Benicàssim

The beach season runs from June to September, and July and August are the busiest. Spring and autumn are mild and good for hiking. Winters are mild. The FIB music festival takes place in July.

• The Villas (Ruta de las Villas) are the Belle Époque villas of the late 19th century, built by wealthy families from Valencia and Madrid along the seafront.
• The Platja Heliópolis and Platja Torre de Sant Vicent are long sandy beaches, and the promenade runs between them.
• The Convento Carmelita del Desierto de las Palmas is a 17th-century monastery in the hills with a Carmelite community, in the nature park.
• The Monasterio Viejo and the nearby hermitages are in the hills.
• The Castell de Benicàssim and the Torre del Baró are old fortifications in the town.
• The Creu del Bartolo is a cross on a hill with views of the coast.
• Aquarama is a water park, and the Trenet is a tourist train.

• Walk or cycle the seafront past the villas.
• Spend a beach day and eat rice by the sea.
• Hike in the Desert de les Palmes to the viewpoints.
• Visit the monastery in the hills.

• Castellón de la Plana (about 15 km): the provincial capital.
• Peñíscola (about 60 km): a castle town on a peninsula.
• Desert de les Palmes Natural Park: hills with trails above the town.
• Valencia (about 80 km): a large city with the City of Arts and Sciences.

Other places nearby:

• Valencian coast: Castellón de la Plana, Peñíscola and Valencia.

• By air: Castellón airport is about 25 km away, and Valencia about 100 km.
• By train: Benicàssim station is on the Valencia-Barcelona line, with regional trains and some long-distance ones. Book on Renfe.
• By bus: Buses run from Castellón.
• By car: The AP-7 and N-340.

• On foot: The villas and beaches along the promenade are walkable and flat.
• Cycling: A bike path follows the coast, and the town is flat.
• Bus and taxi: For the hills and the monastery.

• Is a car worth it?: Useful for the hills, though the coast is easy without one.
• Parking: Paid parking near the beaches in summer.
• Roads: The AP-7 is a toll road, the N-340 is free.

The local food is Valencian: paella, arroz a banda, fideuà and local seafood. Look for the tombet and the sweet mistela wine of the area. The nearby orange groves give the Costa del Azahar (Orange Blossom Coast) its name.

Benicàssim is a safe resort. Use sun protection in summer. During the FIB festival, the town is crowded.

In the 19th century, wealthy families from Valencia and Madrid built summer villas on the coast, as the area was thought healthy. Carmelite monks founded the monastery in the hills in 1694.

In the 20th century, the town developed as a family beach resort, and the FIB festival began in 1995.

Quick practical facts for Spain at a glance: