Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and St. Peter the Apostle

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and St. Peter the Apostle in Benissa is the defining landmark of this old town on the Costa Blanca, its twin towers visible above the rooftops from almost anywhere in the historic center. Built in neo-Gothic style, the church was completed and inaugurated in 1929, replacing an older fortified church dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle that had stood on the same spot. Its construction was funded largely through donations from the townspeople of Benissa, which is part of why the building is so closely tied to local identity.

How do you get there?

The basilica sits in the middle of Benissa's old town, in the Marina Alta district of Alicante province. Driving is the easiest option, with the town reachable in roughly fifteen to thirty minutes from Benidorm, Calpe, or Javea depending on where you start. Regional buses also connect Benissa to the main coastal resorts, and once you arrive, the old quarter is compact enough to reach the church on foot within minutes of parking. It's worth pairing the visit with a walk through the surrounding streets, lined with stone houses once built by 19th-century raisin merchants who funded much of the town's older architecture.

What should you look out for inside and outside?

The church was designed by architect Vicente Pascual, who drew on French sacred architecture for inspiration, giving the building its slender profile and sense of verticality. Inside, three naves stretch toward the altar, and the standout feature is the soaring lantern tower above the crossing, which floods the interior with natural light. At the main altar, a reliquary holds a painted panel of the Purísima Xiqueta, the town's patroness, an image attributed to the school of Juan de Juanes, one of the most significant Spanish religious painters of the 16th century.

For decades, the building was missing one element of Pascual's original design: the spires meant to crown its two towers. Wooden spires measuring seventeen meters have now arrived in Benissa and are being installed in stages, finally completing the silhouette the architect intended nearly a century ago. It's partly because of this scale and ambition that locals nickname the church "the cathedral of the Marina," even though it isn't a cathedral in the formal sense — it simply serves as the visual and spiritual anchor of the whole Marina Alta region.

When is the best time to visit?

Morning hours tend to be quietest, and that's also when light streaming through the lantern windows illuminates the naves most dramatically. Benissa isn't a typical beach resort town, so even during the height of summer the old quarter and the basilica stay noticeably calmer than the more crowded towns along the coast. Since it remains an active parish church rather than a pure tourist site, it's worth checking local opening hours, as access can be limited during services.

Frequently asked questions

Is the basilica open to visitors? Yes, outside of service times you can enter through the main door facing the square in the old town center.

Why is it called "the cathedral of the Marina"? It's an informal nickname reflecting the church's size and architectural ambition — it's the largest and most imposing religious building in the Marina Alta region, even though it holds no official cathedral status.

What is the Purísima Xiqueta? It's the local title for Benissa's patroness, the Immaculate Conception, whose image is kept as a painted panel in a reliquary at the basilica's main altar.

How long does a visit take? Seeing the interior takes about 15–20 minutes, but it's worth allowing extra time to walk the old town streets around the church, which offer good views of its towers.