Museo Boca del Calvari, Benidorm, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

The Museu Boca del Calvari is a small municipal exhibition space in the old town of Benidorm, Spain, built on the site of the former town hall. It hosts temporary exhibitions on the history of the area, which makes it a good short stop for anyone who wants to know what Benidorm was before the high-rises.

The story behind it

The museum stands where Benidorm's Old Town Hall once stood. According to the route creators, the plot was donated to the town in 1916 by Gaspar Ortuño Ors, and in exchange the council agreed to look after the Ortuño family pantheon in the Virgen del Sufragio municipal cemetery.

When the old town hall was demolished, a new building went up to serve as the museum. At first the idea was to rebuild the old house as it had been, but the plan changed and the new building was given a touch of modernity, with a large glass window across the ground floor. The name refers to the Boca del Calvari, the spot in the old town where the street climbs toward the castle hill. The L'Hort de Colón museum is only a short walk away.

What to look for

• The large glass window on the ground floor, the modern touch that replaced the idea of a faithful copy of the old building.
• The contrast between the contemporary frontage and the narrow old-town streets around it.
• The posters and panels for the current temporary exhibition, which change and usually focus on local history.
• The setting at the Boca del Calvari, where the old town begins to climb toward the castle hill viewpoint.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes for a look inside, longer if the current exhibition interests you. Check current opening hours and what is on before you go.
• Combine it with L'Hort de Colón, which is only a short walk away.
• Visit in the morning or late afternoon, when the old town is cooler and the streets are less crowded.
• The climb toward the castle hill viewpoint starts close by, so it is easy to continue on foot from here.

See it on a quest

The Lost Buccaneer: Treasures of the Old Town and Beaches in Benidorm passes the museum as one stop on a longer walk through the old town and toward the beaches. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Benidorm also takes you past the Boca del Calvari, with a different mood: a crime-solving walk through the same streets. You reach the museum on foot, hear its story on the spot and solve a puzzle there. One ticket covers the whole group.