You'd think being able to boast you're home to Europe's tallest rollercoaster with the highest drop would be enough.
But the white-knuckle wizards whose job it is to keep holidaymakers’ pulses racing at the PortAventura resort in Spain have gone one better and unveiled the highest freefall waterslide in Europe.
At 12 storeys high and with a vertical drop of 55 degrees the wonderfully-named King Khajuna is the ultimate challenge and one to tick off the daredevil ‘to-do’ list.
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Sitting next to ‘the King’, there is also the Ciclon Tropical ‘multi bump’ slide with an undulating gradient which stands 60ft tall and spans a distance of more than 300ft.
These are just two of the new attractions at PortAventura’s Costa Caribe Aquatic Park, which has just undergone a 10 million euro makeover, but if you’re terrified by the record-breaking stats about heights and speeds you don’t have to be an adrenaline junkie to enjoy this sun-kissed resort on Spain’s Costa Dourada.
It is a family destination with a variety of swimming pools and water rides spanning almost nine acres, including a Sesame Street pirate ship for school-age children and toddler pools with interactive water fountains, games and slides called Woody’s Lagoon.
Parents can relax in the new tropical-style pool with its spa-inspired water beds and massage jets surrounded by more than 50 species of plants and palms, and if the weather’s not on your side you can spend time in the park’s new indoor pool, complete with children’s water slides and all the family facilities and restaurants you’d expect.
In addition to the aquatic park, water plays an integrating theme around the theme park’s different ‘worlds’ – China, Polynesia, Mediterránia, Far West and Mexico – covering 119 hectares.
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In Mediterrània, a cove and a fishing port lead out to sea. In Polynesia, water surrounds various Pacific islands and takes holidaymakers closer to the Yucatan Peninsula, in Mexico. In China it takes the shape of the Yellow River delta, and in the Far West turns into the winding Colorado river that cuts through the Grand Canyon.
There’s also a Sesame Street park for toddlers, which has gentle rides and attractions based on Bert and Ernie, Elmo, the Cookie Monster and all the other characters from the popular children’s TV programmes.
Each area of PortAventura has enough rides and attractions to delight both adrenaline junkies and the very young – or more timid, perhaps. There are 100 daily shows and performances to choose from if you want to take the weight off your feet after a intensive day’s thrill-seeking.
Rollercoaster racers will love the resort’s selection of attractions that includes Furious Baco, which throws riders from 0 to 85 miles per hour in just three seconds – the same sensation felt by a Formula One driver, or Dragon Khan, one of Europe’s biggest rollercoasters which features eight vertical loops that will enable you to reach zero gravity, experience a corkscrew effect and feel a dizzying fall from a height of 130ft at speeds reaching 63mph.
And finally, the daddy of them all, the incredible Shambhala: Expedition To The Himalayas, which breaks three European records: the highest (76 metres), the longest drop (78 metres), and the fastest hypercoaster, reaching a remarkable 83mph in the first drop.
PortAventura has four hotels on site, all smart enough in their own right with delightful pools, quality restaurants and facilities to enjoy, even if you’re not visiting the theme park.
Hotel PortAventura sits right next to the theme park, but with its calming rooms and recreation of a tranquil Mediterranean town square it’s hard to imagine the rollercoaster fun and frolics going on next door.
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* For latest rates, packages and details of all PortAventura’s attractions, visit www.portaventura.co.uk
5 Things to do at PortAventura
* Mess about in the water on one of the log-flume rides in the park, such as the Silver Flume Ride in the Far West area. Be prepared to get thoroughly drenched, though!
* Brave the freefall thrills of the Hurkan Condor; a ride that is basically a sheer drop of 96m (315ft)... that’s higher than the Rotunda!
* Check out the brilliant Bang Bang West cowboy show with stunt riders shooting it out on specially trained horses.
* Go on a deep-sea rescue mission in the 4D Sea Odyssey adventure in the Polynesia area. It’s a brilliant adventure for school-age children.
* Take advantage of the resort’s free transport offer and spend the day at Port Aventura’s private beach club in the nearby coastal town of Salou.