An inland old town with a 35-metre neo-Gothic church nicknamed “the Cathedral of the Marina,” and its own quiet stretch of coves a few kilometres down the hill.
Benissa is an inland old town centred on the Church of the Puríssima Xiqueta — a 35-metre neo-Gothic church, built 1902–1929, so large relative to the town that it’s locally nicknamed “La Catedral de la Marina.” The town itself sits away from the coast, with its own beach area, Benissa Costa, a few kilometres downhill — a string of coves including Cala Advocat and Cala Baladrar. It’s about 50 minutes from Alicante airport, and there’s a TRAM light-rail stop in town connecting north along the coast.
Benissa’s old town began as a Muslim farming settlement run by the Banu-Isa clan — the town’s name likely comes from the Arabic “Beni-Hisa.” After the Christian reconquest in 1248, the town changed hands gradually; its last Muslim residents didn’t leave until 1609. What’s left is a genuinely old medieval centre: narrow streets, ironwork balconies, and the 16th-century Sala del Consell, once the town’s grain exchange and council hall. A small monument honours the “Riberer” — generations of Benissa residents who walked to the rice fields of La Ribera, near Valencia, for seasonal work.
Unlike most Costa Blanca towns, Benissa itself sits inland, surrounded by terraced vineyards rather than beachfront. Its coastal side, Benissa Costa, is a separate stretch a few kilometres downhill — cliffs and coves including Cala Advocat, Cala Baladrar, and La Fustera, quieter than the beaches of neighbouring Calpe or Moraira.
Warm enough for the coves at Benissa Costa, with the old town and Paseo Ecológico still comfortable for walking.
Peak heat inland — the old town’s narrow streets offer welcome shade, and the coves stay quieter than the bigger resort beaches nearby.
Sea stays warm at Benissa Costa, crowds ease off everywhere, and it’s a good month for the vineyards around town too.
Check out our Festivity Calendar for this year in Benissa — and stay up to date on everything happening in town.
View Benissa Calendar
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