Benicassim

Benicasim (in Valencian and co-officially, Benicàssim) is a municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. Located on the coast of the province of Castellón, in the Plana Alta region. Its resident population is 19,507 inhabitants (INE 2022), although it reaches more than 60,000 in the summer period, since its economy is based on tourism. Near the town is the Aquarama water park. And in the urbanizations there is the Montornés club in La Parreta.

Toponymy

The word is derived from the Arabic word بني قاسم (banī Qāsim), whose literal meaning is the children of Casim. Casim is an Arabic name that means delivery man.

On the other hand, the official form in Spanish is Benicasim, being a sharp word, and Benicàssim in Valencian, being, on the contrary, flat. Cassi is a Celtic word for metal, bronze (remember the Cassiterides Islands place name for Great Britain). Everything leads to indicating a foundation in the Bronze Age. The suffix -(i)m indicates plural. The sound S is voiceless; indicated by the two S's when coming from another language.

Geography

Integrated in the Plana Alta region, it is located 13 kilometers from the provincial capital. The municipal area is crossed by the Mediterranean highway (AP-7), by the national highway N-340, between points 983 and 990, and by local roads that allow communication between the districts of the municipality.

The municipality of Benicasim is located at the transition between the Sierra del Desierto de Las Palmas and the Plana de Castellón. Its surface is flatter towards the south and east, since to the west and north is the Las Palmas desert and to the NE the Oropesa or Cantallops mountain range. Its main height is Mount San Miguel or Bartolo (729 meters), a first-order geodetic vertex on the border with Puebla-Tornesa. Other of its most characteristic elevations are the Agujas de Santa Águeda (539 m).

It has almost 7 kilometers of fine sand beaches, with breakwaters that protect them and with numerous tourist services, which attests to the award of the blue flags of the Clean Seas of Europe. These beaches are from north to south: Voramar, Almadrava, Torre de Sant Vicent, Els Terrers and Heliópolis. Its municipal area has 204 caves and chasms, among them the Cantalar with prehistoric remains and the Cueva de Queralt.

The center of the municipality rises 15 meters above sea level.

Neighborhoods and districts

The following population centers are also included in the municipality of Benicasim (Bercense):

• Table Santiago.
• Desert of the Palmas.
• Masia dels Frares.
• Montemolino.
• The Palasiet.
• Las Villas.
• Voltants de Montornés.
• Las Palmas.
• The Parreta.
• The Montornés.
• The Refugio.
• Aquarama.

Bordering towns

Northeast: Puebla-Tornesa	North: Cabanes	Northeast: Oropesa del Mar
West: Borriol		This: Mediterranean Sea
Southwest: Castellón de la Plana	South: Castellón de la Plana	Sureste: Mediterranean Sea

History

Prior to the Reconquista, the Montornés Castle was one of the most important Arab fiefdoms in these territories. There is no news about its destruction or the causes that motivated it. However, it is known that the Castle was inhabited until the end of the XV century, as can be deduced from its name, it would belong to the lineage of the Banu Qasi ("sons of Qásim") who occupied the castle of Montornés before the Christian conquest, first by the Cid Campeador and finally by King Jaime I of Aragon. Or: dynasty of the Banu-Quasi (literally, the sons of Cassius, count of the Casius family, named Fortún, in the Tarazona area).

On November 29, 1242, Jaime I donated the Castle of Montornés and these lands to his notary, D. Pedro Sanz, in compensation for the services provided in the Reconquista. The Baronies of Benicasim and Montornés were frequently the object of donations, inheritances or sales among the nobles of the area. We have obvious proof in the notable number of owners who ruled the place from 1242 to 1603. Thus, in 1249, the Barony of Montornés appears in the hands of Jacchesio Sancii, to whom the king granted permission to sell the manor. Later, Don Pedro Ximén appears as the owner of the barony, who presumably bought it from Jacchesio Sancii. Later, Alfonso III gave Montornés, the House of San Vicente and all its domains to the Monastery of Poblet. The low profitability of these lands, on the one hand, and the heavy debts that those of Poblet had, on the other, caused the monks to sell the Barony of Montornés and the town of Castellón to James II in 1297 for 290,000 salaries. In 1333, Don Juan Ximén, son of Don Pedro Ximén de Arenós, appeared as lord of the Barony of Montornés, who would possibly succeed him on behalf of King James II. It is unknown exactly when, but in later documents the Barony of Montornés appears mixed with "the place of Benicasim". Thus we have how Montornés, which has once again passed into royal power, is donated by Alfonso V, in 1416, to the Bishop of Vich, Alfonso de Thous. After Alfonso de Thous died in 1420, the barony was acquired by Don Gilberto de Centelles, who was then lord of Nules. From the Centelles it passed to the royal patrimony until February 24, 1467 when Juan II transferred it to his Vice Chancellor Juan Pagés and for more than forty-eight years the Pagés exercised their jurisdiction over Montornés and lands in his demarcation.

Nicolás de Casalduch acquires the manor by purchasing from the Pagés. By inheritance it passed to Doña Violante de Casalduch who on September 9, 1603 granted the Charter of Puebla in order to repopulate this area, which had been severely damaged by the continuous attacks and looting by corsairs and Berbers. Such a measure did not obtain the desired results, and only a few settlers settled in the Barony. In this sense, there are clear vestiges of four small population centers, two of them seeking the refuge of the mountains, one in the fertile lands, very close to the current urban center, and finally a small fishing center, in front of the Torre de San Vincent.

The decision of Francisco Pérez Bayer in 1769 to found a church in this place was the definitive impetus to the configuration of Benicasim as a town. Pérez Bayer is frequently described as the founder of Benicasim and in reality, he had not yet been born when Benicasim was founded by Doña Violante de Casalduch. However, Pérez Bayer had the merit of bringing together all the residents of Benicasim, until then scattered in small population centers and farmhouses, around the church that he founded.

Progress was slow at first, but spectacular after 1850. Benicassim has been one of the pioneer towns in Spain as a tourist center. Thus, in 1887, the first summer villa was built by the railway engineer Joan Coloma Grau. The boom that Benicasim took at the beginning of the century.

During the Civil War these villas were abandoned and taken over by international brigades, which transformed them into kitchens, dining rooms, offices and bedrooms. The Voramar Hotel and the rest of the villas housed 1,200 beds during the period of greatest confrontation in the area, leaving a total of 57 wounded among the 8,000 (approximately) soldiers who passed through the facilities.

In 1938 the hospital complex was evacuated and the previous tourism returned. In the 1960s, the excessive and uncontrolled construction of apartments began. Benicasim was growing more and more due to tourism and what were first some low-rise apartments were later built higher. Later the height was limited to ten stories. They continued in the 70s building more apartment blocks, some of them on land of old villas demolished for tourist development. It often happened that large villas the owners found difficult to maintain. It was in this decade when the residents of Castellón began to acquire a second home, so local and foreign tourists were balanced. There was a lot of growth but it was very uncontrolled since it was built without any type of planning, a result of this we can find it in narrow streets and without sidewalks. Urban speculation on the beachfront and the real estate boom continued to be seen in the subsequent 80s and 90s. There was no longer any separation between the villas and the town of Benicasim nor did old buildings with gardens prevail, such as the villas, the urban landscape was filled with large apartments. Often, with winter storms, water washed away pieces of road in some areas, which is why measures were taken to improve beaches such as breakwaters. The result was very significant since where before there was just a narrow street and a small strip of beach, it now had a great width where a promenade could even be located. The first beaches to be regenerated were the sections of Torre de San Vicente, Almadraba and Voramar.

From the first construction until today, Benicasim has undergone a profound transformation based exclusively on tourism. Currently Benicasim offers a receiving capacity of 100,000 tourists.

Demography

The municipality has an area of 36.29 km². In 2022 it had a population of 19,507 inhabitants and a density of 537.53 inhabitants/km².

Graphic of demographic evolution of Benicasim/Benicàssim between 1857a and 2021

a Between the Census of 1857 and the previous, this municipality appears because it is segregated from the municipality 12040 (Castellón de la Plana) (1) In these Censuses it was called BenicasimPopulation of law according to population censuses of the INE.Population in fact according to population censuses of the INE.

Graphic of demographic evolution of Benicasim/Benicàssim between 1998 and 2022

Population as of 1 January according to the municipal register of the INE.

The development of the tourism sector has given it a strong demographic boost in recent years. Foreign immigration has also increased.

Economy

The productive structure of the municipality of Benicasim is based mainly on the tourism sector (and consequently, on all subrespective areas related to it). In 2012 there were 17 hotels, 4 hostels, 3 guest houses, 5 campsites and hundreds of tourist apartments for rent, in addition to a wide and varied range of restaurants, bars, taverns and pubs. It offers a receiving capacity of just over 100,000 tourists.

Politics

Monuments

Religious monuments

• The parish church of Saint Thomas of Villanueva. Built at the initiative of Francisco Pérez Bayer under the advocation of Santo Tomás de Villanueva. It's Neoclassic-style. Its interior is decorated with works by the artist José Camarón Bonanat. It was built between 1769 and 1776, and was the basis of the formation of the villa in its current location.
• Chapel of Santa Águeda
• Monastery of the Discalced Carmelites. Located in the Desert of Las Palmas.
• Bartolo Cross. Built on the top of Mount Bartolo in 1902, and later in 1984 on the crest of the Bartolo.

Civil monuments

• 

  Castle of Montornés. Defensive system of Muslims. In the centuryXIII is besieged and taken by Jaime I the Conqueror (1233).
• Torre de San Vicente. It consisted of one of the eighteen vigía towers that counted along the coast what is today the province of Castellón, and that had as mission the vigilance and defense of their coasts. Hence, in the middle of the centuryXVI this tower will be built by decision made in the Courts of Monzón. It is a square floor, built of concerted masonry and chair corners. It has an aspillerado matacán and in the corners of the back that gives the sea, two circular towers at the height of the terrace. The interior is accessed by a single door that is located a subway eighty of the floor level. It was restored externally and internally in 2018, a museum project, visited.
• Las Villas. It is known as the Villas to the coastal zone in which, at the end of the centuryXIX, many houses of summer began to rise. The first of them was Villa Pila. She was followed almost immediately by other summer residences owned by Valencian families. Today, in this area, in addition to the old villas you can enjoy a varied and complete tourist infrastructure: hotels, restaurants, magazines, discos, bars-cafeterías, etc.
• Villa Victoria: Valencian Modernist style palatial building of 1911.

• 

  Villa Elisa, 1942.

• 

  Villa Carpi.

• 

  Villa Victoria, 1911.

• 

  Villa Amparo, 1880-1920.

• 

  Villa Paquita, late nineteenth.

Festivals and events

• Fiestas de San Antonio Abad. The festivals are held on January 17th, dedicated to Saint Anthony Abbot and Saint Agueda. In them there are parades of wagons, blessing of domestic animals, sharing of blessed bread, known as the coquette, fires are lit. Vakes and verbs. The Day of Paellas is celebrated on St. Thomas Street and around.

• Romería de Santa Águeda. In the month of February one morning the population moved to the hermitage at the foot of the mountain.

• San Juan. During the 1990s the custom of going to the beach at 12 o'clock at night was imported to get his feet wet and make a wish on the Night of San Juan, with bonfires, music and fireworks on the beach.

• FIB (International Federation of Benicasim). It is a mass event of international fame sponsored by the Diputación, where its central interest is independent music, although it also hosts other arts such as dance and cinema among others. It is held in the middle of July, when thousands of young people from around the world meet during the 4 days of the event. The 18th edition was held in 2012.

• Classical Guitar International Contest "Francisco Tárrega". It is held annually between August and September. It is, after Paris, the oldest classical guitar contest in the world. In 2011 he celebrated his XLV edition.

• Saint Thomas of Villanueva. The festivals in honor of the patron of the parish church are celebrated the week that includes 22 September, with typical and popular acts: verbs, locks of vaquillas, dull bulls and fireworks are the most popular acts.

• Pilgrimage to the Bartolo Cross. On the last Sunday of the month of October the neighbors of neighboring villages go up to the cross to celebrate the feast with a mass and later with a meal of brotherhood and popular festival.

• Rototom Sunsplash. It is the largest Reggae and Culture Festival in Europe. It has the presence of the world's best-known artists, as well as areas of culture, art, nonprofit, beach area and camping.^{[chuckles]required]} In its 2010 edition it brought together more than 100,000 people in 8 days of Festival.

• La Art Sample of Benicàssim MABE is organized by the City Council of this town and the Artevalencia Association. It is celebrated in Benicàssim on an annual basis.

Places of interest

• 

  Desert of the Palmas. Natural park located inside, where there are a lot of native species. It is a coastal mountainous region parallel to the coast, a unique reference point in the landscape of the High Plana. These mountains appear as a backdrop on the coastal plains and the valleys of the interior. It has interesting geological characteristics, being the type of dominant rock the commonly known as "gres" (very abundant in the Valencian Community especially in the mountains of the Desert, the Sierra of Espadan and Calderona). In addition to the gres there are some calcareous deposits, which give rise to soft reliefs on the tops of the mountains of the Desert and of the Santes, including the top of the Bartolo (714 meters high). In this place the Carmelitana order that had as a source of income the sale of the 'Licor Carmelitano' was held. Now this liquor is manufactured in Benicasim.

• Monte Bartolo. From which a panoramic view of the coastline is contemplated and the Columbretes Islands can be seen on clear days.
• Carmelite cellar museum.
• Museum of the Carmelite Fathers.

• 

  Aquarama. Open water park in 1986 with several attractions, including the 10th highest water slide in the world, called "El Salto del Diablo", along with "The Beast", in "Western Park", 30 meters high, and is also the most inclined in Europe.

Beaches

• Playa de Voramar. Blue Flag beach located in the residential area of the promenade. Its situation allows to contemplate the villas of the beginning of the centuryXX. for which Benicasim was known as the "Biarritz de Levante" the rubbers survived the fever builder of the last decades of the centuryXX.. There is the municipal palace of Villa Elisa. It has the Q of Tourist Quality.

• Playa Almadrava. This beach retains this name in reference to the former installation of one of these fishing tools. It is the extension to the south of the beach of Voramar, so the characteristics of this are similar. Its expansion is the result of the construction of specions, which took place since 1966. Awarded with the distinctive Blue Flag and the Q of Tourist Quality.

• Playa Torre de San Vicent. Also known as Torreón beach, so called by the Vigo tower that dominates it. It is one of the most popular during the summer and throughout the year. Remodeled and pedestrianized his promenade in 2012. Awarded with the distinctive Blue Flag the Q of Tourist Quality.

• Playa Els Terrers. It offers courses for all those who want to enjoy sailing in the School of the Sea. Numerous villas are located on this beach. The owner of one of the first villas had direct access to the sea and a small private port, called by sailors as the "Portet de Carpi". Regenerated by the Coast Service, it has a wooden walkway and various services since 2010.

• Playa Eurosol. This beach is located between the "Els Terrers" and the "Heliópolis". It is thus called by the presence of the shopping center of the set of shops, bars and shops that receive this name. Awarded with the Blue Flag distinction.

• Playa Heliópolis. It is an example of urban growth that took place in the 1960s.XX.. Tour through an extensive promenade and bike lane of over 2.5 km. Awarded with the Blue Flag distinction.

Urbanizations

• Les Palmes. It was an urbanist example created in 1888 in the 80s of the centuryXXI.
• The Parreta. It has urban streets in the decade of the centuryXXI.
• Calle Río Guadiana.
• Calle Río Segura.
• Calle Río Xúquer.
• Carrer Riu Turia.
• Carrer Riu Ebre.
• Calle Río Tajo.

• 

  Calle Río Duero.
• Calle Río Miño.

Twinnings

• Bad Salzdetfurth (Germany)

• Évian Les Bains (France)

Gastronomy

The wide popular gastronomy of Benicàssim is characterized by the diversity of products, all typical of the Mediterranean diet, predominantly rice, seafood, stews, "suquets", seafood stews with fish and seafood from the Lonja of the fishing port of Castellón (prawns, sardines, cuttlefish, octopus, anchovies, mussels), vegetables from the region (Mercado de Abastos), oven-roasted, grilled or grilled meats (lamb chops, steaks, entrecôtes, seafood), tasty stews (tombet), fideuá, paellas and other rice dishes (baked rice, banda rice, seafood paella, lobster rice, 'senyoret' rice, soupy rice or in paella with chicken, duck, rabbit, snails).