At the water park you can ride water rides, dine in local cafes and restaurants or have a picnic, watch dolphin and seals shows.
In Catalonia, water parks are located all along the coast, most have free shuttle service from neighboring tourist towns. Therefore, I recommend going to one of the parks closest to your hotel first.
I visit Catalonia every year, and my kids and I have checked out almost every water park you can get to from Barcelona. Here is my ranking of water parks east and west of Barcelona that you can get to on your own.
Water park with dolphins: Aquapolis
One of the six Aquapolis parks is located in La Pineda, near Salou. It can be reached from Barcelona in one hour. I recommend it if you are staying in Tarragona, Salou or Reus.
For me, this is the best option on the warm Costa Dorada: it is comfortable to relax here even in September, when other water parks are closed. And if you buy your ticket online 10 days in advance, you can save well.
The water park is big — 110 thousand square meters, but there is not much water entertainment here: 6 extreme attractions, 8 slides for adults and children, 4 zones for kids. There are 5 VIP-zones with sun beds on the territory, a lot of space for resting on your towels.
A special feature of the water park — dolphins and seals live here. Twice a day you can attend a show with marine animals and watch them in the exhibition pool at any time.
- The water park is open May 18 through September 30, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Admission: adults over 1.4 m — from 18.9 € online and 29.95 € at the box office. Children 1—1.4 m tall and adults over 65 years old from 18.9 € online and 23.95 € at the box office, children under 1 m tall are free of charge.
- Additional costs: sunbed rental — 5 €, locker rental — 12 € (half will be refunded when you return the keys).
- Aquapolis website.
How to get to Aquapolis
- Plana buses from Tarragona, Salou and Cambrils stop at the entrance to the water park. Ticket prices start from 1.2 €.
- Take the Renfe train from Barcelona to Salou (line R16 and R17), then change to the Plana bus.
Picnic in a water park: Water World
The water park is located near the tourist town of Lloret de Mar, 75 km north of Barcelona. It is the most popular water park on the Costa Brava. It is suitable for adults who like extreme slides and for families with children.
It can already be chilly in September. In the fall, choose from water parks further south on the warmer Costa Dorada.
There are 21 water attractions on the territory of the park. Among them there are 5 extreme ones: kamikaze, free fall capsule, roller coaster, water funnel and down a closed tube in inflatable boats. There are 13 attractions for a quiet family vacation. And for the smallest ones there are 3 water zones.
The specialty of the park is that it is located on a hilly area among pine forests, so you can always find shade.
You can bring food to the territory and have a picnic in a special area with tables. There are several cafes and restaurants on the territory.
- The mode of operation in 2020 is May 25 through September 27 — 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Admission: adults over 1,2 m — 35 €, adults over 65 and children under 1,2 m — 20 €, children up to 80 cm tall — free of charge.
- Storage locker — 8 €, sunbed rental — 4 €.
- Water World website.
How to get to Water World
- Free buses from Lloret de Mar, Tossa de Mar, Blanes, Malgrat de Mar, Pineda de Mar, Calella. Schedule.
- Renfe Cercanias trains, line R1 to Blanes, then take the free shuttle bus to the water park. Train travel is free if you purchase a train ticket and park admission at the Renfe ticket office.
Most popular water park: Caribe Aquatic Park
Part of the famous Port Aventura World complex 110 km south of Barcelona, near Salou and Tarragona. There are a lot of visitors here, and you can stand in line for more than half an hour, so I do not recommend considering this option in July and August.
On a small territory of 50 thousand square meters 17 attractions are located. The most famous and extreme one is a descent from the height of a 12-storey building at a speed of 6 m/s, at an angle of 55 °. For children, there are several water zones: a rooftop pool, an interactive water playground, a children’s pool with a pirate galleon and a lagoon with children’s water entertainment.
The loungers on the territory of the water park are free of charge, but you should occupy them as early as possible — there are not enough for everyone. The cost of renting a locker is 6 €.
- Mode of operation: June — September from 10:30 to 18:00 — 19:00.
- Admission: when purchased online adults 29 €, children from 4 to 10 years old and adults over 60 years old 25 €. At the box office it costs 3 € more.
- Website Caribe Aquatic Park.
How to get to Caribe Aquatic Park
- Renfe regional trains from Barcelona from Estació de França, Passeig de Gràcia or Estació de Sants stations. Line R16. Travel time is 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Plana buses from Barcelona and the cities of the Costa Dorada (Tarragona, Reus, Salou, La Pineda).
Close to Girona: Aquadiver
Water park for family vacation with children in 110 km from Barcelona. I do not recommend going from the capital of Catalunya, there are water parks closer. But for those who vacation on the Costa Brava, near Girona, it is a good option.
There are 23 rides in the park: 8 for small children, 2 extreme — kamikaze and black hole, and the rest are suitable for older children and adults.
There are four cafes and a picnic area — you can bring your own food.
- Mode of operation: from June 8 to September 13 from 10:00 to 18:00 — 19:00.
- Admission: adults over 1,2 m — 35 €, adults over 65 and children under 1,2 m — 20 €, children up to 80 cm tall — free of charge.
- Storage boxes are 8 €, sunbed rental is 4 €.
- Aquadiver Website.
How to get to Aquadiver
- Free buses run from Palamos, Sant Antoni de Calonge, Platja d’Aro, S’Agaró, Sant Feliu de Guíxols y l’Estartit. Bus schedule.
Calm and Family: Marineland
A small water park — dolphinarium 70 km from Barcelona, also near Lloret de Mar. I recommend it for family vacations with children, who will be interested in watching sea animals and birds. Adult companies will not be interested here — the water park has only 10 attractions, no extreme ones.
All slides allow children taller than 1.15 meters. There are three children’s zones with small slides, suspension bridges and fountains for the youngest ones.
The specialty of the park is the shows with dolphins, seals and exotic birds. Each show takes place twice a day and is included in the ticket price.
You can bring your own food into the grounds — there is a separate picnic area with wooden tables and benches. There are three cafes where you can order a set lunch from 14.5 €.
In season, when the queues for the rides are long, you can buy a Fast Pass for 10 € and stand in a separate queue that moves faster.
- The mode of operation in 2020 is May 18 through September 6 from 10:00 am — 10:30 am to 5:00 pm — 6:30 pm.
- Schedule performances featuring animals on the website.
- Tickets (box office/online): adults — 29 € / 25 €, children from 5 to 10 years old and adults from 65 years old — 20 € / 17 €, children 3 — 4 years old — 12 € / 10 €, children under 3 years old — free of charge.
- Renting a storage box is 11 € for a small box and 15 € for a large box, of which 5 € will be refunded when you return the key. For several people it is better to take one large box. Rental of a sun lounger — 4 €.
How to get to Marineland
- Free buses from the tourist towns of Tossa de Mar, Lloret de Mar, Blanes, Malgrat de mar, Santa Susanna, Pineda de Mar, Calella.
- Renfe Cercanias trains, line R1, to Santa Susana station, from where there is a free shuttle bus to the water park. If you buy a combined ticket (train and entrance ticket to Marineland) at the Renfe ticket office, the train ride is free. If you buy tickets separately, one-way travel will cost 5.5 €.
Closest to Barcelona: Illa Fantasia
Illa Fantasia Water Park is a family water park, the closest to Barcelona — only 25 km away. One of the oldest water parks in Spain, it has existed for more than 25 years, so the water attractions are outdated. After other water parks, it may not be interesting and boring, but there are always a lot of locals here — it is convenient to get here. What else to do in Barcelona with kids
The territory of the park is 70 thousand square meters. meters. There are 22 attractions: indoor and outdoor slides of different complexity for adults and children, and 3 large swimming pools: a lake with calm water, a pool with artificial waves and a pool with water cascades. The pools are rented for evening and night events, concerts and festivals.
There is a special picnic area with 900 tables and 100 barbecue areas. You can dine on what you bring with you or buy from the local supermarket. For those who prefer to dine in cafes and restaurants, there are several places with pizza, burgers, fast food and ice cream.
Lockers in the park charge a fee: 5 — 7 € depending on size, plus a deposit of 5 €, which will be refunded when you return the locker key. Free parking is available in front of the entrance.
- Mode of operation: June — September from 10:00 to 18:00 — 19:00.
- Admission: adults and children over 1,2 m — 29 €, children from 0,9 to 1,2 m — 17 €, children below 0,9 m — free of charge.
- Illa Fantasia's website.
How to get to Illa Fantasia
- The free bus from Barcelona leaves at 10.00am from Sants metro station, returning half an hour before the park closes.
- Renfe Cercanias suburban trains, line R1, to Premia de Mar station. There are free shuttles from the station to the water park. If you buy a train ticket and a weekend ticket to the water park at the Renfe ticket office, travel is free.
The northernmost in Catalonia: Aquabrava
The Aquabrava Water Park opened in 1987 near the French border and covers an area of 10 hectares. It is worth traveling here from Figueres and other towns in northeastern Spain. Most of the attractions are old, after visiting new and modern water parks will not be interesting. I think that the price of the entrance ticket does not correspond to the level.
Another «minus» of the water park: you can’t bring your own food and drinks, bags are inspected at the entrance. There is no picnic area. You will have to dine in one of the expensive local catering establishments: two restaurants and three cafes.
There are 19 classic attractions of varying complexity: 5 extreme ones, such as «black hole», kamikaze and cobra; 12 exciting ones — parallel descent, ride on artificial rivers and slides on inflatable boats. For family recreation — pools with and without waves, water zone for kids.
- The mode of operation in 2020 is June 3 through September 13, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Admission: adults above 1.2 meters — 33 €, children below 1.2 meters and adults over 65 years old — 20 €.
- Sunbed rental — 3 €, locker rental — 9 € (5 € refunded when you return the key).
- Aquabrava website
How to get to Aquabrava
- Free buses from Roses, Santa Margarita, Empuriabrava, Sant Pere Pescador.
What you need to know about vacationing in water parks
- It is not necessary to rent a sun bed in the water park, it can be replaced by a large towel. And I do not recommend to save money on renting a locker, otherwise you can lose valuable things.
- To pay for sunbeds and lockers you must have cash, you cannot pay for these services by card.
- Before entering each attraction, information is posted about the height from which children are allowed.
- Be sure to bring sunscreen, as well as a towel and rubber outdoor shoes. Water parks have showers, so shampoo and shower gel are useful.
- In order for the insurance company to cover medical expenses in the event of an accident at a water park, the insurance must have an «Active Vacation» option.
