Nearly 28,000 people have used the accessible beaches, beach libraries and play centres of Benidorm during the high season

Nearly 28,000 people have used the services of accessible beaches, beach libraries and play centres on the sand in Benidorm during the high season, according to figures provided today by the councilor for the area, Mónica Gómez. A high season that “due to the practically summer temperatures of recent weeks has been extended until the Puente de la Hispanidad, which we enjoyed this week. In fact, every day our beaches are showing an image very similar to the one they exhibited during the month of June.” 

More than a third of users are concentrated in the accessible beach service, “in which Benidorm was a pioneer in the year 2000, which has three different points operating throughout the year and which makes bathing easier for people with disabilities. functional or mobility problems.

Gómez stressed that “it is a service with demand throughout the year, with staffing adapting to the influx at all times.” Thus, during the months of July and August each point has been attended by three lifeguards, while since September there have been two people in charge of managing each of the accessible beach facilities. 

Specifically, from June to September, 9,475 people have passed through the accessible beach points, a figure to which are added the 598 who have used these facilities from October 8 to 15, taking advantage of the two long weekends this month, the Day of the Valencian Community and Hispanic Heritage. In this way, during that period there have been close to 11,000 users. 

As usual, the busiest and most popular point of accessible beaches is the one located near Elche Park, which has brought together half of the users of the service -5,565-; followed by the one located in Levante –very close to the intersection with Avenida de Europa and with 3,293 people-, and La Cala -1,215-.

The person in charge of Beaches recalled that "the accessible beach points, like the rest of the services and facilities on our beaches, are permanently audited by external organisations that certify their quality." In fact, the Parque de Elche and Levante points have the Universal Accessibility certificate UNE 170001-1 and UNE 170001-2. In summer, each point is attended by three workers from the beach concession company, RA Benidorm. 

Also very significant are the data on users of the biblioplayas, "another of the services in which Benidorm was ahead of the vast majority of tourist destinations." In total, in the months of July, August and September, 16,351 users have passed through the biblioplayas.

The one on Levante, located at the intersection of Madrid and Europa avenues, is the one that attracts the most people: 7,681 people during the summer. Poniente, for its part, added 5,781 users and La Cala 2,889.

Gómez explained that "in addition to books from the municipal bibliographic funds in different languages, these biblioplayas, in which Benidorm was once again a pioneer, also offer daily regional, national and even international press service, as well as publications and magazines on different topics, also functioning as a meeting point for lovers of reading on the same sand.” 

Another meeting point, in this case for the little ones, are the play libraries, which are located next to the Levante library beach, in front of Paseo de Colón and next to the Delfín hotel. A total of 1,382 minors have passed through these spaces, operational during the high season, during the months of June - in the case of Elche Park -, July and August. 

The councilor highlighted that "all these services, which have been provided for decades, contribute to improving the experience of users of our beaches, which have permanent activity and are one of the few that maintain rescue and lifeguard services during 12 months of the year, adapting at all times the staffing to the needs of the service and their occupation.” 

Thus, at this time and once the months of maximum attendance on the beaches have passed, this device is made up of 25 personnel: five lifeguards in Levante, five in Poniente and one in Mal Pas; six on accessible beaches –two for each operational point-, two beach managers, a skipper and a lifeguard on a boat, two health care points and two ambulances. 

Regarding the water temperature, the analyzes carried out weekly from the Municipal Laboratory show an average of 25.32 degrees during the first days of October, a value somewhat higher than that recorded throughout the month of June. which was 23.57º. However, the maximum water temperature has been practically identical: 25.60º in June and 25.50º at the start of October. 

Gómez has indicated that "the sunny days combined with the good temperatures, both ambient and sea water, have attracted many users to the beaches not only during the high season but also in these first stages of the month of October."