Creu de Benidorm (Sierra Helada cross)

Creu de Benidorm is a large cross at the southern end of the Sierra Helada (Serra Gelada) range, about 200 m above Benidorm's Rincón de Loix district. The small square at its foot looks out over the whole bay — both beaches, the skyline and Benidorm Island.

Creu de Benidorm (Cruz de Benidorm in Spanish) is a cross standing about 200 m up at the southern edge of the Serra Gelada Natural Park, above the Rincón de Loix district and Levante beach. The first cross, made from the wooden beams of electricity poles, was put up at the turn of 1961 and 1962, during the town's first tourist boom; in 1962 a procession was organised to carry it up on people's shoulders. This was the time when mayor Pedro Zaragoza was fighting for permission to allow bikinis on Benidorm's beaches, which the Bishop of Orihuela-Alicante opposed. According to local accounts, the cross was meant to remind visitors that God was watching them. The original cross was destroyed by a storm in 1975 and replaced with one made from railway materials. The small square at its foot has a few benches and tables, and the view takes in Levante and Poniente beaches, the high-rise skyline and Benidorm Island. On clear days you can also make out the peaks of Puig Campana and Ponoig, and even Alicante with Santa Bárbara Castle. The 16th-century Torre d'Aguiló watchtower can also be seen on the coast. The waymarked route (white and yellow markers) from the tourist information point in Rincón de Loix is about 5 km there and back with roughly 237 m of ascent. Most of it is on tarmac, and the last stretch is an earth path with steps that is not suitable for pushchairs. According to a local guide, driving up is now restricted to residents, so it is better to leave the car lower down, for example on Avenida del Mediterráneo. There are no shops, water or toilets at the top, so reviewers recommend bringing water and snacks. Visitors describe the road as steep, and mornings or early evenings are the best time to walk up. Many visitors come up for the sunset or after dark to see the city lights. The cross is also the end point of the Serra Gelada traverse from the l'Albir lighthouse, a fairly demanding route that often runs along the edge of the cliffs.