Benicàssim is a modern town, since its Founding Charter as a township dates back to 1603. Its name, with Arabic origins, means “Sons of Casim”, according to numismatic remains from the 12th century. Santa Águeda chapel and Montornés castle were some of the places where its earliest inhabitants lived.

This fortress was taken from the Moslems by El Cid in 1094. When it was recovered it was finally incorporated into Christendom by Jaime I in 1234.

The building of Santo Tomás de Villanueva church in 1769 meant a definitive milestone for forming a town around this centre of worship.

In 1879, during the construction of the Castellón-Tarragona railway, engineer Joaquín Coloma fell in love with Benicássim and built a summer house in this beautiful bay. Some well-off families of Valencia and Castellón went along with his initiative and a select set of villas of all kinds and architectural wealth, known as “Levant’s Biarritz” came about (link to Las Villas route).