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PortAventura World

The Complete Guide to PortAventura World

Planning a trip to Barcelona? Make sure you take some time to stop at PortAventura World in Salou. If you are visiting Spain for the first time, or even Europe, it can be overwhelming and can feel like a lot all at once. Navigating through language barriers, transportation, and food options. There is a lot to take into account. PortAventura World is a must-visit if you are a theme park enthusiast, as the resort is surprisingly well themed and features some of the best rides you will find in Europe. A must-visit for every theme park enthusiast!

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Table of contents

An introduction to PortAventura World

PortAventura World is perhaps one of the most controversial parks we've ever been to. With 5.3 million visitors per year on average, the resort sits at the top of the most visited theme parks in Europe but has a reputation when it comes to rides, capacity, and guest experience. In 1998, Universal bought the shares of the Tussauds Group (which owned the majority of the resort) and rebranded the resort to Universal PortAventura. The resort expanded with a water park and 2 resort hotels and was rebranded to Universal Mediterranea. In 2004, Universal sold its stake in the park to its current owner, Resort Holdings B.V.

PortAventura Park

PortAventura Park is the main park of the resort and features more than 40 attractions, entertainment, restaurants, and shops. Divided into 6 themed lands, the resort offers a diverse selection of rides and experiences for the whole family to enjoy. Because the park is situated in a Mediterranean climate, the park has multiple water rides for you to enjoy in the heat. The park truly shines in its rollercoaster line-up. The park has 8 rollercoasters and multiple family attractions.

Ferrari Land

Ferrari Land is the latest and third addition to the resort. It is considered by the resort itself to be a " full day" park (even though it's called land). We couldn't disagree more. More on that later. The park consists of 2 big attractions, including Red Force, the fastest coaster in Europe, and a flying theatre where you soar through Europe together with a Ferrari car. The park also offers some smaller rides like a kiddie coaster for the little ones, some flat rides, and a gallery. Although marketed as a full-day park with 16 attractions, the park is barely a half-day park.

Caribe Aquatic Park

Caribe Aquatic Park is the second addition to the PortAventura World Resort. The water park is a separate ticketed gate and features 16 slides and attractions, multiple pools, a lazy river, restaurants, and a shop. In this relaxing Caribbean-themed water park, you can soak up the sun. A perfect place to relax and wind down.

Best time to visit

PortAventura is, unlike many other European resorts, still a seasonal park. Due to the weather and the resort's location, it is only open during a certain period of the year. The resort usually opens at the beginning of April and closes at the end of the Christmas holiday, the beginning of January. The resort may not be open every day during your visit. Please check the calendar before your visit and plan ahead. With that being said, what is the best time to visit?

The main things to consider:

  • Try to avoid weekends. PortAventura can get BUSY. They have multiple resort hotels, and it is a popular theme park in general but also for school trips. Lines can get extremely long. Usually the hotels are booked from Friday until Monday, with guests having access to the parks on all days. Try to avoid the parks on the weekend.

  • The busy seasons overall are May (school vacations), summer (July & August), Halloween (September & October) and Christmas (End of December)

  • The quieter times we have experienced are: weekdays in September, May and June and some weekend days in September. Try to plan your visit from Tuesday to Thursday if possible.

  • Please check the upcoming ride closures before you visit! If you are keen to get on a certain ride and it's closed during your visit, we do not wish that on anyone. You can find the ride closures on the

How many days should you spend at PortAventura World

PortAventura World is home to three theme parks and 6 hotel resorts. Although it can be crowded (as it usually is in theme parks), we always recommend taking in the atmosphere, theming, and enjoying the vibes instead of rushing your visit. The parks at PortAventura World aren't the biggest we've seen, and there are not loads of attractions. We would recommend three full days at the resort. You will have plenty of time to explore the main park, enjoy an evening at Ferrari World and have a break at Caribe Aquatic Park.

If you are in the area and just want to have a look, 1 day is sufficient to see all the main attractions in PortAventura Park. If you would like to see both PortAventura Park and Ferrari Land, we would recommend 2 days.

How to get to PortAventura World

Lucky for you (and us), PortAventura is just as accessible as other major resorts in Europe. We recommend the following options:

  • By plane. Two main airports are reasonable to fly into. Reus is the airport that is nearby. Only a 15-minute drive and you are right at the gates of the resort. Reus usually only receives incoming flights from smaller destinations and budget airlines, but if you are just visiting for the resort, definitely see if this is a good option for you. Barcelona El Prat airport is the biggest airport nearby. Roughly an hour drive to the resort and very accessible from all major destinations.

  • By train. If you are travelling from Barcelona to the resort, there is a train that will take you right to the Salou-Portaventura station. To take this train, you will need to board at the Barcelona-Sants station. There is also a direct bus you can take for about €20, but we don't recommend taking a bus (in general.....why would anyone take a bus voluntarily).

  • By taxi. Because the Reus airport is nearby, a taxi can be a very good option. We have experienced that taxis in general aren't very expensive in Spain. If you're traveling via Barcelona, consider taking the train as it is probably more cost-efficient.

  • By car. We usually take the easy route and just rent a car. If you stay onsite, parking is included, and you can arrive and leave whenever you want. You can rent a car in almost any neighbourhood in Barcelona or at the airports. Book it in advance to save some money :)

Tip! If you don't want a hassle and want to make it easy for yourself, consider booking a vacation package with the resort. It can combine your flight tickets, hotel, and park tickets. Easy, quick, and a full package.

Where to stay

PortAventura is one of the biggest European Theme Park resorts we have ever seen. It has 6 official resort hotels and multiple "partner" hotels that are somewhat included in the entire resort. When you book directly through the PortAventura website, you get unlimited access to PortAventura during your stay, 1-day entry to Ferrari Land, discounts on Caribe Aquatic Park, and special prices for Express passes. The resort hotels are slightly themed and are all very similar. There isn't a huge difference in theme when comparing it to, for example, Disneyland Paris or Europa Park. Every resort hotel offers a swimming pool that is also included in your stay.

PortAventura World has 6 official resort hotels:

  • Hotel Caribe - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - $$

    Stay in the Caribbean but then in Spain. Enjoy this oasis of palm trees and white sand beaches at this relaxing resort. This hotel reminded us a bit of the Caribbean Beach Resort at Walt Disney World in Florida (if you know, you know).

  • Hotel PortAventura - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - $$$

    This hotel is slightly themed to a fishing village. This is the "main" hotel as it is directly connected to the main park; you can enter the Mediterranean area directly at this hotel.

  • Hotel Gold River - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - $$

    Right next to the Far West area, this hotel is themed to the Wild West with cowboys and everything that is tacky about this style. One big advantage is the direct access to the park, specifically in the Far West area where the immensely popular Uncharted is located.

  • Hotel El Paso - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - $$

    This hotel offers a more exotic vibe with gardens, flowers, and much more greenery. The El Paso hotel makes you feel like you are staying in paradise. It is about a 10-minute walk to the main entrance of the resort from this hotel.

  • Hotel Colorado Creek - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - $$$

    Right next to the Gold River hotel lies Colorado Creek. Themed to the time of the Great Gold Rush, this second hotel themed to the Wild West is located right by the PortAventura Park, and you have direct access to the Far West area.

  • Hotel Mansion de Lucy - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - $$$$$

    The most expensive and luxurious hotel is Hotel Mansion de Lucy. This hotel takes you back right to the Victorian era with highly detailed rooms and a very fancy and bougie vibe. This hotel also offers direct access to the Far West Area.

Our other hotel recommendations:

  • SOL by Mélia - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - $$$

    Just a 15 min walk PortAventura World, this offsite hotel offers the same luxury as the resort hotels. The resort lies more on the edge of the resort, ideal if you want to see more of Salou or prefer to spend more time at the Beach.

  • H10 Salou Princess - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - $$$

    Just a 5-minute drive, this hotel is ideal if you want to stay in Salou and are more looking for a relaxing beach vacation. The same luxury you would expect from other 4-star hotels with a more "neutral" hotel theme.

How to buy park tickets

One of the easiest things to do is buy tickets. There are a couple of options we would recommend. Don't believe all those TikTokkers or influencers. We will walk you through the options step by step:

  1. Book a Resort Package. If you are spending a few days at PortAventura and want to stay on-site, this is the best option for you. Book directly through portaventuraworld.com. You can choose a hotel you want to stay at, and it includes access to both parks for the entirety of your stay.

  2. Get your tickets via Get Your Guide. If you are coming for a day or two and are not staying on-site, this is a good option. It usually is a bit cheaper and is an easy and trustworthy option to book your tickets.

  3. Get your tickets directly via PortAventura World itself. You can also just book tickets on the website. Make sure to know when you're going since booking a flexible ticket is much more expensive than buying a dated ticket.

What to bring

Just like other major theme park resorts in Europe (you can find their guides on this website as well), PortAventura is BIG. Lands are spread out wide, and attractions are widely spread across the parks. Take into consideration that Spain has a Mediterranean climate and can get pretty hot. Make sure to hydrate and take care of yourself while you have the best time there!

What we would definitely bring or wear:

  • Comfortable walking shoes. Wear them in before walking a gazillion steps with them. You can thank us later :)

  • A reusable water bottle. Not only is buying water at Disney a waste of money (4 euros!), but there are numerous tap points located across the resort where you can safely drink water.

  • A charger and power bank. You will be on your phone a lot! Whether you want to or not. There is the Disneyland Paris App; you will make a billion photos, and for navigation you will sometimes need your phone. Nothing is more agitating than your phone dying in the middle of the day. Trust us.

  • Weather-prepared clothing. Instead of rain (for a change), the sun can burn through your limbs. Please take care of yourself and protect against the sun. Use sunscreen, folks!

  • You might wonder, where is the food recommendation? PortAventura doesn't allow you to bring food into the park. At all. There is an exception for baby formula/food. Perhaps one of the most inhospitable rules we have ever encountered. We promise you, you can't make this up. It isn't a joke. We were actually (quite rudely) rejected at the park because we brought some food with us.

Practical information

PortAventura World App

PortAventura has an app. That isn't accurate in anything, basically. No, we are not salty or harsh, but would like to be honest. We basically used all sorts of different apps that stated the park's wait times or, the other option, simply walked through the park to just see wait times on a screen. The app is good for navigating the parks as it can be an utter maze. For food options, you can see what they usually sell... sort of. It is a hit or miss depending on how annoyed you are by apps.

Spanish Language & Cultural Differences

Yes, we know, the resort is in Spain. And everyone speaks Spanish. But it sometimes is nice to be taken care of in English. In our visits we have experienced it...hold your horses... ONCE. For this type of resort and destination, this isn't great. Numerous times we wanted to talk about issues we've had with lines, food, or anything else, and there just wasn't anyone to talk about it.

Most staff members are really friendly and really try to help. They have to deal with, we dare say, some incredibly rude guests all day, so we always try to be courteous and kind. There are a lot of cultural differences with Spanish people, and the main thing is cutting the line. This resort has some kind of curse, and it's not a cultural difference per se, but the number of people that were cutting in line is something we have never experienced before.

How to pay

As you may have noticed, we are not from Spain. So paying has always been a bit of a struggle. In general, we have experienced that our credit card usually works almost everywhere. If not, make sure to bring some cash with you just in case. We would recommend about 100 euros per person. Most of the time, debit cards from other countries don't work on the machines except European ones, but that doesn't have to be the case for your card. Make sure to bring a couple and definitely a credit card.

Internet & Wifi

The entire resort offers free wifi for all guests to use. In general, it works very well and is quite fast. Bear in mind that not every spot in the park has the best wifi or wifi at all. If you are not just coming to PortAventura World (or like us, are agitated by slow wifi), we recommend getting an E-sim.

Attractions

PortAventura offers some very good attractions. Both parks offer some fantastic attractions that we haven't seen before in Europe. The portfolio of rides is very similar to Europa Park, if you want to have an idea, with a mix of roller coasters, water rides, infills, and dark rides.

There is a skip-the-line service in PortAventura called Express Pass (EP). In our opinion, the worst system ever put in place. No, but really the system works the same as different parks, BUT it seems, in our opinion, that operations at the resort are intentionally very slow-paced that the enticement to purchase an express pass becomes higher. It appears to be a strategy, and we get that it makes a lot of money; it isn't really fair.

  • Express Passes - There are multiple forms and iterations of the express passes. You can either buy 10, 5, or just roller coasters or just thrill rides. They have a lot of options. Check out the webpage of PortAventura themselves to see all the available options for your visit.

  • Express Passes Ultimate- You pay a set price that varies per day, and you can ride all available Express Pass attractions once, or unlimited (depends on what pass you have). This option provides a lot of flexibility, and especially if you are visiting just for one day and would like to see both parks, this option is very suitable for you. You can buy this version in advance, and you do not need time slots for attractions. Ride whenever you want! Beware of the cost; the price is usually higher than a day ticket.

PortAventura Park You-Should-Absolutely-Not-Miss-This-Ride:

  • Uncharted - EP - This one-of-a-kind rollercoaster launches, spins, turns, drops, and takes you into the world of the popular game.

  • Shambala - EP - This intense hyper coaster is one of the best coasters we have ever done. An absolute beast of an attraction.

  • Tempo Del Fuego - EP - Is it a show? Is it an attraction? Who knows, but this is an experience you shouldn't miss.

  • Street Mission - EP - This cute Sesame Street dark ride brings you right into the world of Sesame Street. Very cute!

  • Silver Log Flume - EP - If you want to get absolutely soaked, this is the ride for you.

  • Wild Buffalos - We have had such a laugh on this ride; absolutely hilarious, and usually there isn't a huge queue.

  • Grand Canyon Rapids - EP - Not an absolute soaker but a very good water ride.

Other worthy mentions:

  • The Far West land is such a detailed and well put together land. Take in all the detail while you stroll to the next attraction. They sell amazing Nutella crepes in there, just saying.

  • Furius Baco. Some of us got a migraine. Others loved it. This intense launch coaster is the very first attraction you encounter while entering the park and perhaps the most thrilling.

  • Explore the Sesame Street (Séseamoaventura) land of the park. A very cute land with smaller attractions for the little ones to enjoy. This land also features a stage show with the characters from Sesame Street.

Ferrari Land You-Should-Absolutely-Not-Miss-This-Ride:

  • Red Force - EP - The fastest attraction in Europe? Sign us up. We have waited 3 hours for this 20-second ride. 100% worth it!

  • Flying Dreams - EP - Always wanted to fly? Race through Europe in this flying theatre.

  • Maranello Grand Race - EP - In these pretty cool, electric vehicles, you can hit the pedal and drive yourself. Great for the whole family to enjoy.

Other worthy mentions:

  • Perhaps you can tell, but Ferrari Land doesn't have many standout attractions. It is great for kids as the park offers more attractions for the little ones. Parents, enjoy a nice break in the sun with a delicious coffee. Every park has its advantages :)

Caribe Aquatic Park

The water park of PortAventura is right next to the other park entrances. Similar to Disneyland Paris, this serves as the main hub. The water park isn't always open, so please check the calendar before making any plans. The park offers a good variety of slides, pools, and other attractions for the whole family to enjoy.

Entertainment

Ah yes. Entertainment. Whilst we love entertainment in theme parks, it is a hit or miss. And for most entertainment at PortAventura, it was a miss. It is really fun if you aren't used to the grand shows and spectacles. But if you're like us, and have seen the most amazing shows, the park's line-up isn't the best. A very positive point is that the resort does invest in entertainment, and we have seen shows that had elements that were completely new to us. Kudos!

  • Character Meet & Greets - PortAventura mostly leans on Sesame Street when it comes to characters. It is a popular IP, and it has a huge range of characters to meet. It depends on the day and time when you can meet certain characters. Make sure to regularly check the app if you want to meet a certain character.

  • Stage Shows - Yes, PortAventura has stage shows as well, and they're all a bit...meh. It usually is a showcase of tricks, dances, and music. Fun if you like these types of shows, but personally we are looking for something more. Nonetheless, it offers something other than rides, and it can be a nice break in your day.

    The resort currently offers 6 different stage shows:

    1. Can Can Express - A true western drama. Kind of iconic.

    2. Mexico Lindo - This is entertainment while you eat. If you are into that sort of thing, it's enjoyable.

    3. Un Viaje Fascinante - A show full of spectacle, dance, and music for the whole family to enjoy.

    4. Magic Bubble - It's full of soap, bubbles, and magic tricks. Fun!

    5. West Gold Frenzy - This western action-packed show is like you've stepped into the Wild West.

    6. Cuidemos de Planeta - This show features the characters of Sesame Street and is so much for the little ones. A must-see!

  • Parades - The only parade at the resort is the (very creative) PortAventura Parade. Now we love parades, but this is a skip. We waited 30 minutes to see it, and it was about 4 floats and some very awkward characters. Take another ride on Shambala instead!

  • Nighttime Spectaculars - For the 30th anniversary, the park offers a special show called Fiestaventura. It features drones, fireworks, and projections. Fun if you're around!

Dining

Just like many other theme park resorts, PortAventura has plenty to choose from and varies options in dining. Not only in the parks, but also the hotel resorts offer a great variety to choose from.

  • Table Service - We love a good sit-down restaurant where you can relax and have a lovely dinner. One location definitely stands out: the Trattoria Maranello in Ferrari Land. The food, the service, and the whole experience were absolutely amazing. We have heard some terrible stories about this place, so this is just our experience. It was great!

  • Quick Service - The resort itself calls this "Self Service" so please bear this in mind. The park offers a variety of quick service options for you to enjoy. Because the themed lands are so different from one another, the food options luckily have the same range in differences. We can highly recommend getting noodles from Canton in the China land. Delicious!

  • Snacks - There are numerous snack locations scattered throughout the parks that sell snacks, little treats, and drinks. Although there isn't a snack that really stood out for us, there are plenty of options to choose from.

  • Buffet. The park does also offer the range of buffets. We haven't tried them, so we can't really form an opinion on that matter. We have heard that the quality of the food varies and depends on what location you are in. We have come across one buffet in PortAventura Park, and most hotels offer a buffet as well.

  • Bars. Technically not dining, but we've been pleasantly surprised by the number of bars PortAventura has. Not only in the parks, but every hotel offers multiple bars that are usually open.

Please be aware that because the park doesn't allow you to bring any food, prices are pretty steep. The resort itself claims they practice this due to "health and safety reasons". We have visited a lot of theme parks and not once have we come across this weird rule and reasoning. Form your own opinion on this matter. But in our opinion, it really isn't okay.

Our Personal Recommendations

PortAventura is a very good park if you love theme parks. It is definitely a must-visit to see the beautiful theming, coasters, and scale of unique attractions. If you are just in the area and don't really care for theme parks in general, you might want to reconsider visiting this park. From not allowing you to bring any food in to the sometimes unreasonably long wait times, this park is definitely unique. We do have some recommendations for you to consider on your next trip:

  • Get there...EARLY. School trips, holidays, families, birthday parties. We have seen the entrance to the parks always very crowded and unorganised. The park stops people right before the gates and only starts letting people in once it hits the opening time. Crowd control-wise, this isn't ideal. Even if you are staying onsite, in most hotels you have to follow the same queue. Be on time at least 30 minutes before park opening. That way you know for sure you are in the park on time.

  • Stay onsite. We cannot recommend this enough, for every destination we visit, to be honest, but stay onsite! Make it easy for yourself and relaxing. It takes the pressure off to drive, park, and stress about all these unnecessary things. You can walk from most resorts to the parks, and we've discovered that the price difference usually isn't that big. The last two trips we made, the hotels at the resort were actually cheaper than staying offsite.

  • Bring water. Although you cannot bring food into the park, you can of course bring water. If you are visiting in summer or on a hot day, make sure to stay hydrated. Our tip is always to bring a metal flask to fill and reuse.

  • Put on sunscreen. The sun shines a lot in Spain. Especially in Salou. We have gotten burnt so many times now because we didn't take the sun into account. Protect yourself :)

  • Buy Express Pass (If there is no other option) Alright now, we are strongly against express passes and skip-the-line practices in general. We would love it if parks had high capacity and throughput that that sort of line isn't even necessary. Unfortunately, it has become a way to make a lot of money. In this resort, it can take HOURS sometimes to get on a certain ride, and we don't want that for you. Especially if you are visiting once and you have come from far to do a certain ride or want to see the whole park in a short amount of time. Don't get yourself all stressed; buy an express pass.

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