Beginning of September we spent a week all inclusive in Magic Pirate Island resort on the outskirts of Benidorm in Spain. This was not our typical holiday but as life is very busy with full time jobs and a toddler, we thought it will be nice to relax for a week and enjoy playing with Marcus in the pool.

We had never been to an all inclusive hotel before, we usually prefer renting a place or exchanging our house and go exploring. So we weren’t sure if we would like it. After some research only we came across Magic Pirate Island resort, around 10km out of Benidorm. This resort opened in April 2025, so they didn’t have reviews when we booked it but the description looked inviting. What attracted us in particular was their lodges and the unlimited access to Aqua Natura and Terra Natura parks.

Additionally, it was a short flight from Manchester to Alicante (~2h30), which was perfect for Marcus first time in a plane. As we booked with Jet2holiday (again a first for us), transfer from the airport to the resort was included. I have to say that it was nice to not have to drive. Also, as it was an early flight (7am), Jet2holiday offered the twilight check-in which allowed us to register and leave our luggage at the airport the night before. This was very convenient as in the morning we didn’t have to worry about our luggage and could go straight to the security gates.

The journey to the resort went smoothly and we arrived at the resort around 1 pm. A Jet2holiday staff member welcomed us and gave us more information about the resort. After the check-in, as our lodge wasn’t ready, they offered us to put our luggage in a secured room so we could wander around the resort. We decided to go to the restaurant to have our lunch before testing the pools. They have changing rooms by the luggage room, which was very convenient as we were able to change into our swimsuit and go for a swim. Our lodge was ready around 5pm and the resort staff brought our luggage directly to the lodge. Everything was well organised so we were able to enjoy the resort facilities directly from arrival.

Our lodge was right by the battleship pool as we paid a little extra to have a hot tub on the terrace. The lodge had two bedrooms (one with king size bed and one with a bunk bed), one bathroom and a little living room/kitchen with fridge, microwave, coffee machine, kettle and hob. As we were all inclusive we didn’t need to cook but the kitchen was still useful to warm Marcus’ milk in the morning or have a cup of tea/coffee while waiting for the restaurant to open for breakfast. The lodge was nice and comfortable with enough storage spaces for our belonging. We also had a little terrace with an outside sofa and hot tub. The entertainment in the afternoon were all happening on the stage by the battleship pool which meant that I could enjoy some live music whilst beginning in the hot tub.

There were three pools in the resort and as part of our all-inclusive package we had unlimited access to the water park just next door. The biggest pool in the resort is the battleship one which contains two big boats with several water slides in. The water is slowly going from shallow to 1.40 m deep which is great for kids and adults. The second pool is the Kraken pool which is more a splash pool for toddlers and children. It has plenty of games in it perfect for the little ones. Finally the last pool which is more a private one as it is reserved most of the day to the lodges that are around it, is the lagoon. It is more a adult pool with a bar in it. We mainly used the Kraken and battleship pools which we found great and Marcus absolutely loved his time doing “plouf” (as he said) in it.

The resort has two restaurants (one being reserved for the ultra VIP), a tavern and several small bars by each pool and the reception. We mainly used the buffet style restaurant, the tavern and the bar by the battleship pool. As we had never been to an all inclusive before we were a bit afraid that the food might not be good and too repetitive. But I have to say that we were really impressed. There was plenty of choice at each meal, the food was fresh and tasty and they even had  local wines in bottle. In the evening they had live music by the tavern so when Marcus wasn’t too tired we will stop there for a cocktail/ beer before going to bed.

The resort had plenty of entertainment options from gaming rooms, to foam party in the pool and evening shows. Having a 2.5 years old with us we didn’t try everything, especially the evening shows as they were late. However we still enjoyed our week there. The resort was great, the staff was very friendly and most of the families on holiday were Spanish. It was nice to hear Spanish talked everywhere. Being on the outskirts of Benidorm, the resort had a total different atmosphere. It was quieter, more relaxed and family orientated. Even though all the lodges were occupied we never felt crowded and there were also always sunbeds available by the pools. We also had great views on the surrounding mountains and Benidorm city.

Yes we will. It was lovely to not have to think about cooking or cleaning as we usually do during our holidays. It was also nice to not have to drive to go to the resort or Benidorm or to visit Algar waterfall (more in a next post). We could like that just focus on playing with Marcus and read/relax. We loved having a lodge and we will definitely try to find other resorts with lodges. Matt and I agreed that a week – max 10 days will be the right duration for us but definitely not longer and once a year will be our maximum as we still love our more adventurous holidays.

On the side of Magic Pirate Island resort was Terra Natura park and being all inclusive we had unlimited access to the park. We went twice during our week there to be able to see all the animals. The park has a wide selection of animals from monkeys, birds, and reptiles to big animals like elephants, rhinos and lions. They also have some live shows and experiences and a great toddler playground area and adventure trail for teenagers. The park works with a lot of conservation programs around the world to protect the animals and their habitats. Most of the animals in the park were rescued and are now living the end of their life in a safer environment. Marcus loved watching the animals with the rhinos being ones of his favourite.

On the other side of Magic Pirate Island resort was Aqua Natura park and again as we were all inclusive we had unlimited access to the aquatic park. We went one afternoon there and while Marcus and I splashed in the main lagoon pool, Matt tried most of the water slides. The aquatic park has several water slides of different levels; however most of them are from 12 years old plus. There are also a splash pool and a lagoon pool. Marcus was too young to do most of the things and I am not really keen in water slides so we preferred to use the resort pool. But the aquatic park is really good for older kids/teenagers so definitely worth it if you have kids of that ages.

The resort was offering a free bus shuttle service to Benidorm so on two occasions we took it to go once to Levante beach and another time to the old town.

We enjoyed Levante beach which is a long sandy beach with shallow water. Marcus enjoyed playing with us in the sand and water. The water temperature was also very nice. However around midday people started to arrive and it was becoming more and more crowded. I imagine that in summer it must be full of people and not as enjoyable as in the low season. Additionally tall buildings border the beach which I found oppressing. I was very happy that we didn’t book a room in one of these hotels as I don’t think I would have enjoyed the experience.

The second time we went, we visited the shopping streets and old town. The streets were very busy and after roaming around we walked towards the old castle. The castle is not really impressive, however the views from it are really nice with on one side Levante beach and on the other side Poniente. Some little streets in the old town were nice but several shops were closed. Again I felt very oppressed in the city with these tall buildings everywhere.

Overall we enjoyed our week all inclusive in Magic Pirate Island resort. The mountain villages nearby are nice and worth a visit. It also looks like there are some great hikes to do. We didn’t really like Benidorm city but the beach was nice early morning.