Is Benidorm safe? Crime figures compared
Latest: January to June 2026
| Type | Jan–Jun 2025 | Jan–Jun 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| All offences | 2541 | 2932 | +15% |
| Theft without force (incl. pickpocketing) | 815 | 920 | +13% |
| Robbery with violence or threats | 53 | 87 | +64% |
| Break-ins at homes | 31 | 30 | -3% |
| Assault causing injury and brawls | 55 | 42 | -24% |
| Online fraud | 380 | 404 | +6% |
Source: Ministerio del Interior, Balance de Criminalidad, second quarter 2026, municipality of Benidorm. Checked 14 Oct 2026. Spanish figures count offences known to police, including online crime; UK figures use different rules. Benidorm's resident population is about 77,000, but its hotels alone held about 1.36 million overnight stays in August 2026, so per-resident rates overstate the risk to a visitor.
Updated 14 October 2026 with the latest official figures: Spain to December 2025 and March 2026, England and Wales to March 2026.
"Twenty years I've lived here, love, and I'll tell you straight: Benidorm isn't dangerous, but it's busy, and busy is where thieves work. Nobody's after you. They're after the phone on the table and the bag on the back of the chair."
"There was a fella this summer doing the breakfast buffets, fifteen times before they caught him. So bag on your lap, phone in your front pocket, and cover your PIN. A lad lost sixteen grand last year because someone watched him type it."
"If it does happen, don't sit in your room fretting. Go to the SATE office at the top of Calle Gerona. They're police, they've got English speakers, and they'll do your report, your cards and the consulate in one go."
Brenda is our AI guide. Her advice comes from the police figures and reports on this page.
Benidorm against the UK and other resorts
Crimes recorded per 1,000 residents. Spanish places: 2025, Interior Ministry (online fraud excluded). UK places: year to March 2026, ONS (fraud excluded).
BenidormSpainEngland and Wales
Read with care. Spain and the UK count crime differently, so the comparison is a guide, not a ranking. Both use residents only, so busy resorts and city centres look worse than they are: visitors can be victims but are not counted in the population. Westminster (London) is left off the chart because its tiny resident population puts it at 355.5 per 1,000.
Spanish resorts and cities in detail
| Place | Residents | Crimes per 1,000 residents | Per 1,000 people present | Thefts per 1,000 | Violent robberies per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adeje (Tenerife) | 50,021 | 129.5 | 74.4 | 73.5 | 4.04 |
| Torrevieja | 98,533 | 92.0 | 90.4 | 37.6 | 3.19 |
| Salou | 31,491 | 88.0 | — | 32.1 | 2.54 |
| Barcelona | 1,731,649 | 88.0 | 85.1 | 48.8 | 7.30 |
| Calvià (Magaluf) | 53,793 | 86.6 | — | 42.2 | 1.88 |
| Arona (Los Cristianos) | 87,793 | 79.8 | 60.8 | 40.3 | 3.41 |
| Marbella | 159,786 | 75.7 | 71.7 | 28.7 | 1.72 |
| Palma | 434,786 | 74.6 | 70.2 | 39.9 | 2.29 |
| Benidorm | 77,327 | 66.9 | 44.5 | 30.8 | 2.03 |
| Fuengirola | 85,211 | 65.1 | 60.1 | 28.8 | 1.69 |
| Torremolinos | 71,329 | 65.0 | 53.8 | 25.4 | 1.21 |
| Valencia | 840,792 | 62.3 | 61.1 | 31.4 | 2.48 |
| Alicante | 366,221 | 62.1 | 61.0 | 25.7 | 2.44 |
| Lloret de Mar | 43,000 | 61.7 | — | 30.3 | 1.65 |
| Madrid | 3,506,730 | 55.8 | 54.8 | 23.7 | 2.10 |
| Málaga | 599,063 | 52.0 | 51.2 | 24.1 | 1.49 |
| Spain | 49,114,494 | 40.4 | — | 15.7 | 1.26 |
"People present" adds the average number of hotel and tourist-apartment guests each night (INE 2025 overnight stays ÷ 365) to the residents. It leaves out holiday lets, second homes and day visitors, so the true figure is lower still. INE does not publish a full year of overnight stays for Calvià, Salou or Lloret. Thefts include theft without force, break-ins and vehicle theft. Sources: Ministerio del Interior, Balance de Criminalidad 4th quarter 2025; INE Padrón 1 January 2025; INE hotel and tourist-apartment occupancy surveys 2025.
UK places for comparison
| Place | Crimes per 1,000 (excl. fraud) | Thefts per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Westminster (London) | 355.5 | 235.3 |
| Blackpool | 145.8 | 33.4 |
| Manchester | 142.7 | 39.2 |
| Liverpool | 124.1 | 29.2 |
| Birmingham | 114.2 | 35.0 |
| Newcastle | 107.4 | 35.7 |
| Brighton & Hove | 99.8 | 34.3 |
| Bournemouth (BCP) | 89.2 | 33.5 |
| England & Wales | 84.7 | 26.5 |
| North Yorkshire (incl. Scarborough) | 47.4 | 12.6 |
Source: ONS, Crime in England and Wales: Police Force Area data tables, year ending March 2026, Table C4. Rates per 1,000 residents, mid-2024 population.
What crime in Benidorm is
| Offence (Benidorm, 2025) | Recorded |
|---|---|
| Theft without force (pickpocketing, bag and phone theft) | 2,160 |
| Break-ins (homes, hotels, shops, cars) | 167 |
| — of which break-ins at homes | 92 |
| Vehicle theft | 56 |
| Robbery with violence or threats (mugging) | 157 |
| Assault causing injury | 123 |
| Sexual offences | 62 |
| Drug trafficking | 139 |
| Murder | 1 |
| Other offences (damage, threats, public order and more) | 2,305 |
| Online fraud and other cybercrime | 923 |
| Total | 6,093 |
Source: Ministerio del Interior, Balance de Criminalidad, January to December 2025, Municipio de Benidorm. "Other offences" is the remainder of conventional crime after the categories above.
Is it getting worse?
| Benidorm, January–March | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| All crime | 1,008 | 1,226 | +22% |
| Theft without force | 302 | 359 | +19% |
| Robbery with violence | 16 | 31 | +94% |
| Break-ins at homes | 9 | 14 | +56% |
| Assault causing injury | 21 | 13 | -38% |
Source: Ministerio del Interior, Balance de Criminalidad, first quarter 2026. Quarterly numbers are small, so one busy month moves them a lot.
Recent cases
Reported in 2025 and 2026, newest first.
- 6 Aug 2026 Policía Nacional arrest a man linked to 15 thefts of bags, phones and wallets from hotel dining rooms, taken while guests were at the breakfast buffet. Olive Press
- 5 Aug 2026 Policía Local warn of fake sunbed and umbrella sellers charging €18 with a fake receipt. The real price is about €6. Olive Press
- 31 Jul 2026 An ambulance technician is punched by a patient on Calle Gerona in the English Zone. Police arrest him within minutes. Olive Press
- 25 Jul 2026 Guardia Civil arrest 17 people in a gang that followed older women from promenades in Benidorm, Altea and l'Alfàs and took their gold jewellery in building entrances. 18 violent robberies. Euro Weekly News
- 3 Jul 2026 Two men knock down a 67-year-old British man in daylight and take his wallet. An hour later they snatch a handbag; passers-by hold them for police. Olive Press
- 29 May 2026 A drunk British tourist in the English Zone is beaten and his phone taken. CCTV traces the car; two men are arrested and jailed. Olive Press
- 4 May 2026 80 arrests in a Policía Nacional drug operation across up to seven nightlife venues; more than €32,000 cash seized. Alicante Plaza (Spanish)
- 27 Apr 2025 Two women arrested for stealing wallets and bags from tourists waiting with luggage outside holiday flats and at transport stops. El Español (Spanish)
- 9 Apr 2025 A man distracts a tourist in Rincón de Loix with 'strange gestures' and snatches his phone. Arrested days later. Olive Press
- 21 Jan 2025 Thieves watch a British tourist type his PIN, steal the phone and take about £16,000, including loans in his name. Two arrests. Murcia Today
What the police say
The SATE police office for foreign tourists helped about 3,900 people in 2025 and about 2,400 by early August 2026. In summer 2026 French officers patrolled with the Policía Nacional (esdiario).
What to do if it happens
- Danger or injury: call 112. It is free, and the Valencia region's 112 takes calls in English.
- Police: 091 for the Policía Nacional (crime reports), 092 for the Policía Local, 062 for the Guardia Civil.
- Report it at the SATE office on Calle Gerona at Avenida del Derramador, Rincón de Loix. It is run by the Policía Nacional with interpreters. They take your report (the denuncia), help you cancel bank cards and contact your consulate. You can also go to the Comisaría de Policía Nacional, Calle Apolo XI 36 (966 831 930).
- Get a copy of your report. Your travel insurer will want the reference number. Some policies say theft must be reported within 24 hours (Which?).
- Phone stolen: call your network to bar the SIM and block the handset. If you tell UK networks within 24 hours, your bill for misuse is capped at £100 (Ofcom). Dial *#06# before you travel and note your IMEI number.
- Cards: freeze them in your banking app straight away, then call your bank.
- Passport stolen: apply online for an Emergency Travel Document. It costs £125 and usually takes about 2 working days (GOV.UK).
- Consulate: British Consulate Alicante, Rambla Méndez Núñez 28-32, 6th floor. Visits by appointment only; use the online contact form. The FCDO 24-hour line is +44 20 7008 5000. They can explain police procedures, find an English-speaking lawyer or interpreter and contact your family. They cannot investigate, give legal advice or pay your costs.
- Support: the FCDO guide for victims of crime abroad lists 24-hour support. UK police can refer you even if the crime is not investigated in Spain.
How to protect yourself
- Keep your bag on you. Not on the back of a chair, not on the table, not at the buffet. Hotel dining rooms were targeted in 2026.
- Phone in a front pocket, never on a bar or café table.
- Cover your PIN at cash machines and on your phone. Thieves watch first, then steal.
- Step away from people who get too close or try to distract you. The FCDO says: "Thieves use distraction techniques and often work in teams."
- Drinks: "Buy your own drinks and always keep them in sight." Measures are bigger than at home: "Drinks served in bars in Spain are often stronger than those in the UK." (FCDO)
- Beach: pay for sunbeds only at the official kiosks, at about €6 in 2026. Don't accept drinks from strangers on the beach, and don't play the shell game (trileros). Benidorm council says it is "not a game".
- Fake police: "Thieves posing as police officers may ask to see your wallet." (FCDO) Real officers do not ask to count your cash.
- Older visitors: leave gold chains and jewellery in the safe. A 2026 gang followed older women home from the promenade.
- Documents: carry a photocopy of your passport and leave the original in the hotel safe (Benidorm council).
- Balconies: "Do not take unnecessary risks around balconies." (FCDO)
- Hire cars: leave nothing on show. The FCDO warns that "highway pirates" target foreign-registered and hire cars.
Quotes from the FCDO Spain travel advice (updated 7 October 2026) and Benidorm council.
Sources
- Ministerio del Interior, Balance de Criminalidad, 4th quarter 2025 and 1st quarter 2026
- ONS, Police Force Area data tables, year ending March 2026
- INE official population figures, 1 January 2025 (RD 1117/2025)
- INE hotel and tourist-apartment occupancy surveys by tourist point, 2025
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