Now we’re on our 7th bit of advent, you’re probably wondering what you’re going to do when you spend your Christmas holidays on the Costa Blanca. It’s true that a white Christmas will be not only a miracle but also probably not what you’re actually after, but you will get a Christmas with blue skies and white stretches of sandy beaches – as long as this rain clears up!

This is why I’ve been searching every inch of the internet and reading every little advertisement on a lamppost for the past couple of weeks to try and find the best activities and things to do over the Christmas period in Benidorm, Alicante, and Finestrat.

Christmas is a super magical time on the Costa Blanca and although it’s not as cold as Britain, it’s still rather cold at night.  So without further ado, let’s get planning your Christmas 2019!

What to do in Benidorm at Christmas

I thought I’d start with the most popular and the most likely to be of interest, and that, of course, is the sunny beach resort of Benidorm. If you’re a Christmas veteran to Benidorm, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Town Hall will be celebrating, as they do every year. There are also an abundance of music festivals, theatre and other bits and pieces going on.

Music:

• Concert in Honour of Saint Cecilia. S.M. La Nova. Saturday 14/12/19 18:30 Hotel Bali
• Concert Juvenil Band and Orchestra de Cuerda. Unión Musical. Saturday 14/12/19 20:30 Room of actos. Town Hall
• Concert in Honour of Saint Cecilia. L´Illa Musical Society. Sunday 15/12/19 12:00 Room de actos. Town Hall
• Beneficiary charity supporting AFEM. Camerata Ars Cántica. Sunday 15/12/19 18:00 Chapel de Sanz
• Concert in Honour of Santa Cecilia. Symphony Band. Sunday 21/12/19 19:30 Glass Palace Hotel Bali.
• VII International Organ Festival. Josep Vicent Giner and Coral Group. Saturday 21/12/19 20:30 Church of San Jaime
• Musical Society Christmas Concert Saturday 21/12/19 20:30 La Nova Church de Ntra. Sra. de la Almudena
• Christmas Concert. Camerata Ars Cántica Sunday 22/12/19 11:45 Iglesia del Buen Pastor.

Christmas Theatre:

• Tachán. Magia Kekoperfil. Saga Productions Saturday 14/12/19 18:30 Plaza SS. Los Reyes de España. (Town Hall)
• Geronimo Stilton. Enigma in the Prado. Saga Producciones. Saturday 21/12/19 18:30 Plaza SS. Los Reyes de España. (Town Hall)
• Chef Natura. Markeliñe. Saturday 28/12/19 18:30 Plaza SS. Los Reyes de España. (Town Hall)
• Puppets, storytelling, and workshops. Cooler than an Eight. 21,22,26,27,28 y 29/12/19 17:30 Hort de Colón (History museum on Calle de Tomás Ortuño)

Exhibitions:

• 11th Annual Contest of Christmas Postcards Students of Benidorm Schools. 13/12/19–07/01/19 Espai d´art. Ayuntamiento (Town Hall)

Gala Dinners:

Showboat Benidorm: Whether you go for the Christmas Gala menu, the New Year’s Eve Menu or just a regular meal, you’re guaranteed to enjoy it! Great value, wonderful service, and tasty food, every time! (And we go nearly every Sunday!).

Hotels: Many hotels will be offering Gala menus on Christmas Day, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. It’s worth checking with your hotel before trying to find one as the best ones are usually held by the hotels! Please note, they are usually an extra, even if you booked half/full-board and all-inclusive due to the nature of the food.

Benidorm Palace: For a night filled with glitz and glam, a night at the cabaret is one that you won’t forget! Definitely upgrade to the dinner and show to really feel like you’re living the cabaret scene. They do amazing, extravagant gala menus which is sure to be unforgettable for all the family. This year, the boxing day performance is ABBA direct from London’s West End.

Activities

Ice Skating: The Ice Rink is inaugurated at the Town Hall every year and it’s one activity that I really look forward to. The Ice Rink is open from 30th November until 6th January 2020. The rink is open in the mornings until 2pm and then again from 5pm until late. It’s quiet in the mornings, however, the nighttime is my favourite time of day there. You’ll see the glistening lights of the Christmas trees and the lights over Benidorm. Skate Hire is included in the price, but you’ll be required to wear long trousers, leggings or tights AND gloves, otherwise, you’ll be denied access.

Nativity Scene: A favourite amongst many is the Nativity Scene that you can visit at Casa- Museo Hort de Colón (the museum), from December 6th 2019 until January 6th 2020.

Hogueras: Just like the Summer Solstice in June, many will light bonfires again on Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. On December 21st, many will be jumping over fires that are said to protect themselves from illness in 2020.

Benidorm Christmas Run: December 29th, 2019. The 10th San Silvestre Christmas Run will take place from 10:00am.

Bars and Restaurants: Bars and Restaurants will have their own small get-togethers and many will remain open for the entire Christmas period before closing late January. Usually, there will be little celebrations like live music, Karaoke, fancy dress and more.

Day Trips

Guadalest: Guadalest looks absolutely beautiful over Christmas. The streets will be adorned with wreaths and Christmas Trees and all of the quaint shops will have little fairy lights twinkling. It is a beautiful place any time of the year.

Alcoy: Known as Christmas Town, if there’s anywhere that you ought to head to over Christmas, it’s here. They’ll have a huge Christmas Tree in the centre and it’s the first place in Spain to ever have the King’s Day Parade. It was absolutely spectacular last year and the firework show was unbelievable. It’s also really cool to see the people dressed up climbing the ladders to give the children their presents. (They climb up ladders into apartment blocks!).

What to do in Finestrat at Christmas

Finestrat and La Cala de Finestrat are much quieter than Benidorm so if you’re staying in either of these, you’ll be better off travelling either into Alicante or into Benidorm (direct bus takes around 25 minutes). Though, if you are in Finestrat on 14th or 15th of December 2019 then you should head up to the VERY FIRST Christmas Market in Finestrat. There will be Food and Craft stalls, entertainment for all ages, visits to Santa’s Grotto and many more surprises.

The Christmas Market will be in Carrer Nou of the Historic Center of Finestrat on December 14 and 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Merry Christmas,

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