Spanish city comes up trumps for Jim Gallagher who lapped up the luxury...

There have been numerous anti-tourist demonstrations in Spain in the last couple of years but one place you will not find them is Benidorm.

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The ever-popular sunspot relies almost entirely on visitors and is as welcoming today as it has ever been.

Benidorm, often thought of as a party town, was the very first resort many Irish holidaymakers went to when foreign travel began to take hold in the 70s and 80s.

For regulars, it is still very much a party destination with countless bars and restaurants along the 2km Levante beach, packed day and night.

But for those seeking quieter times, the less crowded and more sedate 3km Playa de Poniente is where many Spanish tourists go and is lined with some excellent seafood restaurants.

Dividing the two is the lovely Old Town with its cobbled streets and tiny laneways packed with al fresco dining.

No trip to Benidorm would be complete without at least one meal in the bustling Tapas Alley.

"There is a Benidorm for everyone," says local tourist official Sergio Frau. "It is a place for every type of tourist to come together and enjoy life."

Stroll along the impressive promenade at sunset and you will find people of all ages and nationalities mixing together, many dressed in all their finery.

The town is unique in the way it treats people with accessibility problems.

There are three sections of beach, manned by staff, where wheelchair users and people with disabilities can get into the sea with the use of ramps, amphibious chairs and adapted changing rooms.

And you are unlikely to find a town with more mobility scooters which are often hired by able-bodied people just to cover the five kilometres of beach.

The promenade and pedestrian town centre are all flat with no curbs.