TOP SITES FOR WATER PARKS
Holidays are all about getting away from it all, escaping the routine, basking in sunnier climes... and plunging into clear water pools for hour upon hour of frenzied, splash-tastic fun! Of course most of our holiday parks have pools. But there are pools and there are pools – and some truly stand out for their sheer scale, variety and ‘Wow! factor’. These are our favourites, which we believe deserve special mention. Not just for their size, but for their multiple water thrill options – slides, whirly chutes, gentle dinghy rivers, wave effects and more. We’ve also included some nearby alternatives, should the gang want a change of scene (or pace). These ‘pro-style’ waterparks all offer huge and colourful diversions and hair-raising, pulse-racing excitement.
SEQUOIA PARC
With its celebrated, 110m, snaking lazy river, which gently bobs visitors of all ages along on big, yellow inflatables, Sequoia Parc oozes quality fun and frolics from the moment you step inside its glorious, 2000m2 waterpark complex. With much to entertain their little ones, including their very own mini park with a ‘tree house’ and giraffe water slide, mums and dads can recline in peace in the whirlpools, ‘chill-ax’ on the solarium, or crank up the excitement by racing down the 3-lane waterslide. There are naturally water jets and fountains galore, and aqua gym sessions to thrash about in, should the urge arise.
Fancy a trip out to similar amusements? Well, Les Antilles de Jonzac might hit the spot. Here the main attraction is the giant lagoon, a sort of oriental island, palm-tree paradise featuring colossal, striding ‘coral’ sculptures, chutes and whirly slides.
SANGULI
Elephants, crocodiles, hippos...yes, they’re all in the Relax Pool and sure to delight and excite younger guests, whilst mum and dad chill out beneath the tree waterfall and bubbling whirlpool. But that’s only the start. In the Happy Pool there’s a big, wide slide and wacky chute, whilst in the Fiesta Pool, next to the amphitheatre, the Roman Empire theme extends to gladiators and columns, yet the Romans would probably be less familiar with the three colourful waterslides and Bar Oasis...
Fancy splashing out on further-afield activities? Well, neither the Aquopolis nor the PortAventura World Costa Caribe will disappoint. In the former, you’ll love the ‘real world’ experience of the Waimea Surfboard machine, Splash (hurl down a chute on a wobbly plastic tray!), the back-and-two of the Boomerang, and craziness of the Kamikaze slide; in the latter, the names alone should give you some idea as to the kind of hair-raising hilarity you’re in for Mambo Limbo, El Rio Loco, King Khajuna and many, many more fabulous attractions in a Spanish style.
PRA DELLE TORRI
If the family is seriously into swimming, then Pra delle Torri is the place worth serious consideration. Consider this: covered Olympic and semi-Olympic pools, no less than SIX whizz-bang water slides, a network of interlocking pools, punctuated by lovely island refuges to kick back and recline on, and a giant pirate ship complete with sails and chutes.
Not enough water fun? Well, you could always pack the gang off to Aqualandia Waterpark, where you’ll be mesmerised by the ‘Caribbean Island’ complex’s many and varied slides of all sizes, vertical-drop hair-raisers, spaghetti-like winding chutes, and the gigantic white jaws of the beast in Shark Bay...Small wonder this has repeatedly won the accolade ‘Best Waterpark in Italy’.
MARINA DI VENEZIA
To be fair this is more of a water theme park with accommodation rather than the other way around! Everything at the Aqua Marina Park is done on a gigantic scale (including the turtles and dolphins resting on the lagoon islands!) There’s a magical Castle with a myriad of chutes and slides, the calm of Coral Bay (perfect haven for tots, who just love Raya the manta ray), a crashing wave pool to excite and invigorate, whirlpools to calm and soothe, a relaxing pool complete with hydro-massage chairs, and a full-size Olympic pool for those who take their swimming seriously.
All in all, the whole family can be kept well amused from breakfast till bedtime in this water wonderland. In fact, you could probably get away with just packing your trunks.
But if you do feel the need to leave for a while, you’ll discover water thrills of a different kind at Aqualandia. Make no mistake, this Italy’s numero uno waterpark – 80,000m2 of sheer, pulsating fun and games of the super-size variety. To all intents and purposes, it’s like a Caribbean island, with one major difference – 26 attractions, including loopy chutes and rides, monster waves and bungee jumping...
YELLOH! VILLAGE LE PIN PARASOL
Breathtaking from every angle, Le Pin Parasol earns its five stars for its waterpark options alone. From the toddlers’ mini-park (with its giant coconut!) on one side, to the mad-dash, rubber dinghy water-chute (80m) on the other - plus pools in the middle - there’s plenty in this 2500m2 complex to keep the entire family screaming with joy from sunrise to sunset.
And if the excitement gets too much, grown-ups might plump for the sanctuary of the heated indoor pool area, or maybe a spell in the Jacuzzi.
Fancy a change of scenery? Then the Atlantic Toboggan waterpark might do the trick. Many tricks, in fact. Curled and striped, like monster sticks of candy, the crazy chutes offer plenty whoosh and swirl, whilst the Boa, Black Hole, Space Boat, Lazy River dinghy ride, colossal wave pool and Turbolance should provide enough of an adrenaline rush to keep the family pumped up until it’s time to go back home!
LA SIRENE
In its tropical setting, complete with rocks, footbridges and ‘paradise lagoon’, La Sirene’s very own waterpark is bristling with attractions to entertain and amuse kids of all ages, and adults too. Starting with the tots, they have their own triangular pool with a central slide/playground, plus mini waterslides to introduce them to the joys of the downhill thrash and splash. Older kids will be drawn to the giant slides and multi-track toboggan, whilst mums and dads might choose to seek the haven of the two indoor pool areas, complete with hydro-massage beds, waterfalls and whirlpool.
But for a complete change of pace, you can always swap your swimming trunks for a wetsuit, helmet and harness and revel in the rocky adventure thrills of nearby Canyoning Park. Here, under the watchful eye of qualified instructors, you will be treated to the delights of 28ft jumps into foaming water, abseiling under waterfalls, trekking across nets and rope ladders and hurtling down a 100m zip wire to round off your trip...
LA RIVE
Boasting one of the largest indoor and outdoor water-fun centres in the Aquitaine, Aqua Rive certainly has family holiday sploosh and whoosh well and truly ‘in the bag’. Let’s begin with the gigantic, tipping bucket of water in the ‘bamboo house’ kiddies’ park – now THAT’S a soaking! New for 2016 also comes the Riviere Sauvage (wild river) – 103m of buoy-bobbing fun. There’s a new covered and heated pool complex too: a palm-lined paradise of waves and whirlpools. Slides? You bet – four ‘toboggans’ outside to keep the adrenaline rushing.
And when it’s time for something completely different to pump up the volume, a short drive to AquaPark Lac Maguide is sure to provide water thrills of quite a different nature...This is a sort of sectioned-off, lake-water assault course featuring ENORMOUS inflatable cushions designed to soak up the impact of high jumps, catapulting (yes!), trampolining, climbing spills and more, all under the watchful eye of qualified instructors.
LA BAUME
Pools, pools, glorious pools...SEVEN, no less, and all special in their own right. The King of them all is the colossal Californian basin, surrounded by palm trees and a magnet to paddlers and plungers of all ages. You’ll find six waterslides to whoop and whoosh down, plus whirlpool spas to bubble away your cares, safe in the knowledge that the little ones are enjoying themselves in their very own mini waterpark world, filled with snakes and crocs! They have a heated paddling pool too.
And if you want to pop indoors to escape the Mediterranean sun, there are two pools to relax in, one of which has a gentle waterslide.
Alternative water park thrills, bumps and spills can be found at the two theme parks close by:
Aquasplash Marineland has, amongst its many other attractions, the Draguero (vertical plunge), Rainbow Cannon, Spaceboat, Magic River obstacle course and the equally magic Pirates’ Island. Otherwise, Aqualand has Twister (pitch black pipe ride), King Cobra (emerge twixt its giant fangs) and The Black Hole to savour...
ESTEREL
What a way to celebrate 40 years at the ‘top end’ of the holiday park business – a brand new ‘high end’ water park for 2016, packed with fabulous, fun features for all the family. Snaking through the palm trees, this 1800m2, sky blue, heated joy land has three amazing water slides and four race slides to hurtle you along at a rapid rate of knots.
Of course, there are more conventional pools too, five giant circular ones in fact, where grown-ups can unwind and soak up the sun. Then again, if you like to tone whilst you tan, you can always join in one of the many invigorating aqua gym classes, before tip-toeing back to the solarium for a well-earned rest.
And the little ones? Well, tots will be happy in their own heated indoor pool, or brilliant, new mini waterpark – where hours of fun on the wild-coloured slides and chutes are a cert.
DUINRELL
You’d expect a park that’s famous for its water fun & games to have a catalogue of crazy attractions, but Duinrell really does take all the prizes! Naturally there are pools and slides for splash fans of all ages, but the Tiki Pool takes things to a whole new extreme.
Here you’ll find ELEVEN unique water slides, designed to twist and turn, tunnel and funnel you to unimaginable heights and depths. Take Blits & Flits – so fast you won’t even touch the sides of the tube; or the Cannon Ball, which actually sends you airborne; then there’s the X-Stream water slide and daddy of them all, The Cycloon – hurtle from a 15m tower into the Space Bowl, which spins you around and around, and around. Best calm down with a paddle in the Wave Pool or the Lazy River, unless the Tyfoon has caught your eye...
CALA GOGO
It’s all go at the Gogo for 2016...there are FIVE (count them) brand new water slides to rattle down, over and above the magnificent water facilities already on site. You’ll find three parallel slides to race along, side by side, one thundering ‘rapids’ slide and a circular slide to whizz you round in a more gentle fashion.
But if you’re all ‘slided-out’, just down the road is Costa Brava’s celebrated Aquadiver Waterpark (1 mile), which offers a comprehensive assortment of weird and wonderful water attractions to keep the whole family whooping with delight all day long. Check out Splash Mountain, the Fun Temple, Spiro Tub, Rock House (tots), the Waterfall, Blue/White/Pink Zig-Zags, the Kamikaze chute, Fast River, sensational Aqua Rocket and more...there are plenty of refreshment options as well to keep the smiles glued on those little faces in between rides.
BELLA ITALIA
When the weather in Lake Garda is at its most gorgeous, sun-baking best, what better way to cool down than a super-splashing spell in the pool? And you can’t go wrong here for water action, both on and off the camp.
A flip-flop stride away from your holiday home is a cracking pool complex with plenty to appeal to kids of all ages, from tots to teens. Tiny swimmers have their very own water mushroom and wet, curly slide; bigger plungers have a choice of FIVE mighty pools and attractions, like wacky Bel Island, to keep them occupied for hours.
And as if all that weren’t enough, you can pop down to Caneva Waterpark (6 miles) where a spectacular world of wet and wild amusements awaits. The names here alone are sure to get the pulses racing: Kamika (volcano chute), Anaconda, Twin Peaks, Typhoon, Black Hole, Stukas Boom, Crazy River, Lazy River and...Frozen Bob!
DOMAINE DES ORMES
Renowned for its exceptional quality, this luxury 5-star complex has a host of splendid pools and magnificent water attractions to keep the whole family entertained in fabulous French style for weeks.
The indoor kiddies’ pool, in its ‘tropical house’ setting, has a lovely little ‘aqua playground’ with slides, a lazy river, whirlpool and mini waterfalls. Outdoors, things are done on a much grander scale – there’s a massive wave pool, thundering waterfalls and multi-lane slides to generate screams of joy from older, ‘wild water’ fans. Adults seeking a quieter time can always retire to the more conventional pools and put in a few ‘lengths’ before lunch and cocktails...