FULL OF TERRIFYING CHILLS AND SPILLS
AS our guide beckoned me into the misty jungle, nothing could have prepared me for the monsterinfested terror within.
With ancient zombies clawing through gaps in the vines, waiting to lunge at every turn, I was suddenly a world away from the Spanish sunshine I had left behind, minutes before.
Apocalipsis Maya, part of PortAventura World’s Halloween spooktacular, is a heart-stopping mission through haunted Mexico to uncover a lost Mayan temple.
New for this year, it’s one of 18 scare experiences fright fans get to enjoy at Europe’s largest theme park this autumn.
PortAventura World is on the Costa Dorada, and it knows how to do the spooky season in style with something to suit all ages.
Equally fear-inducing is the REC Experience, recreating the nightmare world of the cult Spanish horror film series of the same name with infected characters and lasers, all inside a 15-minute passage of terror.
For something a little less scary, however, there’s a fiendishly fun lunch date to be had with the Addams Family. In between courses of witches’ soup and bloody panna cotta, the kooky family entertain diners with high-energy singing and dancing.
Plus there’s the Sesame Street Halloween Family Festival, featuring music and meet-and-greets with Cookie Monster and Elmo.
There’s no shortage of pumpkins. For the month-long celebrations, more than 12,000 are scattered throughout the park. Other spinetingling family shows include a Mexican Day of the Dead fiesta, a jaw-dropping Chinese acrobatic MADEIRA: GERMANY COACH BREAK: Get a five-day coach break from £359. Includes four nights’ accommodation with breakfast, show and a Wild West battle between cowboys and vampires.
Wherever you go at the resort, keep your wits about you as the scares keep coming with zombies, corpse brides and vampires wandering around, putting the wind up the unsuspecting.
To top off our weekend of freaky fun, we stayed in the park until closing time to watch the Halloween parade and PortAventura’s spooky showstopper. Horror On The Lake is a dazzling fireworks and light-filled extravaganza with jet-ski stunts and fire-spitting skeletons.
Aside from the hair-raising Halloween fun, PortAventura World’s 71 rides are the park’s main attraction.
The place is divided into six lands, from SésamoAventura – a technicolor playground for children – to China, which includes a section of the Great Wall and two of the park’s standout rides – the eight-loop Dragon Khan rollercoaster and the record-breaking Shambhala.
With a drop of 78m and speeds reaching 134km per hour, Shambhala was Europe’s fastest and tallest rollercoaster until PortAventura opened Ferrari Land Park in 2017. Ferrari Land’s showpiece ride, Red Force, accelerates thrillseekers from zero to SOUTH DEVON:
180km per hour in five seconds and stands at 112m high.
Other top attractions include Furius Baco, which goes from zero to 135km per hour in three seconds, Hurakan Condor, an 86m freefall tower, and water rides Tutuki Splash, Angkor, Silver River Flume and Grand Canyon Rapids.
PortAventura Park and Ferrari Land are part of a larger complex, which includes PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park, five hotels and a caravan park. We stayed at the
78-room The Callaghan, the newest addition to the Hotel Gold River complex, which offers deluxe rooms, a breakfast buffet, express pass wristbands for popular rides and one day’s access to Ferrari Land.
Hotel Gold River is inspired by the American gold rush of the 19th century and based on a small town which grew wealthy after the discovery of gold in the river.
The choice of dining options at PortAventura World is vast. From tapas in the Mediterranean area, to the tropical Polynesian Bora Bora restaurant, a Chinese buffet and a Mexican Cantina.
An hour’s drive from Barcelona airport and 10 minutes from Reus airport, braving the chills and spills at PortAventura’s Halloween fright fest is a thrilling way to warm up this autumn. NORFOLK GLAMPING: ROBIN Hill’s renowned Festival of Light is inspired by Diwali, a celebration of spiritual light over darkness. Held outdoors at the Electric Woods, visitors are invited to enjoy colourful displays, Indian food and Bollywood music as they wander through themed areas. There’s also a chance to get messy, flinging brightly-coloured powder through the air, at the Holi powder arena. Tickets £16.50. See robin-hill.com. THIS brand new fright night event, featuring a slaughter ride, the hall of horrors and a freaky fair, takes place from October 20 until November 3. Prices from £15 for an evening-only ticket.
Some events suitable for over 12s only. A calmer alternative is
Blackgang By Night where the amusement park will be lit up with colourful illuminations.
See blackgangchine. com. FOLLOW in the footsteps of literary heroes who were influenced by the scenery of the island. Includes Alfred, Lord Tennyson who lived in Freshwater, and Lewis Carroll who was inspired by the beach at Sandown. There’s also the home of Charles Dickens who called it, “the prettiest place I ever saw in my life”. See visitisleofwight.co.uk. THE naval-themed Seaview Hotel is in the sailing village of Seaview, close to the Victorian town of Ryde. Bedrooms are decorated in fresh seaside colours, some are dog-friendly, plus there’s a quality restaurant and on-site parking. See seaviewhotel.co.uk.
Tapnell Farm is a former dairy in the rural south of the island. Kids will love to meet the animals, rampage over the hay bales, jump on the bounce pillows and have adventures in the soft play area. On-site accommodation options include luxury safari tents, below, modulogs, wood cabins, eco pods and farm cottages. See tapnellfarm.com/stay.