PortAventura – Salou, Spain

PortAventura is a theme park in the holiday resort of Salou, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, on the Costa Dorada (“Gold Coast”), approximately 1 hour from Barcelona. It was conceived and built as a joint effort by the Tussauds group (Alton Towers), Anheuser-Busch (Busch Gardens) and Universal Studios. In 1997, Universal bought up most shares in the park and the park was rebranded as ‘Universal’s Port Aventura’. In 2000, two hotels and a water park were constructed, and the place was further rebranded as ‘Universal Mediteranea’.

In 2004, NBC Universal (Universal Studios’ parent) sold all interest in PortAventura. It is now owned and operated by the Caixa banking group, but as of 2005 the Universal name has been dropped from the branding, and the resort was once again named ‘PortAventura’ (the space in the name is deliberately left out for trademark reasons).

It is the largest theme park in Europe and the biggest resort in the south of Europe. It has 2 airports within 30 minutes of it, including Reus Airport. There is a train station for Port Aventura which has connections to Barcelona and Salou.

Park structure

PortAventura is divided into five “worlds” (Universals):

1. Far West
2. China
3. Mediterranean
4. Polynesia
5. Mexico

Each area is themed according to this scheme and features a variety of rides and attractions. The most notable attractions are:

• Dragon Khan (Roller coaster) – Former holder of most inversions in Europe.
• Tutuki Splash (Water-based flume ride)
• Stampida (Wooden roller coaster)
• Hurakan Condor (Tower drop ride)
• Templo Del Fuego (Indoor special effects show)
• Sea Odyssey (Underwater Ocean Simulator)
• Tomahawk (Small wooden roller coaster, at times runs parallel to Stampida)
• Furius Baco (An Intamin Accelerator roller coaster, opened in June 2007. It has a top speed of 83.9 mph (135 km/h), the fastest roller coaster in Europe.)

Seasonal Events

During seasonal events like Christmas and Halloween, PortAventura opens seasonal walkaround rides or shows, including Psycho’s Circus (2005), Horror in Penitence (2006), La Mina del Diablo (2006).

La Mina del Diablo is an all year ride but in 2006 a horror walk was constructed over the queue lines to give the riders a shock.

Other Information

PortAventura

• Location: Salou, Catalonia, Spain
• Website: www.portaventura.es
• Owner: Universal Studios
• Opened: 1995
• Operating season: March to January
• Rides total: 7 roller coasters, 3 water rides

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