Huge blow to UK tourists in Spain as Benidorm bars in ‘English zone’ close

By Lauran O'Toole, News Reporter

A handful of bars in Benidorm's 'English zone' have closed. (Image: Getty)

Brits flocking to Benidorm’s notorious ‘English Zone’ are in for disappointment as four bars have been forced to close. This notorious section of the holiday hotspot is renowned for being a hub for nightlife and a party area of the town.

This beating heart of the resort is where drinks are always flowing and is characterised by a string of British-themed establishments, including pubs, clubs, and restaurants. But now a handful of bars loved by Brits have closed after police discovered drugs inside them. Benidorm’s Policia Local have so far this month searched six bars and clubs in the Rincon de Loix - the newest and most modern part of the resort.

Rincon de Loix is located next to the Levante area. (Image: Getty)

The police crackdown has led to four premises being ordered to shut, some temporarily. Narcotics with a street value of around £25k (€30k) have been seized by police.

A quantity of the drugs recovered had been stashed in peculiar places, including inside toilet roll holders.

Seven people of British, Pakistani, and Moroccan nationalities have also been arrested on public health offences.

Among the items seized were 200 grams of cocaine, 300 LSD and MDMA pills, 200 portions of marijuana, 20 grams of hashish, eight bottles of laughing gas, plus mobile phones and 2.5k (€3k) in cash.

Four bars in Rincon de Loix have been closed by police. (Image: Getty)

Rincon de Loix, which is situated right next to the party area of Levante, has been experiencing a severe problem with drugs in recent months.

In March, two people were arrested for guarding drugs inside a Rincon de Loix pub, 85 doses of MDMA ecstasy, cocaine and marijuana were discovered.

Last year, it was revealed that Benidorm had the highest percentage of drug trafficking arrests of any large town in the province of Alicante during the first half of 2024.

As drug-related crimes surge in the holiday hotspot so is the number of home robberies. During the first six months of 2024, Benidorm recorded the highest percentage of home robberies, ahead of Torrevieja, which overall had Alicante's highest per-head crime rate.