In the second half of the nineteenth century Benicàssim became the most fashionable summer-bathing resort in the province of Castelló — to the point where it was nicknamed "the Biarritz of the Levante". The wealthy bourgeoisie of Castelló and Valencia built a row of summer villas along the seafront here, in eclectic styles ranging from neoclassical to modernista to neo-Mudéjar.
A walking trail signposted as the Ruta de las Villas runs from the old centre to the Voramar end of the promenade, taking in around twenty of the surviving villas. Most are still private and not open inside, but the trail is well-interpreted and gives a good sense of what coastal Spain looked like before the package-tourism boom.