PortAventura amusement park: how to organize a trip without guides
PortAventura on your own: a complete guide

PortAventura amusement park: how to organize a trip without guides

If you want to diversify your beach vacation, then go to Spain on the Costa Dorada. Here, not far from the golden beaches is a huge entertainment complex PortAventura World. You will not find such a thing at any European seaside resort!

The famous PortAventura World complex in Spain is 25 years old. Over the years, it has become bigger and more popular: 5 million visitors a year and the title of the best European park according to Worldofparks in 2019.

There is definitely something to do in «PortAventura»: there are more than 70 attractions and more than 30 stores, cafes and restaurants, there is a SPA center, a golf course and 6 hotels.

PortAventura World complex consists of 3 parks: Caribe Aquatic Park, PortAventura Park and the new Ferrari Land park. Read about the water park here, and in this article I will tell you about the land parks.

Map of PortAventura World
Map of PortAventura World

PortAventura Park (PortAventura Park)

PortAventura Park is the most famous, popular and largest part of the complex. The park is divided into 6 thematic zones — worlds. The territory and entertainment of each zone is designed in its own unique style. Even those who do not like extreme entertainment will find quiet family attractions, watch show programs and just relax.

Map of PortAventura Park
Map of PortAventura Park

There are always queues for attractions in PortAventura Park, waiting times are shown on the electronic board at the entrance. For the most popular attractions you can wait from 30 minutes to several hours.

To reduce the time spent in queues for the top attractions, you can buy an Express pass. It is sold both at the entrance and inside the park, so you should assess the size of the queues before buying it.

Mediterranean (Mediterrània)

The area is decorated in the style of a fishing village. It has a lake and its own port, Port de la Drassana, from where you can leave by ship through Polynesia to China. In China, the port is called Waitan Port.

From the Mediterranean, you can take a wooden train from the train station (Estacion del Nord) to the Wild West — Penitence Station. If traveling with little ones, don’t forget to get off at SesamoAventura Station.

The Mediterranean is home to one of PortAventura’s most extreme and popular attractions, the Furius Baco horizontal catapult. It accelerates up to 135 km/h in 3 seconds and is 850 meters long. The attraction has a strict height requirement: children above 140 cm and adults up to 195 cm are allowed.

In high season, from mid-June to August, the main street of the Mediterranean hosts a theatrical parade of the park’s characters and concludes with a fireworks display.

Arrival of the train at the Mediterranean station
Arrival of the train at the Mediterranean station
Mediterranean lake and port
Mediterranean lake and port

Polynesia

The tropical part of the park with three water attractions. There is no extreme entertainment here, but there is a show with exotic birds — you must visit it.

The most interesting attraction in Polynesia is Tutuki Splash: a boat ride down a mountain river and a drop into a mountain lake. Children from 120 cm to 140 cm in height are allowed on the attraction only with adults.

Tutuki Splash in Polynesia.
Tutuki Splash in Polynesia.
The main stage for performances in Polynesia
The main stage for performances in Polynesia

China

The world of colonial China is represented here and there are 7 attractions: 2 extreme and 5 for families with children.

Most visitors head to China to wait out the huge queues and ride two extreme roller coasters: the 76m high Shambhala with a top speed of 136km/h and the Dragon Khan with 8 loops at 110km/h.

In China, the musical show We Dance on Movies takes place on the stage of a large theater (Gran Teatro). In 2019, this show was recognized as the best show in European amusement parks by Worldofparks.

Shambhala and Dragon Khan
Shambhala and Dragon Khan
The Chinese Wall, view from the train
The Chinese Wall, view from the train
Angkor ride in China
Angkor ride in China

Mexico (México)

There are 7 attractions on the Mayan-inspired grounds.

For adrenaline, head to the 100-meter Hurakan Condor free fall tower, Mexico’s main landmark and the most popular local extreme attraction in the entire park for kids from 140 cm and adults.

The simplest roller coasters of PortAventura: El Diablo — Tren de la Mina are also located here. Even children from 110 cm are allowed on them, accompanied by an adult.

Hurakan Condor ride in Mexico.
Hurakan Condor ride in Mexico.

The Far West.

At Wild West you’ll find 11 rides in the style of American westerns.

The most popular are the Stampida wooden roller coaster and two water rides: Grand Canyon Rapids and Silver River Flume. Small children will be interested in riding the horses of the circular carousel.

There are four types of shows in this part of the park. The most interesting ones are the Wild West Adventure (Bang Bang West) and the music and dance show (Can Can West).

The Grand Canyon Rapids Wild West attraction
The Grand Canyon Rapids Wild West attraction
Wild West in PortAventura
Wild West in PortAventura

Sesame Land (SésamoAventura)

An area for the youngest visitors with 12 attractions for kids. Here you can meet and dance with the characters of Sesame Street.

In Sesame Land children ride on a steam train, airplane, butterfly, fish or dragon. And there is also a roller coaster for kids Tami Tami, you can ride it accompanied by an adult if the child is from 1 m to 1.3 m tall.

SésamoAventura has a lot of visitors on weekends, so if you go with little ones, choose a weekday.

Ferrari Land

The newest part of PortAventura World — Ferrari Land opened in 2017 on the territory of 70 thousand square meters. This is the second theme park of the Italian car brand Ferrari in the world, the first one is located in Abu Dhabi (UAE). The territory is decorated in the Italian style and the style of the famous Ferrari.

There are 12 attractions in the park. The most interesting and popular ones that are worth visiting first:

  • Ferrari Experience. The 4,000 square meter building will tell and show the history and technology of Ferrari in 5D format.
  • Red Force is an extreme vertical ride-accelerator up to 180 km/h, 112 m high and 880 m long. Children are allowed on the ride only if they are at least 1.4 meters tall.
  • Thrill towers. These are two 55-meter towers. One is free-falling, and the other is ricocheting: it drops down several times and up sharply.
Ferrari Land
Ferrari Land

Ferrari Land features several race tracks for kids and adults, a Ferrari specialty store and several models of Italian landmarks.

Ferrari Land hosts two performances during the day: the Rondo Veniziano, a musical show in 18th century Italian costumes, and Pin Up en Ferrari Land, a mid-20th century style dance performance.

PortAventura mode of operation

PortAventura parks are open from late March through mid-fall; in November and December, the parks are open on weekends, vacations and sometimes weekdays; they close after the new year. Detailed schedule by day on the website.

Tickets

At PortAventura you can buy a single day ticket for one park or combined tickets for several days and parks. The price depends on the season and age. It is cheaper to buy on the website.

  • Admission for one day at PortAventura Park is 45—51 €.
  • Admission for one day at Ferrari Land is 19—24 €.
  • A one-day admission to two parks is 49—59 €.

Check the PortAventura World website for all ticket options.

The price of an Express pass depends on the number of attractions it covers, the number of visits per day and the opportunity to take the top spots.

  • Visit popular attractions once a day: 25 — 40 €.
  • Unlimited rides: 60 — 65 €.

All Express pass options with terms and conditions and prices are on the official website.

Before buying an Express, evaluate the queues for the attractions you want to visit. You can also buy a pass at the park.

Entrance to Angkor attraction in China and Kambuha store
Entrance to Angkor attraction in China and Kambuha store

How to save money on entrance tickets

You can save up to €4 on entrance tickets to PortAventura and Ferrari Land if you buy them online, and up to €20 if you buy products from the promotional partners.

A promotion with Chupa Chups

Chupa Chups and PortAventura periodically run promotions to buy admission tickets to the theme park. In 2020, the promotion starts on March 27 and ends on January 10, 2021.

To get a 20 € discount on your admission ticket, buy three packs of Chupa Chups jellybeans with the promotional logo. You don’t have to eat them, but keep the packs and present them at the ticket office when buying admission tickets.

You can buy promotional marmalade in supermarkets such as Carrefour, Eroski, Caprabo, Alcampo, El Corte Inglés, Hipercor, Supercor, Bon Preu. You can also find it in gas station stores, but they will be more expensive here. One pack of marmalades costs 1.5 € — 2 €.

Be careful: check that the date of the promotion is up to date. If you buy packs from last year, you will not get a discount on your ticket.

The 20 € discount is valid only for an adult admission ticket for one day at PortAventura Park or for a combined ticket to PortAventura Park and Ferrari Land.

Full terms and conditions of the promotion on the website.

Participating packs
Participating packs

A promotion with Veri

To get a maximum discount of 20 €, buy 8 promotional bottles of Veri water: 1.5, 0.5 or 0.33 liters. On the back of the label you will find a code for a 2.5 € discount.

Codes must be registered on the promotion website. After accumulating the codes, exchange them for a discount — Bono Descuento. You need to print it out or download it to your phone and show it at the ticket office when buying tickets. You will also need your passport at the ticket office, the details of which were indicated when registering the codes.

  • The period for receiving codes is March 1 through September 30, 2020.
  • The discount period is March 27 through September 30, 2020.
  • A discount of 20 € applies to the purchase of an adult admission ticket for one day at PortAventura Park or the combined PortAventura Park — Ferrari Land.

Where to stay to visit PortAventura

The park is located 100 km from Barcelona and 5 km from the tourist town of Salou. You should stay in Salou or in one of the hotels in the park if you plan to visit PortAventura for several days.

On the territory of PortAventura World there are 5 4* hotels and one 5* hotel. Staying in hotels gives the opportunity to visit PortAventura Park free of charge. If you book a night, you can visit the park on two days: the day of arrival and the day of departure. To do this, arrive early to get an electronic card at the reception — a key to the room, it is also an entrance ticket to the park. With this card you can get to the park at the opening, and your room will be checked in after 15:00.

PortAventura World has special offers when the cost of a room for several people is cheaper than the entrance fees for them. Check prices on PortAventura website and on Booking. For example, a room for two people in a 4* hotel including tickets to the amusement park and Ferrari Land can be bought for 118 €.

In the town of Salou, popular among package tourists, you can stay much cheaper than in PortAventura, and go to the park by city bus. Room for two people costs from 40 € in a guesthouse 2 *, and for 55 € you can stay in a 4 * hotel 100 meters from the beach.

How to get from Salou to PortAventura

Salou is the closest tourist town to the amusement park. The distance between them is 5 km. You can get there on foot in an hour or use public transportation.

Bus Salou — PortAventura

Bus Plana buses run to the park every half an hour. Russian-speaking employees work at the bus stops in Salou. You can buy a ticket from the driver or at kiosks at bus stops.

  • Ticket: 2 €.

Tren Turístico (Tourist Train)

A red steam train on wheels with several cars takes you around the sights of Salou. It makes 12 stops on the way, with the final stop being the entrance to PortAventura Park.

  • Fare: adults — 6 €, children from 3 to 14 years old and adults over 65 years old — 4 €.
  • website with detailed information.

How to get from Barcelona to PortAventura

The entertainment complex is located 100 km from the capital of Catalonia. You can get there by bus or train.

Bus from Barcelona Airport to PortAventura

Plana shuttles run from El Prat Airport’s Terminal T-1. Flights 7 times a day, every 2 hours.

  • Travel time: 1 hour and 45 minutes.
  • Mode of operation: from 10:30 to 22:50.
  • Ticket: 16,9 €.

Train from Barcelona to PortAventura

You can buy a ticket to the park at Renfe Cercanias ticket offices or terminals, in which case travel on the R16 train is free of charge.

  • Travel time: 1 hour and 20 minutes.
  • Fare without buying a park ticket: 7,7 €.
A roller coaster in Mexico
A roller coaster in Mexico

Useful information:

  • The park has the most visitors from June through August, with fewer in May and September.
  • After 17:00 the number of visitors decreases and the queues for attractions become shorter, so for the most popular attractions it is better to go in the evening.
  • It is not allowed to bring food on the territory of PortAventura, the bags are searched at the entrance. A small amount of food can be placed at the bottom of the backpack and covered with clothes.
  • It is possible to leave the park and return during the day. When leaving, the ticket is scanned and the visitor is photographed, so you cannot pass your ticket to another person.
  • To better navigate the park’s grounds, schedules and queue sizes for attractions, install the PortAventura WORLD app.
  • There are luggage lockers within the park. The rental fee is 1 €.
  • There is a paid parking lot in front of the park. The cost is 12 € per car.
  • Bring raincoats to avoid getting your clothes wet on the water rides. You can buy them in the stores in the park, but they are much more expensive.

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