Benidorm's accessible beaches served more than 18,500 people with reduced mobility in 2024

Benidorm's accessible beaches served more than 18,500 people with reduced mobility in 2024, a figure above the records of previous years and that places this service "as a reference service on our beaches in terms of quality and offer for users." This was conveyed by the councillor for the department, Mónica Gómez, who announced the activity balance of this service last year and recalled that the accessible beach points resumed their activity this Saturday after the month of intensive cleaning that the City Council carries out every year on the sand taking advantage of the period of less influx of people.

Mónica Gómez has recalled that Benidorm has three accessible beach points in operation: one in Levante, at the height of Murcia Street; and two others in Poniente in La Cala, in front of Mont Benidorm Avenue, and next to Elche Park. These three areas served 18,563 users last year. Elche Park area is the most active, with 9,811 users, followed by Levante – 6,531 users – and La Cala, with 2,221.

The data provided by the councillor indicate that “during the high season months, an average of more than 2,500 people passed through the accessible beach areas per month”, reaching peaks of up to 2,840 and 2,836 users during June and July and 2,628 in August. However, Mónica Gómez explained that “although there is a significant increase during the high season, the demand for users on the accessible beaches is constant and sustained throughout the year”. In fact, in January and February, when the lowest temperatures are usually recorded in Benidorm and where the service is reduced to 15 days per month, “more than 500 users were used”, while “November and December registered 1,035 and 994 users, respectively”.

The councillor pointed out that “this very high demand is a stimulus to improve the service”. For this reason, “the City Council is constantly investing to maintain our offer of accessible beaches at the highest level”. Thus, from January 15 to February 15, “numerous painting and maintenance works have been carried out at the three points,” explained the head of Beaches, who also recalled that last July Benidorm incorporated a crane into the accessible beaches of Levante to facilitate the transfer of users from a wheelchair to the amphibious chair with greater safety and that last September three new amphibious chairs were also acquired, one of them XXL and with a load capacity of up to 220 kilograms, with an investment of 18,165 euros.

Finally, Mónica Gómez recalled that “Benidorm was a pioneer more than two decades ago by incorporating this service to make our beaches a 100% inclusive space for everyone” and pointed out that this model of accessible beaches has been “for years a benchmark in terms of global accessibility, being awarded by numerous organizations and replicated in many other coastal municipalities.”