Benissa Explained

Benissa
Settlement Type:Municipality
Pushpin Map:Spain Province of Alicante#Spain Valencia#Spain
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Province of Alicante##Location in the Valencian Community##Location in Spain
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Spain
Subdivision Type1:Autonomous community
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Alicante
Subdivision Type3:Comarca
Subdivision Name3:Marina Alta
Subdivision Type4:Judicial district
Coordinates:38.715°N 0.05°W
Elevation M:254
Area Total Km2:69.71
Population Demonym:Benissenc, benissenca
Population Density Km2:auto
Blank Name Sec1:Official language(s)
Blank Info Sec1:Valencian
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:03720
Area Code Type:Dialing code
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Arturo Poquet (2019)
Leader Party:PP

Benissa (pronounced as /beˈnisa/, Spanish; Castilian: Benisa) is a small town in Spain in the province of Alicante, 275 m above sea level, and one of the oldest towns on the Costa Blanca.

The municipality of Benissa has 4 km of coastline linking the towns of Moraira and Calp. The scenery of the area includes cliff tops, rocky coves, sandy beaches and tiny bays along the Benissa Costa. The territory of Benissa also contains terraced vineyards, mountains and palm trees. Spanish village houses, with doorsteps directly onto the street, internal courtyards and deceptively spacious inside. Old finques (a farm or country estate) sit on large plots amongst vineyards with panoramic views to the sea.

Nearby towns along the Costa Blanca are La Fustera, Cala dels Pinets, Cala de La Llobella, Cala l'Advocat, Baladrar and Cap Blanc before reaching Moraira.

History

The toponym of Benissa comes from the Arabic tribal name Beni-Hisa or Beni-Eyce (sons of Christ). After the Christian reconquest (1248) by the troops of James II of Aragon, the town was settled by people from the Pyrenees, Catalonia and Aragon along with the former inhabitants, although the majority of the population remained Muslim for centuries. The last Muslim citizens were expelled in 1609.

Benissa, together with Altea, Calp and Teulada, formed a lordship, whose rulers included the Sicilian admiral Roger of Lauria. In the 15th and 16th centuries it suffered numerous attacks by African pirates.

Main sights

The medieval town centre has been largely preserved with its town square, narrow streets, churches. Ironwork balconies and heraldic shields decorate the historic buildings. The Palace of Torres-Orduña is open to the public as a cultural centre and library. Benissa also has a strong Catholic tradition with a Franciscan seminary that has educated many Franciscans followers throughout Spain and a large Neo-Gothic church, the "Catedral de la Marina".

Transportation

Travel to Benissa is easily made from Alicante or Valencia, through the highway A-7 or the N332. The closest airport is the Alicante airport, located 70 km to the south-west. The closest RENFE (Spanish mainline) railway station is in Alicante. There is an Alicante TRAM station in Benissa, connected to the network via Benidorm, though the service between Teulada and Dénia has been suspended since 2016, due to a line upgrade and is currently replaced by buses.

Events

External links