The seaside town in Spain loved by Brits once banned bikinis and had no running water

Benidorm has been a tourist destination within Spain since 1925, but it was not until the 1950s that it became renowned as a summer destination.

Until then, bikinis had been banned and there was not even any running water in the sleepy town.

By the 18th-century, fishermen in Benidorm had become renowned and sought after across the country and beyond. However, by 1952, the fishing industry went into decline and played a major role in the moves to approve new development plans aimed at the tourism market.

Today it is known for its hotel industry, beaches, and skyscrapers and receives as many tourists from abroad as from Spain.

The young mayor, Pedro Zaragoza Orts (1950-67), saw the potential of the site for all tourists, not just the elite who were arriving to lie on one of Benidorm’s beaches. He is credited with helping create “Europe’s first mass tourist resort” and, according to Giles Tremlett, Benidorm is the birthplace of package tourism.

In 1952, Zaragoza issued a decree to allow women to wear the newest fashion of bikinis anywhere in the town. This caused a big scandal, especially in General Franco’s Spain. The decree caused outrage as it contradicted the conservative notions of the extremely powerful Catholic Church.

The Bishop of Orihuela threatened to put signs up around the town proclaiming “El Infierno” - “Hell” and there were also threats to excommunicate Zaragoza. At this time, many women were still dressed in black from head to toe, while “their northern European counterparts were lying on the sand in revealing swimwear,” said BBC Sounds.

Only with the intervention of General Franco did the bishops and the church back off. According to Giles Tremlett in his book “Ghosts of Spain”, Zaragoza rode his Vespa scooter all the way to Madrid, about a nine hour journey, to see Franco himself. Eight days later, Franco’s wife, Carmen Polo came to Benidorm and visited regularly for years afterwards, wrote View from La Vila.

On top of this, another key aim of Zaragoza was to bring running water to the town. Up until this point, Benidorm was still bringing supplies in by mule, according to BBC Sounds. Many people were sceptical of using pipes from a spring: “my plan sounded like madness,” Zaragoza once said. “I remember how happy I was when we got the water to Benidorm. People didn’t believe it would happen.

“But then the first drops came out of one of the fountains and people began to believe in me. I remember we unveiled a plaque saying ‘You live from your dreams’, and it’s still there today.”

Zaragoza encouraged the building of high-rises in Benidorm as he felt it helped more people to see the beaches and feel the sea air. The mayor termed this as “urban concentration”, as opposed to the popular “urban sprawl" at the time.

The city plan ensured, via a complex construction formula, that every building would have an area of leisure land. This guaranteed a future free of cramped construction seen in other areas of Spain. Today, Benidorm is the only city which still adheres to the rule.

"If you build low, you occupy all the space and have a long walk to the beach. If you build high, you can face the sea, and leave room for gardens, pools and tennis courts," Zaragoza explained in an interview with the Independent.

In 2008, at the time of Zaragoza’s death, the destination was home to 330 skyscrapers and attracted over five million visitors a year. On his death, the town observed two days of official mourning for him.

The destination has become particularly popular with the British. This is due to the combination of Spanish sun and home comforts. For example, there are a staggering 40 British pubs and restaurants in Benidorm, serving dishes including fish and chips.

Today, Benidorm welcomes millions of tourists every year, including from Spain, the UK and Germany as well as Ireland, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Its popularity can be attributed to the package holiday explosion, and continues year round, due to the night-life based around the central concentration of bars and clubs.

Today, visitors to Benidorm describe it on Tripadvisor as “Clean and not overly crowded,” with “fantastic scenery”, just as Zaragoza envisioned over 70 years ago.