1. ZOOM THROUGH SESAME STREET
HALF a million Brits fly to Barcelona every year and don’t see anything of the city and its famous architecture. And no, they’re not on stag dos... They’re heading straight to the No.1. leisure destination in the Mediterranean: PortAventura World.
This collection of theme parks and hotels, with a water park, a beach club and new attractions every year, is second only to Disneyland Paris on the European visitor leaderboard.
It has the same attention to detail as Disney, and the same focus on family but with the added benefit of the Barcelona weather.
There are five themed hotels to choose from, each with pools and gardens. We’re staying in a US frontier town from the late 19th century called Sullivan City, home of Hotel Gold River. Here, visitors can sleep in the town’s ‘jail’ and eat in its ‘opera house’, while dodging sky-high cacti and jigging along to piped cowboy music.
Our room is in Callaghan’s, a smart boarding house building around the central square.
Hotel guests get Express passes to the theme parks included in their ticket, so if you can tear yourself away from the beautiful ‘desert river’ swimming pools around the hotel, it’s a short walk across a footbridge to the main park entrance.
Express means just that: no queues for any rides. This is worth its weight in frontier gold if you’ve small children with you. It also opens up so many more rides than you’d ever usually have time for, and gives you the space to watch a show and stop for lunch.
While you can find the usual theme park fare of burgers and chips here, this is Spain, so we sit down to tapas and fresh seafood by
the ‘harbour’.
It strikes us how much has been done to make sure there is something to appeal to every member of the family, from grandparents who can enjoy theatre shows, beautiful gardens and gentle boat rides, to teens seeking the biggest thrills on the continent, and toddlers who are so often forgotten by these kinds of attractions.
Here are the top 10 things you must do in PortAventura World...
NEW for the 2019 season is Street Mission, a ‘dark ride’ on a Sesame Street taxi that sums up what PortAventura is all about.
You can ride it with a one-year-old, but our teenage daughter also thinks this is one of the best experiences in the park. Put on 3D glasses and use a laser gun to shoot cookies for Cookie Monster as you zoom around a part real/part CGI Sesame Street, with enough twists, turns and fake falls to give everyone a surprise.
And the biggest thrill of all? Realising you’ve beaten your dad on the leaderboard on the way out.
2. ACCELERATE TO 180MPH IN FIVE SECONDS
ONE of the theme parks on offer is Ferrari Land, which is a smart Italian-themed collection of driving and speed-based rides.
As well as sampling awesome pasta here, you must experience the Red Force, which has a minimum height requirement of 1.4m.
This vertical accelerator ride can be seen from miles around as it rises to 112m high. You know it’ll be fast when they hand you goggles.
Once you’ve been shot up this tower like a bullet from a gun, it’s up to gravity and the wind speed – you’ll go all the way over the top and back down, or fall backwards to where you
started.
3. DRIVE A FERRARI
OK, not a real Ferrari. But on various simulators, you can drive a Ferrari around the world, an F1 version around Monte Carlo, and then with more competition than necessary a real-life go-cart Ferrari in a race against the kids. In Ferrari Land, there’s also a kids’ version of the Red Force accelerator and a large play area.
4. SLIDE DOWN THE HIMALAYAS
FLY from Birmingham on May 30, and stay seven nights half board at the four star Seaside Sandy Beach Hotel, Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria, from £586pp. This package is based on two adults sharing, staying in a twin room with a garden view and includes: accommodation, return flights with TUI, and overseas coach transfers. Visit tui.co.uk or call 0203 451 2688.
JET2HOLIDAYS offers the three star Happy Apartments, Turkey, for seven nights’ bed and breakfast departing from Newcastle on May 31. The price, of £289 per person based on two sharing, includes a 22kg baggage allowance and return transfers.
BEST At Travel is offering the adults-only Pineapple Beach Club, Antigua, for £1,449 per person based on two travelling (saving of £150 per person). Departing on July 2, the package includes seven nights’ all inclusive accommodation in a Pool Terrace Room and return flights from London Gatwick. The package must be booked by May 31, 2019. To book, call 020 3811 6831 or visit bestattravel.co.uk
THE Shambhala ride in the ‘China’ region of the main park is iconic among rollercoaster fans.
It’s the tallest in Europe at 76m high, has the longest descent with a drop of 78m and is still the fastest, reaching speeds of 134mph.
Like climbing Everest, this is not for everyone, including me. Thankfully, there’s a mini-model of the Great Wall on which to stand and watch those much braver than yourself descend it.
Jet off to a tropical paradise
TROPICAL Sky (tropicalsky.co.uk; 01342 886941) is offering savings of up to £1,670pp on seven-night stays at the 5* Grand Park Kodhipparu in the Maldives before July 31, if booked by May 31. It costs from £1,869 per person, based on two adults sharing on half-board basis, and includes flights from London Heathrow and transfers. Manchester departures available, from £1,919pp.
5. RIDE A FLYING FISH
IN the area of the park for younger families, SesamoAventura – it’s all Sesame Street-themed – is this seemingly innocuous ride.
A major hit with us, it involves getting your own fish to steer through the water as you spin round, trying and failing to splash your siblings. In fact, much of this area designed for parents to ride with babies and toddlers appeals to our older kids.
We pull our way up a tower in swinging chairs, ride the childfriendly Tami Tami roller coaster and run around the ‘magic tree’ at its centre. There’s also handy hut serving café con leche and churros.
6. FLY LIKE A CONDOR
TO be more exact, you’ll fall like a condor, dropping 86m vertically at 100mph. Hurakan Condor is the main ride in the ‘Mexico’ area of the