Benidorm’s pub scene lives in three main pockets: English Square in Rincón de Loix, the Levante seafront, and the Old Town between Levante and Poniente. Each has its own crowd, noise level and price point. Pick the wrong area and your “big night out” can feel like the wrong festival. Most pubs stay open until 3-4 a.m. with free entry, while public-drinking rules, beach restrictions and smoking bans catch plenty of first-timers.
If you want a wider view of how all this fits into the city as a whole, our Benidorm Travel Guide explains the bigger picture.
The Three Main Pub Areas:
English Square (Avenida Mallorca and nearby streets) is the classic Benidorm stereotype: tribute bands, karaoke, neon, and drinks that feel suspiciously underpriced. Pubs sit door to door, so you can bounce between three or four venues in a few minutes.
Pints usually sit at the cheaper end of Benidorm prices, with plenty of two-for-one deals and early happy hours. Expect wall-to-wall British and Irish crowds, stag and hen parties, and 80s–00s singalongs that haven’t left the UK high street in decades. Great for groups who want noise and familiarity; less ideal if you’re on a quiet couples’ break.
Levante Promenade: Sea views and slower pace
Along Levante Beach you get terrace bars facing the sea, a bit more space and slightly higher prices to match the location. Music is still part of the deal, but you’re more likely to hear acoustic sets and small bands than full-blast tribute shows.
This strip works well for early-evening drinks that blur into dinner. Couples and mixed-age groups dominate here. If you’re planning to eat as well as drink, our Best Places to Eat in Benidorm pinpoints the strongest restaurants along and behind the promenade.
Old Town: Tapas, craft beer and conversation
The Old Town, wedged between Levante and Poniente, swaps neon for cobbled streets and tapas counters. Here you’ll find small bars with decent Spanish wine, vermut on tap and a growing handful of craft-beer spots pouring Spanish microbrews and imports.
Music tends to stay at conversation level and closing times are earlier than English Square. It’s the best area if you like wandering from bar to bar with a plate of croquettes in one hand and a caña in the other, or if you want something that still feels Spanish rather than purpose-built for tourists.
Live Music, Sports and Karaoke
If you want tribute bands and karaoke, English Square is the centre of gravity. Most pubs rotate Queen, Abba, Beatles and rock tribute acts through the week. Shows usually start around 10–11 p.m., no ticket needed, but you’re expected to keep the drinks flowing.
Sports bars cluster in English Square and the Levante end of town. Premier League and big La Liga games pack out the terraces hours before kick-off, and major tournaments turn the whole area into an open-air fan zone. Booking or arriving early is a good idea if watching the match is the main point of your night.
In the Old Town, live music is lower key: small jazz sets, acoustic guitars, the odd original band playing to people who actually came to listen instead of just shouting over the PA.
Prices, Happy Hours and Not Getting Fleeced
You can still drink cheaply in Benidorm, but the exact price depends heavily on where you’re sitting:
- English Square: usually the lowest prices and the most aggressive happy hours.
- Levante seafront: you’re paying for the view; pints are noticeably more expensive.
- Old Town: traditional bars are reasonable; craft-beer spots cost more but offer better quality.
Happy hours are everywhere, but rarely advertised clearly. It’s worth asking what deals are running that night before you order a round.
If you’re on a budget, a simple pattern works well: start early in English Square while the drinks are cheapest, then slide down to the seafront or Old Town once the atmosphere matters more than the price per pint.
Getting Between Pub Areas
Benidorm is compact and mostly flat, which is a blessing at 2 a.m.:
- English Square and Levante seafront: around 5-10 minutes on foot.
- Levante and Old Town: 10-15 minutes along the promenade.
Most people walk, and the main routes stay busy and well lit until late. Still, usual city rules apply: keep an eye on your phone and wallet, and don’t wander off drunk down empty back streets.
Taxis are easy to find around closing time and fares between areas are usually modest. Late-night TRAM services are more relevant for people staying in nearby towns like Altea or heading back to Alicante rather than hopping between pubs inside Benidorm.
If you’re based outside the centre or want to mix nightlife with day trips, flexible car access helps. Carsharing platforms such as Rentiago let you pick up a vehicle for a few hours without committing to a week-long rental, then go back to walking and taxis at night.
For a full picture of how transport, beaches and nightlife tie together, see Benidorm Travel Guide
Rules You Should Actually Care About
A few local bylaws catch visitors out every year:
- No public drinking: technically you can’t legally drink in the street or on the beach outside licensed terraces. Fines can be steep if you’re unlucky.
- Beach crackdowns: late-night drinking on the sand isn’t the “harmless tradition” it used to be. Police patrols are common in summer.
- Smoking zones: parts of Levante and Poniente are smoke-free. Look for signs before you light up.
None of this is designed to ruin your holiday; it’s there so locals can live with the nightlife. Read the signs, use bins, and don’t treat the beach like a festival campsite and you’ll be fine.
Craft Beer and Alternatives to Neon
If the idea of all-inclusive lager doesn’t excite you, the Old Town and nearby Altea are your friends. Small taprooms pour Spanish IPAs, sours and Belgian styles, usually with staff who actually care what’s in the glass. Prices are higher than mainstream pubs, but still decent by northern European standards.
Some venues host low-key live music or tastings. It’s a different crowd: more chatty, less rowdy, more “one really good beer” than “ten of whatever’s cheapest”.
When the Pub Scene Is at Its Best
Benidorm doesn’t fully hibernate in winter, but the feel changes:
- July & August: Maximum noise, maximum crowds, maximum prices.
- May–June & September & October: Still lively, but easier to move, sit and hear your friends. For most people, these shoulder months are the sweet spot.
- Winter: Fewer venues open every night, more long-stay visitors and retirees, and a calmer, slightly older crowd.
Weekends are obviously busier than weekdays; Thursday is increasingly a mini-Friday in summer.
Matching Areas to Traveller Types
- Groups of friends: English Square for the main event, Levante or Old Town for warm-up or wind-down.
- Couples: seafront terraces or Old Town wine and craft-beer bars beat shouting over tribute bands.
- Solo travellers: karaoke and sports nights in English Square are the easiest places to meet people; Old Town works if you’re comfortable starting conversations.
- Budget travellers: follow the deals, avoid drinking all night on the seafront, and don’t feel obliged to join every round.
For food before or after a night out, use Best Places to Eat to avoid the worst tourist traps and find spots where the food is as memorable as the evening.
