As in any touristic city in the world, muggings may take place in Benidorm, so it is important to be warned and be aware of the different tools the holidaymaker has in hand to avoid muggings or proceed accordingly if they experience one.

Most tourists have been coming to Benidorm for decades and have never been mugged. It is not actually a dangerous city but, just in case, as in Medplaya and, in Benidorm in general terms, we care for our customers’ welfare and we would like you to take into consideration a few recommendations:

1. Stay alert. Muggers aim at easy targets, such as people who are distracted, lost or under the effects of drugs/alcohol. If they notice you are aware of their presence, they won’t even approach to you.
2. Do not carry your purse/money in your pockets (especially back pockets).
3. One of the moments in which the tourist is most vulnerable is on arrival at the resort. When picking up cases from the coach and taking them to the hotel, you are exposed, as you have little maneuverability and you are carrying all your money on. That is when pickpockets might try to distract you or ‘accidentally’ bump into you. Keep focused on your belongings and on getting to your hotel and everything will be all right. It’s been long since last time I heard of this, but it is good to take it into account.
4. Don’t leave your bags wandering around. It may sound obvious, but whilst on holiday we might forget to look after our belongings and even leave them somewhere unwatched and in sight of possible pickpockets.
5. Always have your bags zipped, wear them across your body and, preferably on the front.
6. And these are my own pieces of advice for Benidorm: Never buy anything in a shop of electrical appliances and cameras managed by people from Middle East who invite us to come in. These stores are well-known in the area for charging products twice on customers’ cards and similar irregular procedures.
7. Be especially careful in the outdoor markets, and do not play any peamen games, even if you see people winning, as it is a scam.

Once you know this and take these easy and logical precautions, you will probably not have any problem and will fully enjoy your holiday!

And for those who unluckily have to experience a mugging, Benidorm has recently launched a new free service for its holidaymakers: the Foreign Tourist Assistance Services (SATE). It is a brand new service offered by the City Council and Hosbec, the local Hotels Association, providing personalized assistance to tourists who have suffered a criminal offence or any other similar incident (like lost property, missing passports, etc). The staff in charge include a police officer and translators who will help you to:

• Report a crime

• Cancel credit cards and other official documents

• Get in touch with embassies and consulates

• Get in touch with family members/locate them

• Report lost property

• Psychological assistance when necessary

• Tourist information

Benidorm thus joins Madrid (2006) and Malaga (2012) in offering this service at full capacity which will contribute to improving the quality of care of the two million foreign tourists who visit Benidorm each year.

It is located at the end of the Levante Beach, next to the Old Town, inside the Tourist Information Office, and it is open from 9am to 9pm from Mondays to Fridays, and from 10am to 2pm during the weekends.

Contact details:

Centro Municipal Torrejó. Plaza de canalejas, 1.

Tel.: (remember to dial Spain’s prefix first if calling from a foreign phone: 0034) 966 812 334 / 966 809 870

Email: benidorm.sate@policia.es
For assistance or enquiries for the Medplaya Hotels, please email us to Benidorm@medplaya.com
We will be happy to help you!

Now relax and enjoy your holiday…