The largest theme park in Spain (and one of the largest in Europe), PortAventura is a captivating place with lush scenery, enchanting architecture, and an immersive theme. While it is not on the level of a Disney or Universal park (which is intriguing, since Universal operated the park and the resort at the same time), it is a step above a typical park. In fact, some of its roller coasters and attractions are among the most thrilling in the world.
For a western-influenced comparison, PortAventura is similar to the Busch Gardens parks, which also feature a winning combination of great attractions, a wonderful atmosphere, great park food, and inspired shows. That’s not surprising, as Busch Entertainment was also among the property’s original owners and designers. (PortAventura is now owned and operated by an independent Spanish company).
The premise of the park is to take visitors on an adventure around the world in the course of one day. Rather than Epcot’s global educational fair / entertainment approach, the Spain park features more whimsical and idealized interpretations of places, such as Polynesia, Mexico, China, the Wild West, Italy, and its global ode to southern Europe, which it calls Mediterrania. . For an expat from the United States, it can be fascinating to see how the Spanish park presents its version of the Old West infused with American cowboys.
Wild walks
In 2017, PortAventura opened Ferrari Land, a 15-acre ode to the esteemed Italian automaker. It features Red Force, which at 112 mph and 367 feet is the fastest and highest roller coaster in Europe (and one of the fastest and tallest roller coasters in the world). He uses a magnetic induction launch to catapult his trains up and onto a top hat tower. In 2018, Ferrari Land welcomed an area for younger children that included a junior roller coaster.
Among the other wild rides in the park are Furius Baco, a truly heartbreaking ultra-high speed (one of the fastest in the world) and a completely unique thrown roller coaster, Shambhala, an exceptionally tall, fast and smooth hypercoaster, the highly acclaimed Dragon La Khan’s multi-inversion steel coaster, Stampedia, a two-track racing wooden coaster that’s really all about speed, and Hurakan Condor, a drop tower ride that rises to nosebleed levels. For younger children, the SésamoAventura terrain (based on Sesame Street) offers many attractions and play areas.
In 2019, the park will feature a dark Sesame Street-themed ride. Among his characters will be a life-size Big Bird animatronic. The lovable Muppet, Grover, will guide guests through an interactive adventure that will include visits to the Earl’s Castle and Oscar the Grouch’s trash can. Passengers will be armed with zappers and will be able to accumulate points during the trip.
Visitors who avoid extreme thrills and are outside of the Sesame Street demographic will find plenty to do in the park. The Sea Odyessy 4-D motion simulator theater offers a couple different attractions and is well done. The live shows, which include exciting performances with themes from Polynesia, Mexico and the Old West, are a hoot. And there are more toned-down rides, including a trio of water rides: Tutuki Splash (downhill ride), Silver River Flume (canal log), and Grand Canyon Rapids (river rapids).
The park is not big on characters. Woody Woodpecker, a holdover from the Universal era, is the star. Interestingly enough, Betty Boop, dating back to the early days of black and white cartoons, also has a home in PortAventura. The Sesame Street / Sesame Street gang completes the cast.
The resort’s hotels, beachfront location, and full-featured water park make it an attractive multi-day vacation destination. In fact, many visitors to PortAventura travel from all over Europe, including France, the UK and, increasingly, Russia. As with other major European attractions, the diversity of its audience creates a curious mix of cultures and dialects (and requires the park to keep dialogue at its shows to a minimum).
Location information and tickets
Salou, Tarragona, Spain, about an hour south of Barcelona. The address is 43480 Vila-seca.
- By train : the complex has its own station. The high-speed train from Madrid, Guadalajara, Calatayud, Zaragoza and Lleida goes to Camp de Tarragona. Transfer to the Ràpid Train to PortAventura.
- By plane : Reus (Tarragona) airport is about 15 minutes away. Barcelona’s El Prat airport is one hour away.
- By car : AP-7 until exit 35, Salou / Tarragona. Follow the signs to the complex.
Entrance to the park includes all attractions and shows. There is a discounted rate for youth passes (4 to 10 years old) and seniors (60+), as well as for the disabled. 3 and under are free. The park offers discounted passes for guests arriving after 7 p.m. M. 2-day passes as well as season passes available. Parking is additional. Discounted tickets are often available by purchasing them in advance on the official PortAventura website.
Please note that a separate ticket is required to enter Ferrari Land. A separate ticket is also required for entry to the PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park. Combination passes for two or all three parks are available.
What is there to eat?
As in all of Spain, food is taken very seriously at PortAventura. In addition to the usual fast food and fast food stalls, the park has a surprising number of restaurants offering foods such as tapas, Italian, seafood, Chinese and Mexican. Make reservations as soon as possible, because the demand for popular restaurants is high.
Water park
PortAventura Caribe is a large-scale water park with many water diversions. Not unlike the resort’s nearby Hotel Caribe, the park features a Caribbean theme. (Hmm. Do any Caribbean attractions adopt a Mediterranean coastline theme?) Among the park’s highlights are the large wave pool of the Bermuda Triangle, the splashing El Rio Loco, and the massive arcade center. interactive Woody’s Lagoon. Interestingly, the park includes an indoor area with slides and activities for younger children installed in a cooler area, free from sun (and without rain).
Hotels and Resort
The full-fledged destination complex offers five themed hotels on site. In 2019, it will open its sixth hotel, Colorado Creek. The PortAventura Hotel is open all year round and offers spaces for conventions and business meetings. Room packages include park tickets, breakfast, and transportation to the parks. Amenities include access to the Ocean Beach Beach Club, three golf courses, meeting and convention facilities, and restaurants.
Halloween and Christmas events
The park celebrates both parties with themed events. For Halloween, there are midway monsters, haunted trails, special shows, and a parade. For Christmas, PortAventura dresses up in twinkling lights, puts on special shows and offers visits from Santa Claus.
