Pedro Zaragoza

Zaragoza encouraged the building of high-rises in Benidorm as he felt it helped more people to see the beaches and feel the sea air. In 2008, Benidorm was home to 330 skyscrapers and attracted over five million visitors.

Zaragoza died of heart failure on 1 April 2008. The town of Benidorm observed two days of official mourning for him.

In 1967, after stepping down as mayor, Zaragoza's high-energy personality continued into several positions over the years. As a provincial deputy, he voted against the restoration of the Spanish monarchy. He became president of the Province of Alicante. He was chair of the Tourism Commission for 12 years. He completed a law degree in the 1970s, specialising in urban development. At 82, he received a degree in tourism at Alicante University, which made him an honorary professor.

In 1952, Zaragoza allowed women to wear the newest fashion of bikinis anywhere in the town. This prompted some Catholic bishops to threaten to excommunicate him. Only on the intervention of Franco did the bishops and the Catholic Church back off from their threat.

Zaragoza was appointed mayor in 1950 at the age of 28 by the Francoist State. At the time Benidorm was a small town without many economic prospects. Spain was still recovering from the Spanish Civil War that had ended in 1939. Zaragoza felt that the town could be turned into a beachside resort that would draw tourists not just from Spain, but from across Europe. In 1950, Benidorm only had 102 hotel rooms.

Pedro Zaragoza Orts (May 15, 1922 – April 1, 2008) was the mayor of Benidorm, Spain, from 1950 to 1967. He is credited with helping turn the town into one of the most popular holiday resorts in Spain, creating "Europe's first mass tourist resort."