Benidorm unveiled: the original beach holiday and the changing dream

In a new book documenting the resort, Rob Ball, Reader in Photography at Canterbury Christ Church University, reveals a more complex story of the Spanish seaside town, and how it has changed from its conception in the 1950s.

Rob’s photography captures the striking contrast between Benidorm’s lively beach culture and the towering urban landscape that encircles it. Celebrating the energy and colours of this iconic destination, from sunlit palm trees to neon lights, and the gritty greys and browns of backstreets to the fiery reds and pinks of sunburn.

For over a year, Rob explored Benidorm with an open mind, aware that it actually hosts more Spanish than English visitors. He said: “I was curious about what remained of the ‘Pan-European Holiday Utopia’ envisioned at its inception. Benidorm's reputation often precedes it, symbolizing (and drawing criticism for) mass tourism. Yet, nestled between the Puig Campana mountain and the Mediterranean Sea, the resort is full of the warmth of people enjoying themselves: the beach alive with tenderness and diversity, the bars with laughter and Sky Sports.

“Photography for me is a solo pursuit, a way to quietly distil the madness of life and crowds into a coherence. The pictures here contain bar names I’d seen before on my travels along the UK coastline; signs outside advertise tribute acts performing versions of Adele, Dua Lipa and Tom Jones. The ‘strip’ in Benidorm is confined and is what it is: the ultimate inauthentic experience, but it’s undertaken knowingly and with good humour. Walk one street back, and you’ll find a Spanish town underneath the high-rises built during that accelerated, unruly period of development under Franco.”

Rob continues to explain how the significance of accessible travel, and the package holiday in particular, has led working and lower middle classes branching out from Butlins to an annual holiday abroad. He continued: “While travel is, of course, a privilege, it should not be exclusively for the privileged. It’s something to look forward to, a time to be with the people we love, to feel the sun on our faces. Cultural enrichment might not be top of everyone’s list, but it takes all sorts, and that’s okay. For many, next year’s trip is already in the calendar. Then, back to work on Monday with a healthy glow.”

Rob has been a photographer for over 20 years, capturing costal landscapes and exploring the rhythms and transformations of seaside resorts shaped by seasonal and generational shifts. From Margate to Coney Island, Blackpool to Benidorm, his work reflects how fractured communities and neglected infrastructure along the coastline adapt and endure, often despite limited investment. Capturing the built environment of these spaces, evoking a sense of nostalgia while highlighting an often-overlooked part of British culture.

Benidorm is Rob’s fifth book. It is published by Hoxton Mini Press.