Sleep Well in Benidorm!? 

Whilst searching the internet for information on Benidorm recently, I came across an old article which claimed that “Benidorm” meant "sleep well". This made me laugh out loud (if sleeping well is your priority, Benidorm is perhaps not the first destination to spring to mind!), but you can see why the mistake was made as dormir is the verb to sleep. The truth is a little more complex and ancient. 

The study of the naming of towns and cities (etymology) in Spain is particularly fascinating and can be traced back three millennia.  There are predominantly Iberian, Roman and Arabic influences. 

The Ancient Greeks named the Iberian Peninsula which was later divided by the Romans, who named Spain “Hispania”, which is the origin of today’s “España” or Spain. The Romans were also responsible for the naming of Valentia (Valencia). 

It is the Moors however who left the biggest mark on Spain´s history. The Moors from Africa controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula for over 800 years. They brought with them; universal education (at a time when 99% of the population were illiterate), agricultural crops that are still grown today (citrus fruits, sugar cane, rice etc), cotton and silk, vast knowledge of science, innovative architecture and the list goes on!

They renamed many towns and cities. The prefix “Al” means "The" eg. Alicante, Almería, Albacete. The famous architectural gem (The) Alhambra means “The Red Fortress” (on account of the local red clay that was used to build it)

How did Benidorm get it´s name?

It is the Moors we have to thank for the prefix “Beni” in the names of numerous towns and cities, especially in the Valencia region. Beni is derived from the Arabic “Banu”, which means “sons or descendants of”, and Dorm from the Arabic name “Darhim”-  Banudarhim became Benidorm. 

There are up to 48 official municipalities in Spain with the prefix Beni and many of them are in the Valencia region. At Jacaranda Spain we list property in the beautiful villages of; Beniarbeig, Benidoleig, Benigembla, Benitatxell, Benimaurell, Benimeli and Benissa, which were all Moorish settlements between 8th and 15th centuries. These beautiful Spanish pueblos, in the Marina Alta, still have historical features that give small glimpses into the past. Most were fortunate to retain their names throughout the Franco regime, when Valenciano, and another 5 official regional languages, were forbidden and place names were changed to suit the Castellano language, which is the official national language of Spain.

If you are interested in relocating to the beautiful Marina Alta area, but have no idea where to start your search, feel free to call the team at Jacaranda Spain for an informal chat. Whether your priority is ´sea views and luxury´ or ´peace and tranquility away from the hustle and bustle´, we can help you decide which of our towns would suit you best!