Benidorm was a sleepy fishing village 50 years ago; today it stretches just over 3 mls along the coast from east to west and 1¼ mls inland from north to south at its widest point. The old town – with its blue-domed church, port, esplanade, white houses and narrow streets – struggles to retain any traces of character in a forest of tower blocks and unsightly, post-1950 developments. Away from the old town, the heaviest concentration of skyscraper hotels is at Rincon de Loix and a ¾-ml-wide strip behind the Playa de Levante. There is more to Benidorm than the popular idea of sun, British-style bars and restaurants, and its large expatriate community, but not very much. The appeal of its beaches, lively nightlife and almost year-round sunshine, though, is strong for a sizeable sector of the holiday market.