Benicàssim (; ); officially Benicasim / Benicàssim) is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

and beach resort located in the province of Castellón, on the Costa del Azahar in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. The Desert de les Palmes mountain range further inland shelters the town from the north wind. Benicàssim is located 13 km north of the town of

Castellón de la Plana Castellón de la Plana (in ), or simply Castellón (), is the capital city of the province of Castellón, in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is located in the east of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Costa del Azahar by the Mediterranean Sea. Th ...

, at the north end of the

Valencian Community The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...

. The town has a population of 18,991 (2021). Its economy is largely based on tourism; the town is well known for its beaches and its music festivals such as Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (FIB) and the Rototom Sunsplash.

Placename

The placename has an Arabic origin, consisting of a compound name using the characteristic Arabic base feature beni ('sons of'; < beni-Qasim). The name is derived from the ''Banu Qasim'' tribe, a segment of the

Kutama The Kutama (Berber: ''Ikutamen''; ) were a Berber tribe in northern Algeria classified among the Berber confederation of the Bavares. The Kutama are attested much earlier, in the form ''Koidamousii'' by the Greek geographer Ptolemy. The Kutama p ...

Berbers that settled the area during the 8th century Arab conquest of Spain.

Geography

Beaches

Benicàssim has 6 kilometers of sandy beaches linked by a promenade. The five beaches in this stretch of coast are named * Almadrava Beach (Platja de l'Almadrava) * Heliopolis Beach (Platja Heliòpolis) * Els Terrers Beach (Platja dels Terrers) * Tower of Saint Vincent Beach (Platja de la Torre de Sant Vicent) * Voramar Beach (Platja de Voramar): This beach is famous for its villas along a beach front promenade.

Desert of the Palms

Just inland from Benicàssim lies the Desert of the Palms (Valencian: ''Desert de les Palmes''; Spanish: ''Desierto de las Palmas''). The area is not a literal desert, but a protected natural area and a small mountain range with a maximum elevation of 729 meters (at the peak of Mount Bartolo). The Columbretes Islands are visible from the top of the range on clear days.

Festivals

* Festival Internacional de Benicàssim FIB * Rototom Sunsplash Benicassim mabe

* MABE Benicàssim Art Show.INVATTUR
, Instituto Valenciano de Tecnologías Turísticas.

Green Way

The ''Via Verda'' or ''Vía Verde'' (Green Way) is a 5.5 km long cycle and walking path along the rugged coast between the resort towns of Benicàssim and Oropesa del Mar (Orpesa).

Notes

External links

Benicàssim town council

Benicassim Costa Azahar

Muestra de Arte de Benicàssim MABE

Benicassim culture
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benicassim Municipalities in the Province of Castellón Plana Alta