Aqualandia

Aqualandia opened in 1985 in the Rincón de Loix area, at the foot of the Serra Gelada, and for more than two decades was Europe's largest water park, a title it held until Siam Park opened in 2008. It covers 150,000 square metres of slides, wave pools and calmer areas designed for families in Benidorm.

Record-holding slides

Among its attractions is the Verti-Go, a capsule slide 33 metres tall that remains the tallest of its kind in Europe and one of the tallest anywhere in the world. The rest of the park mixes high-adrenaline zones with quieter bathing areas, designed so that teenagers chasing speed and families with young children who prefer shallow pools can share the same site comfortably.

Aqualandia belongs to the same group as Aqua Natura, Terra Mítica and Mundomar, the city's other major leisure parks, and some combined tickets allow a visit to be split across several days. The park operates seasonally only, roughly from late spring to early autumn, so it's worth checking the calendar before planning a visit outside the summer months. Being a popular attraction, the first hours after opening tend to be the quietest on the most in-demand slides.