/restaurant onsite.

Other notable locations:

Other locations that were filmed for the Benidorm TV series include Aqualandia, Benidorm Palace, Levante Beach, Hotel Madeira Centro and Altea to name a few.

Hasta luego,

Thank you to Gohar for the photo of me in the Sol Pelicanos and outside Morgan’s.

Pinterest: