Harry Poulton moved to Benidorm at the age of 18 after falling in love with the place after a lads’ holiday (Image: Jam Press/@harrytokky)
Drawing in approximately five million visitors each year, Benidorm stands as one of Spain’s most beloved holiday destinations. Harry Poulton first fell for the resort during a trip with friends at the age of 18, and now, at 24, he regards his decision to relocate there as the finest choice he’s ever made.
Yet life in Benidorm isn’t all golden sands and endless sunshine. The British expat is keen to offer a word of warning to tourists contemplating a visit to the popular coastal city. Speaking to his TikTok followers, Harry outlined the three areas he considers most dangerous in the nightlife hotspot, urging visitors to steer well clear of them.
Topping his list is the notorious ‘Yellow Brick Road,’ a bustling stretch packed with bars and restaurants that forms a central hub of local entertainment, encompassing streets such as Leanto Street, Ibiza Street, and Leerida Street.
Harry advised: “The Yellow Brick Road – this little public pathway […] leads all the way up to the Rio Park. Now, it has been known for a few things, mainly small thefts like pickpocketing. Generally, during the day, it’s absolutely fine. I’d recommend avoiding it at night.”
Coming in at number two is Pueblo Alley, situated near the Hotel Pueblo close to Levante Beach. The Brighton-based content creator cautioned: “This is one I definitely recommend avoiding, especially late at night, as you do get the pickpockets hanging around this area.”
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Harry went on to say: “You also get the odd lady of the night. There are plenty of other ways around.” Sitting at the top of the list as the number one location to avoid is ‘Mugger’s Alley’, according to Harry. He insists: “It is the most notorious – it’s the one we all know. Known for pickpocketing, ladies of the night, it’s just an area I would avoid.
“They’re even doing these new taxi scams. It’s crazy. Save yourself the hassle and cross the road.”
Further warning emerged via a public Facebook page called Benidorm Forever, where somebody wrote: “It’s located at the start of the strip opposite the Hotel Flash and runs behind the white ‘SATE’ building, near Morgan Tavern. It’s safe enough in the day but late at night you’ll likely get approached by ‘hugger muggers’ (individuals who will invade your space pretending to know you whilst swiping your valuables), prostitutes and robbers.”
Benidorm is a town on the Costa Blanca in Spain, northeast of Alicante in the province of Alicante in the Valencian Community, Spain. Once a small village for fishing, today it is for mass tourism with many tall hotels and appartment buildings. (Image: undefined via Getty Images)
They cautioned: “Men on their own are the main target so stay together and walk in front of the sate building, not behind it. Remember most crimes in Benidorm are non violent, it’s your phone and cash they’re after, so keep both out of site and if you do get robbed you need to visit the SATE office (opposite the hotel Flash) in office hours to make a police report.”
Despite flagging up the more dangerous areas, Harry remains enthusiastic about this popular sunshine destination. He maintains that many Britons hold a fundamentally distorted perception of the resort, rubbishing widespread assumptions about elaborate scams and sky-high bar prices as nothing more than fiction.
Since relocating from Brighton to Benidorm, Harry has also discovered that his day-to-day outgoings have fallen considerably, with monthly costs sitting somewhere between £500 and £1,000, bills included.
Harry declared: “If you live here, you get it. Benidorm is paradise – and anyone who says otherwise is lying.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
