Long before Benidorm became famous for beaches, bars and skyscrapers, its men were among the most sought-after tuna fishermen in the Mediterranean. Now, more than 100 extraordinary photographs reveal the lives they led at sea.
Forget the hotels, the sun loungers and the all-inclusive buffets.
For centuries, Benidorm had a very different claim to fame.
Its fishermen were experts in catching enormous bluefin tuna, travelling hundreds of miles from home to work in fishing grounds stretching from Portugal to North Africa.
They were so skilled that crews from Benidorm became an important part of the almadraba fishing industry for more than 500 years.
And now their remarkable story is coming back to life.
A new exhibition at Benidorm’s Museu Municipal Boca del Calvari brings together more than 100 photographs from the 1960s, historic fishing equipment and previously unseen footage of the men who helped build the town’s maritime reputation.
It is a glimpse of a Benidorm that many visitors, and even some residents, never knew existed.
What exactly is an almadraba?
An almadraba is a traditional method of catching tuna using an elaborate system of fixed nets.
Rather than chasing fish across the sea, fishermen positioned huge nets along the routes taken by migrating bluefin tuna.
The fish entered a series of chambers before crews gradually raised the nets, bringing the tuna towards the surface.
It was dangerous, physically demanding work that required extraordinary teamwork.
A single mistake could cause serious injury, particularly when dealing with powerful fish weighing hundreds of kilograms.
The method has been used for centuries around the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.
And Benidorm’s fishermen became particularly good at it.
The Benidorm men who travelled across the Mediterranean
For more than five centuries, generations of Benidorm families earned their living through the almadrabas.
Some worked as ordinary fishermen, while others became captains, specialists and arraixos, the experienced leaders responsible for directing fishing operations.
Their knowledge was valuable far beyond the Costa Blanca.
Men from Benidorm travelled to fishing grounds along the Spanish coast, Portugal, Italy and North Africa, spending long periods away from their families.
For some, the seasonal work became a permanent change of home.
They settled in other coastal communities, married and raised children, leaving descendants whose family roots lead back to Benidorm.
Others returned year after year, bringing home their earnings and stories from the sea.
It was a very different sort of international tourism.
Benidorm’s residents were travelling abroad long before the holidaymakers started arriving here.
The photographer who captured a disappearing world
The exhibition, titled La Mar Èpica: els almadravers de Benidorm en les fotografies de Jesús Navarro, centres on photographs taken during the 1960s by Jesús Navarro.
Navarro was a pioneer of marine and underwater photography, documenting both the demanding fishing operations and the everyday lives of the crews.
His images show men working aboard boats, handling enormous nets and sharing the routines of life far from home.
They also capture quieter moments that rarely make it into history books.
The photographs have been digitally scanned and restored by Benidorm photographer and researcher Jaume Fuster, who has spent more than 15 years gathering material and speaking to families connected with the almadrabas.
Many of the images survived because Navarro’s family carefully preserved them.
Without that collection, an extraordinary chapter of Benidorm’s history might have remained hidden in private albums.
More than 100 photographs and four unseen films
The exhibition includes over 100 restored photographs, alongside historic objects connected with tuna fishing.
Visitors can also watch four previously unseen videos featuring footage of the almadrabas and testimonies from people connected with the industry.
The exhibition does not simply show how fishermen caught tuna.
It reveals what their lives were like, the people they worked alongside and the families they left behind.
For some visitors, the faces in the photographs will be familiar.
The exhibition’s opening brought together descendants of Benidorm’s almadraba fishermen, including families whose relatives worked in fishing grounds far from the Costa Blanca.
And for younger generations, it offers a chance to discover what their grandparents and great-grandparents actually did for a living.
Where can you see the exhibition?
The exhibition is at the Museu Municipal Boca del Calvari in Benidorm’s old town.
It will remain on display until March 2027, although the exact closing date has not yet been announced.
There are also two special events coming up.
On Saturday 14 November at 12:00, curator Jaume Fuster will lead a guided tour, explaining the photographs and sharing stories uncovered during his research.
Then, on Thursday 19 November, the organisers will present the exhibition’s accompanying book, produced by Alicante and Valencia provincial councils together with Benidorm Town Hall.
The exhibition first opened at the Valencian Museum of Ethnology in May 2026 and will travel to Alicante after its time in Benidorm.
For anyone interested in local history, it is a chance to see what Benidorm looked like before the skyline changed forever.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- Benidorm’s Museu Municipal Boca del Calvari is hosting an exhibition about the town’s historic tuna fishermen.
- The exhibition runs until March 2027.
It features more than 100 photographs taken during the 1960s by Jesús - Navarro.
- Photographer and researcher Jaume Fuster has digitally restored the images.
- Historic fishing objects and four previously unseen videos are also on display.
- Benidorm fishermen worked in almadrabas across the Mediterranean and Atlantic for more than 500 years.
- Some became captains and arraixos, directing complex tuna-fishing operations.
- A guided tour with Jaume Fuster takes place on Saturday 14 November at 12:00.
- The exhibition’s accompanying book will be presented on Thursday 19 November.
- The exhibition will travel to Alicante after closing in Benidorm.
