PortAventura Park

One of Europe's ten largest amusement parks is PortAventura (Salou, Spain). With around four million visitors a year, it's no wonder: it is the largest amusement park in Spain, the great place of fun for hundreds of thousands of families with children, and one of the best amusement parks in Europe.

Among its 40 attractions are European records for height and speed, and the dozens of daily shows at PortAventura draw crowds of enthusiastic spectators. Sometimes referred to as the Spanish Disneyland, but unlike Disney, PortAventura theme park also has a water park, beach club and golf course. For a long immersion in a world of joy and fun, you can stay in one of the hotels within the park.

The park has a total of 58 different slides for adults and children, including 9 roller coasters (Shambhala, Dragon Khan, Furius Baco, Junior Red Force, Red Force, Stampida, Tomahawk, El Diablo – Tren de la Mina, Tami Tami), 7 flat rides (Kon-tiki Wave, Serpiente Emplumada, Yucatán, Hurakan Condor, Maranello Grand Race, Thrill Towers, Street Mission) and 8 water rides (King Khajuna, Ciclón Tropical, Rapid Race, The Mambo and Limbo, El Tifón, El Río Loco, El Torrente, Barracudas).

PortAventura amusement park attracts not only with its many rides but also with its diversity. Six areas have been created, just as six different continents as a child could imagine. Imagine visiting the Mediterranean, Polynesia, China, Mexico, the Far West and the fairytale land of Sésamoaventura all on the same day.

It is impossible to grasp everything at once because PortAventura is 117 hectares in area. Having fun without missing anything will help you with the park map. Below we will describe the rides you won't find in other amusement parks and the most spectacular shows.

Mediterranean

This is the part you'll find just after entering the park. It looks like a small fishing village, home to the fantastic Furius Baco rollercoaster, which has long held the European speed record.

Here you'll discover that you don't have to travel through the territory on foot: the train from Estació del Nord takes you straight to the Wild West, and at Porto de la Drassana, you can take a boat across the lake to China.

In the evening, you might want to return to the Mediterranean for the FiestAventura show, when the darkness and lake surface provide the backdrop for a laser show and fireworks. The Mediterranean has several shops with sweets, toys and souvenirs, and restaurants with typical Spanish cuisine. Conveniently, many of the restaurants in PortAventura offer children's menus.

Wild West

Do you dream of living a day among cowboys and emerging victorious from dangerous adventures? Then you're on your way to the Wild West. Here trains rumble over wooden tracks on the Stampida and Tomahawk roller coasters. Here the Silver River Flume drags huge logs from the sawmill — want to take a chance and raft on one of them? This is where you'll have to contend with a wild river as you raft down the Grand Canyon Rapids.

Here slams the shutters Labyrinth BlackSmith (Laberinto BlackSmith), waiting for lovers of secrets. Even the racetrack is different, with the Buffalo Rodeo replacing the car race. And beware of the merry-go-round — the VolPaiute can spin at breakneck speed. The most classic and leisurely ride is the merry-go-round.

Note that some attractions in PortAventura have an age limit. You can take the train from Penitence Station to leave the Wild West. But before you go, have fun at the cowboy show Old Wild West and sink your teeth into a steak (or maybe a burger) in one of the restaurants.

Mexico

Mayan pyramids, ruins of mysterious buildings and lush vegetation — this is what Mexico looks like. The most extreme attraction in this part of the park, the Flight of the Condor (Hurakan Condor), is a 100m high free-fall tower. However, the Serpiente Emplumada (Feathered Serpent), which tries to throw riders off its neck, is just as adrenaline-pumping.

The El Diablo-Tren de la Mina (the mine train), steeped in sinister legends, is nothing short of a rollercoaster. And the Yucatan merry-go-round resembles the skirt of a dancer twirling in a frenzied dance. But the children's rides are much more peaceful. Kids can ride the Foals and Armadillos carousel and wander through the Mayan Secret mirror maze.

The Templo del Fuego (Temple of Fire) fire show begins when darkness falls in Mexico. To imagine what awaits you in this place, remember any of the films about Indiana Jones. You might prefer to buy Mexican sombreros at the souvenir shop or eat burritos with different toppings.

China

The main attraction for families with young children is the Area Infantil playground at Mongolian Camp. This is where the friendliest Chinese dragons live, which have been turned into slides and merry-go-rounds. Nearby there is a unique roller coaster for children called Cobra Imperial and a merry-go-round called Tea Cups.

Shambhala at PortAventura. Even if you cannot find the mythical Shambhala, it will not stop you from indulging in this attraction. The Shambhala roller coaster is 76 metres high and 1,650 metres long. It is the highest rollercoaster in Europe, with the longest freefall (78m) and the fastest travel speed.

Dragon Khan. If the Shambhala rollercoaster is up to you, then take the Dragon Khan rollercoaster. The loop made by the giant red lizard is fun for those who love the mixture of horror and excitement.

The China Zone has recently introduced a new attraction, Angkor, a rafting trip on a tropical river that involves firing water pistols at predators. Other attractions in China include a bubble show, Paintings in the Sand and a Marco Polo puppet show. Restaurants offer Chinese and European cuisine.

Polynesia

The maximum exoticism is concentrated in Polynesia. The Canoes ride is designed especially for children who dream of sailing independently. The Tutuki Splash, on the other hand, is a ride designed for those who want to enjoy a roller coaster ride but need to swim in the lake through which the rails run. And, of course, the Kon-Tiki Swing is worth a look — Thor Heyerdahl's raft by that name ploughed through the ocean, and these swings plough through the sky.

Children enjoy some of the shows in Polynesia, for example, the Birds of Paradise show with feathered performers and the musical Aloha Tahití. We also recommend visiting the 4-D cinema to meet the Ice Age characters.

SésamoAventura

This is where Sesame Street is located! You'll find the most child-friendly rides in this part of the park. Children will be thrilled to discover that there are miniature replicas of adult rides here. For example, the Salto de Blas (Blas Leap), a free fall ride resembling the Flight of the Condor. The Tami Tami roller coaster looks a lot like the Wild West.

However, many other attractions are unlike anything else in the adult world. Kids love to spin on the fancy Waikiki, snuggle under the wings of Mariposas Saltarinas or swim across the lake on the backs of Magic Fish.

Fans of soaring in the clouds will love the rides Coco Piloto and Loco-Loco Tiki. And if kids love tree climbing, the 12-metre Magic Tree awaits them. There's a maze inside and an observation deck outside.

An entertaining attraction is La Granja de Elmo (Elmo's Farm). Small tractors run on rails around the courtyard where vegetables are stored, and farm animals are grazed. The enchanted vegetable garden (El Huerto Encantado) is the place to run and play. The playground has slides, ladders, mazes, dry pools and other pleasant things.

Once you leave this part of the park, the train from SésamoAventura Station will take you to the Mediterranean or the Wild West. You can buy Sesame Street toy characters in the souvenir shop and sample Ernie's specialities in the restaurant.

Costa Caribe Aquatic Park covers 50,000 square metres of land. This underwater kingdom has three adult pools with beaches near them, several kid's pools and eight mind-blowing slides, including Europe's tallest free-fall slide.

Relax at Playa Paraíso in the Seven Seas while kids get to act like pirates at Sésamo Beach. The El Galeón Pirata (Pirate Galleon) is moored in the shallow end of the beach and has a low roller coaster. Another children's play area with various water rides is La Laguna Woody, where Woody, the cartoon woodpecker, is in charge. And if you don't want your kids to spend too much time in the sun, the indoor Junior Body Slides are just as fun.

• Read more about the water park in PortAventura

It is a pity to leave the park without visiting its rides. Therefore, many people buy a ticket for 2-3 days and are accommodated in hotels on the territory of Port Aventura. Each of the six hotels in the park has themed rooms so that you will be surrounded by a festive atmosphere during your stay. Living costs in any hotel include access to the park and water park. For accommodation, you can choose other hotels near Port Aventura, for example, in Salou or Vila Seca.

• Choose your day wisely. Saturdays and Sundays are the most popular days for visitors, so, there will be more people in the park on weekends.
• To prevent your visit to PortAventura from being spoilt by the long queues, you can buy Express tickets that will allow quick access to many rides.
• Leave the main and most interesting attractions until noon as most people usually head for the popular attractions first. In the afternoon you will see a considerable difference in the length of the queues.
• Separate Express tickets are available in the park and water park.
• The ticket vending machines are located next to the most popular attractions. Note that the Express Premium ticket and wristband give you fun without queuing and free parking.
• On the official PortAventura website, you can buy the tickets online. This is advantageous for two reasons: you will not have to queue and worry about not having enough tickets, and when you buy them online, you will get substantial discounts (up to 15% off the ticket price at the box office).