THERE ARE THRILLS, SPILLS AND
SQUINTING in the sun, I stare at the horseshoeshaped loop towering in the distance.
You can see it – and hear the resulting screams of delight – from miles around.
This is Red Force, Europe’s most hardcore rollercoaster, daring passengers to be thrust, nearvertically, up to a whopping 369ft and down again, reaching a speed of 112mph in just five seconds.
I board the carriage, fasten the safety harness and wait.
A thundering “whooshhhh” signals the start and it shoots off like a torpedo, the acceleration whipping my breath away.
With a 30-second burst of speed, g-force and adrenaline, it is a tantalising taste of what it’s like to ride a Formula One car – and it’s now my favourite ride ever.
If thrills, spills and automobiles get your blood pumping, head to the newly-opened Ferrari Land, part of Spain’s PortAventura theme park in Salou.
But if Red Force, the continent’s fastest and highest rollercoaster, is too extreme for you, or you’ve got younger children too small to ride, Ferrari Land has ten attractions which are family friendly.
I had loads of fun with my bunch – my eldest son and his pal, both 16 and called Harvey, plus my youngest Freddie, eight – on the two 55metrehigh Thrill Towers, designed to resemble Ferrari pistons. One lets you experience a free-fall drop while the other bounces you up and down.
We also had a blast competing in scale reproductions of the famous Prancing Horse cars along a 550m racetrack.
But for sheer thrill don’t miss the Flying Dreams 5D theatre, which twists and lurches during a round-the-world trip in an imaginary Ferrari GT. It was so lifelike that at times I had to close my eyes, convinced we were set to crash.
Simulators, based on ones used in training, also give you a glimpse into how it feels to drive a real F1 car, while at the pit stop you can compete with your friends and family to change a race car’s tyres the quickest.
Ferrari Land is a fantastic addition to Europe’s third biggest theme park. And over at PortAventura Park itself, we couldn’t wait to try the seat-gripping Shambhala rollercoaster, which sends daredevils over five camelbacks (humpshaped hills to the uninitiated), through an underground tunnel and skimming over a water pit.
Dragon Khan threw us around a dizzying eight loop-the-loops while Furius Baco catapulted us off the starting grid to 84mph in just three seconds.
Then there was the hilarious Angkor, a raft ride where you can fire water pistols at other passengers. I’m pretty sure some of them wreaked revenge when we rode on Tutuki
Splash and got a soaking from the spectatormanned water guns. Drenched, we took to the fun Grand Canyon Rapids for a further dousing.
There are heaps of rides for all ages including a Sesame Street-themed area for youngsters. Waiting times for the bigger attractions are posted around the park and, if you can push the boat out, Express wristbands give you super-quick access on to the favourites from 29 euros. Meanwhile, at the park’s Vinosfera restaurant we enjoyed tasty tapas including mushroom croquettes, Spanish omelette and crispy chicken strips. The on-resort Raco de Mar served mouthwatering Mediterranean food such as mussels and calamares. If you’re spending more than one day there, check out the Caribe Aquatic Park right next door, which includes another record breaker, the 31-metre high King Khajuna water slide, Europe’s tallest.
Staying in an on-site hotel topped off our break. We had a spacious family room in Callaghan’s, set in the Wild West-themed Gold River resort.
After a hearty buffet breakfast, with everything from sausage, bacon and eggs to pancakes and pastries, we were ready to pounce on the park at opening time.
By early evening the kids wanted a dip in the resort’s three gloriously warm swimming pools and, in summer, when the park stays open until midnight, you’ve got the option of returning to the rides later.