Sun Travel reviews Port Aventura theme park on Spain’s Costa Dorada

Was it tapas time already? Or had I been silly with the sangria at lunchtime?

Then I heard the screams of delight as the bone-rattling Stampida rollercoaster thundered past nearby. That explained the rumbling then!

Horsing around … Caitlin and Holly Bailey with friend Ella (centre) at Hotel Gold River

Yes, this was relaxation Port Aventura-style and a frequent reminder to my kids – if they ever needed one – that we were just a minute’s walk from all the thrills and spills in that brilliant theme park on Spain’s Costa Dorada. We stayed at the four-star Hotel Gold River – one of four onsite resorts – and had unlimited free access to the rides.

Handy really as my daughters Holly and Caitlin and their pal Ella found those distant screams just too hard to resist.

We ended up dipping in and out of the park more often than the hotel’s three fabulous pools.

The park is split into six “lands” and we were next to the Far West. Our hotel was an incredible replica of a Wild West gold rush town with 502 rooms cleverly hidden in 11 authentic buildings plus four restaurants, three bars and a shop.

Taking the plunge … brave fun-lovers on the Tutuki Splash ride Shucks, pardners, I felt like John Wayne as I moseyed on down through the swing doors of the saloon for a shot of red eye.

Oh OK, it was a slightly more genteel rum and coke with a twist of lemon. There are reminders of the Wild West everywhere – from City Hall, the jailhouse and sheriff’s office to a full-size Southern Pacific railway carriage. Even hotel corridor carpets have a rail track pattern.

Fortunately, the Grand Hall restaurant had lots more to offer than beans and coffee round a camp fire.

The buffet had plenty of mighty fine grub – just the job for three hungry cowgirls in a hurry to get back to the mayhem of the rides.

The resort has a Dine Around scheme where you can eat at any of the restaurants in the hotels or park itself. Back in the park’s Mediterranean section it was time for a spin on Furius Baco, a stomach-churning beast of a ride that goes from 0 to 85mph in just three seconds – some of it upside down! Not recommended for straight after lunch.

There is an equally gut-twisting experience in the land of China with its showpiece Dragon Khan, one of the biggest rollercoasters in Europe, with eight vertical loops. Only my nutty eldest daughter Holly was brave enough for this one.

Next it was on to Mexico and the evil Hurakan Condor, a 100 yard drop ride where you freefall at 63mph. What can I say except “Aaaaaaargh!”

In the calming tropical land of Polynesia we got soaked on Tutuki Splash, a fantastic plunge down the side of a “volcano” into a lake.

Yep, plenty of hairy rides for the brave and some calmer ones for big cowards like me. Sorry girls, I tried my best! There is also plenty to keep the younger ones happy – including the new Sesame Street-inspired Sesamo Aventura section which has 11 rides specially for the little ‘uns.

It is worth buying express passes to jump the queues on the main rides. We managed to avoid the crowds by visiting the park as soon as it opened in the morning or late in the afternoon when people were starting to drift off home. That’s the beauty of staying so close by.

We also had a day at the resort’s Caribbean themed water park with its crazy chutes and slides.

Wild West town … the theme of the Hotel Gold River A tourist road train runs between the park and the hotels. There is also a service into the seaside resort of Salou ten minutes away.

The large sandy beach here is well worth a visit if you can drag the kids away from the fun. I managed to tempt them with a three-hour trip on the exhilarating Ocean Fly catamaran.

Sadly, we picked the wrong day and sailed into a thunderstorm.

But to be honest, when you are staying at a place like Hotel Gold River slap bang on top of such a huge theme park, you don’t need to search for things to do.

You only appreciate how big this place is when you realise there are more than 40 rides, 100 daily shows, 75 bars and restaurants plus 28 souvenir shops.

For a heady mix of sunshine and thrills, Port Aventura is hard to beat – and it is just one hour 45 minutes’ flying time from the UK.

Yes siree, it’s a rooting, tooting mighty fine place to be.

Please note, the opinions expressed below are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of The Sun. The Sun accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for the accuracy or content of member comments.

Health Resorts