If summer is synonymous with heat, it is also, by opposition, synonymous with water. The sweltering heat pushes us to search as if we were desperate the nearest beaches, the most secluded coves or to simply make do with the pools that dot our city.
But there is a fourth option (beyond hosing down a rooftop): water parks. Yes, those blue paradises of childhood still exist, and although as adults we tend to forget them, the water park, that fantasy mixture of swimming pool and amusement park, is still very much alive, and in Catalonia there are a few where you can go to spend a fun and, most importantly, very cool day.
So, if you are one of those who have already googled “waterpark near me” or are already crazy typing waterpark or aquapark to find all the options, we make it easy for you. In today’s list you will find the best water park for you to enjoy this summer.
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Water World (Lloret de Mar)
Lloret de Mar is synonymous with vacations, and therefore, it could not lack a good water park. From the ticket entrance to the city you can already see the domes of some of its most striking slides. Water Ráìdo, Wild River, Relax Lake, rafting River… The name already warns you of what you are going to find.
Of course, there is also a wave pool, 50 meters long and with waves up to two meters high, so that you can spend the afternoon in the Mediterráneo countryside swimming as if you were in the wild Pacific Ocean.
📍Ctra Vidrerés km 1,2, Lloret de Mar. Free bus service from Lloret de Mar, Tossa de Mar, Blanes and other locations.
19 for those under 1,2m and 33 for those over 1,2m.
Illa Fantasia (Villasar de Dalt)
Few names are more fitting for our childhood dreams. This water park in the Maresme is one of the great regulars of the Barcelona minors when the summer approaches. Its slides are in the childhood memories of many of us and attractions such as the donuts (and the custom of generating traffic jams on purpose), a true childhood classic.
Its wave pool, also iconic, is also in the memory of many adults, as it has been for years the main stage of the Circuit, the big gay party that takes over Barcelona during August. For adults and children, snack time in the picnic area is a must.
📍Fina Mas Brassó, Vilassar de Dalt
16,50 for those under 1,2m and 26€ for for those over 1,2m. Free buses and trains leave Barcelona every day.
Aquabrava (Roses)
Near the crystalline coves of the Cap de Creus, ideal for a quiet day, we have an equally refreshing option that offers a completely different experience. In Aquabrava our day will be full of adrenaline, especially if we get on the Black Hole, the Kamikaze or the Camel.
It is a large park with a large wave pool of 3,000 m2, unique in Europe, and a climbing area on one of its pools. In addition, to make your stay more comfortable, there are two restaurants, three bars and a kiosk where you can eat and have an ice cream.
📍 Ctra. Roses to Cadaqués, KM. 0, 78
💸 General admission tickets: 28€. Under 1.20 m and over 1.20 m
Aqualeon (Tarragona)
The water parks are usually, curiously, near the coast, however this is the exception, as it is located in a village in the interior of Tarragona. It is a small and familiar park, although it still has attractions that fill us with adrenaline, such as the Anaconda or the Kamikaze.
In addition, every Saturday until August 13, it offers zumba classes in the afternoons and various activities such as DJ sessions or batukadas.
📍 Finca les Basses, Albinyana. Bus service from Sitges, Tarragona and other locations.
💸 General admission tickets: 24€. 8 for children between 0.90m and 1.10m. 15€ for children under 1,40m.
Marineland (Palafolls)
Marineland has a special feature: Not only people swim here, but also other animals. The park, halfway between an attraction and a zoo, houses a Dolphinarium where you can learn about bottlenose dolphins, California sea lions, Humboldt penguins from Peru and Chile, and an aviary with 10 different types of birds.
In addition, water attractions such as the Black Hole slide, the 15-meter Boomerang and other usual suspects of this type of attractions.
📍 Carretera Malgrat, Palafolls. Free bus service in nearby towns such as Lloret de Mar, Malgrat de Mar, Calella, Pineda and Blanes.
8€ from 0.9m to 1.1m in height. 14.40 below 1.4m and 22.50 above 1.4m.
AquaPark Beach (Santa Susana)
Not all water parks have long slides with free fall or artificial wave pools, we can also find them on the same beach in a smaller format, where the waves depend on the weather and the slides are inflatable, as is the case of AquaPark of Santa Susana.
In this park you enter for hours and you will have to wear a life jacket, because instead of falling into a pool you will fall into the depths of the sea. It is an inflatable circuit just a few meters from the coast of Maresme where fun is guaranteed. So if you don’t know whether to choose between a quiet beach day and a bit of fun, this option is perfect as it brings together the best of both worlds.
📍Passeig Marítim, Santa Susanna
💸10€ one hour
Aquopolis (Costa Dorada)
Jumping, sliding, swimming and running are common things to do in a water park, but surfing is an activity generally reserved for the open sea. However, in Aquopolis there is an attraction, the Gran Kahuna (the only one of its kind in Catalonia) which allows you to surfing waves as if it were the sea of Hawaii.
And if you’re not too fond of the board, other attractions, such as the Speed Race multi-slide, to race with your friends, will make for a great day out on the water.
📍 Passeig Pau Cassals, 65, La Pineda. Daily buses from Tarragona, Cambrils, Salou and Reus
15€ from 0.9m to 1.4m in height and 25€ above 1.4m.
PortAventura Costa Caribe Aquatic Park
Not everybody knows that Port Aventura is not only Dragon Kahn, Shambhala, Mexico and Polynesia, or that you can get much wetter than the four drops you get in the Tutuki Splash. To do so, it is necessary to search the costa Caribe Park, the aquatic version of the Salou theme park.
The King Khajuna, the highest free fall in Europe at 31 meters, and also Woody’s Lagoon or the Loo River, a 1,500-meter course along a canal around the park. For the quieter ones, Playa Paraíso, a Caribbean beach in the province of Tarragona.
📍 Av. Alcalde Pere Molas, km 2, Salou. Direct trains from Barcelona to PortAventura station
💸 39€ from 4 to 10 years old and for seniors over 60. 45€ from 11 to 59 years old.