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If you go there early in the holiday season, take both summer and winter clothes. In April, and even in May, I pack boots, jumpers and coats because, although it might be hot in the day, it can turn very cold at night. Make sure you wear high factor suncream. Theres a strong wind from the mountains, which can disguise the heat, and you can get badly burnt.

'Benidorms bad, brash reputation is entirely unjustified,' says Sherrie Hewson

What do you miss when youre away?

The clean, gentle air and the extraordinary mountains, particularly the spectacular Puig Campana, which you see from most windows, wherever you are. I call them sleeping giants because you can identify the outlines of heads, bodies and feet in the rock.

Puig Campana

Whats the first thing you do upon arrival?

Take off any dark, black clothes Im wearing. At home, I wear a lot of black so I change into sunny colours when I arrive: bright orange, pink and yellow. Benidorm is awake 24 hours a day so at 6am when Im done up to the nines in character, Im passing drag queens in the street and feel very under-dressed!

Wheres the best place to stay?

I stay at The Meli (melia.com; 0034 96 681 37 10), which has two lovely swimming pools. But there are excellent small boutique hotels in the Old Town such as Hotel Fetiche (fetichebenidorm.com; 96 618 32 46). Get up early and walk those wonderful streets before anyone else arrives. Its like going back in time to the old Spain I knew as a girl.

Wheres the best place for lunch?

Read more:
Sherrie Hewson's Benidorm: My Kind of Town