You have to admit, when your entire family is begging for an amusement park vacation, none of them immediately mentions Portugal as the holiday destination. There’s Disneyland Park in France, and Warner Park in Madrid, which is why those countries are more popular for families.
But Portugal is actually a great choice for a holiday centered around amusement park fun. The crowds are smaller, the prices are more reasonable, and yet the fun is undeniable.
So, if you’re in Portugal with your entire family, have some fun at these extremely underrated amusement parks:
Zoomarine Algarve
This is near the popular city of Abufeira, as this city has become a famous holiday destination due to its beautiful sandy beaches and exciting nightlife. But when you’ve tired of spending all day on the beaches, give this park a try—and you might just stay there for a good long while.
No list of the best amusement parks in Portugal is complete without Zoomarine Algarve, because it has everything. You can enjoy the huge water slide and the wave pool, frolic with the dolphins, and see the wildlife. And for some dry fun, there’s always the Ferris wheel and the Pirate Ship. And you can enjoy movies in 4D as well.
Aquashow Park
This place features the biggest water roller coaster in the whole of Europe. It goes as fast as 70 kph for a distance of about ¾ of a kilometer, and this is a ride you just have to try if you’re here.
Water slides are plenty here, with a wide range of excitement levels involved. Some of the rides are refreshingly cool and relaxed, but others will really get your blood and adrenaline pumping. Some water slides are covered and dark, while others are open air, while you can fly 12 meters in the air on the pendulum swing.
You can relax and take a break in the pool, and maybe watch some birds and reptiles. There’s a lion as well!
Finally, there are plenty of interesting Portuguese food options here, and they’re not expensive at all.
Slide and Splash
This is the largest water park in the country, so it’s great for families who love fun in the water. Aside from the regular pool, you also have fast and slow slides, a jacuzzi, river rafting, and plenty of bird and animal shows.
This place is huge, as it’s spread out over 7 acres. That’s enough space for a lot of different water rides, along with plenty of different play areas for the kiddies.
Aqualand Algarve
This is a great place for small kids, as they have plenty of small slides while the adults can relax in the lazy pools. But there are also other stuff like some river rapid fun, wild slides, a wave pool, and a surf beach.
Just keep in mind that this park is mainly for the daytime. They generally close at 5pm, though for some months they close at 6pm.
The Way Tours
This theme park is right beside the sandy beach of the town of Salema, which has become a popular tourist attraction lately. The rides are great here, but the customer service is out of this world. They offer a terrific activity organizer, and everything they offer is simply fun. You can ride speed boats and kayaks, play with the dolphins, surf the waves, and a lot more.
There are so many things to do here that you really should get that activity organizer. That way, you can optimize your schedule and fill up your entire day with fun stuff. And renting equipment here is a treat—once you rent a boat or a kayak, you can just return it at any time that day.