Contact Sheet Print: Benidorm Spain, 1997

Martin Parr has always found inspiration on beaches. Ever since his days as a photography student at Manchester Polytechnic in the 1970s, when he would make frequent trips to the seaside resort of Blackpool to take pictures, Parr has seen the beach as a playground for experimentation.

More than any other beach location, Benidorm – the vast, tourist-strewn seaside resort on the eastern coast of Spain – could be said to be Parr’s favourite. He listed it as one of his cultural highlights in an article for The Guardian last year, stating that “contrary to popular reputation, I believe it to be a very classy resort.”

This contact sheet contains colourful beach scenes from Benidorm, Spain, 1997.

Martin Parr joined Magnum Photos in 1994.