PortAventura World
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Leisure and entertainment |
| Founded | 1995 in Salou, Catalonia, Spain |
| Headquarters | Salou and Vila-seca , Spain |
Area served | Europe |
| Products | Theme parks, hotels, convention centre, recreational vehicle area |
| Parent | Investindustrial (majority), KKR (49.9%) |
| Website | www |
PortAventura World is a leisure resort situated in the municipalities of Salou and Vila-seca, within the province of Tarragona, along the Costa Daurada in Catalonia, Spain. The resort's centerpiece is the PortAventura Park theme park, which draws nearly 5.3 million visitors each year, making it the most frequented theme park in Spain and ranking sixth across Europe.
The complex broadened its offerings in 2017 by inaugurating a third park, Ferrari Land, which led to the resort adopting the name PortAventura World. Currently, it encompasses three theme parks, six accommodation options, a convention facility, and an area for recreational vehicles. Its location offers convenient access through Reus Airport, just 15 minutes away, Barcelona Airport reachable within an hour, and the Salou-Port Aventura railway station positioned 750 meters from the entrance, serviced by line R17 that connects directly to Barcelona and Tarragona.
History
When Port Aventura debuted in 1995 in Salou, ownership was divided among several entities: The Tussauds Group held a 40% share, La Caixa owned 33.2%, Anheuser-Busch controlled 19.9%, and FECSA had 6.7%. In 1998, Tussauds divested most of its stake to Universal, resulting in the park being rebranded as 'Universal's Port Aventura', marking Universal Studios' first theme park establishment in Europe.
The resort expanded further in 2002 with the launch of a water-themed park named Costa Caribe alongside two hotels: Hotel PortAventura and Hotel El Paso. This expansion prompted a name change to 'Universal Mediterranea'. By 2004, ownership shifted when NBCUniversal sold its shares to La Caixa Banking Group's investment arm Criteria, leading to the removal of the Universal branding and reverting to the original 'PortAventura' name. Attendance reached 3.31 million visitors by 2009.
In December 2013, private equity firm KKR purchased a 49.9% stake from Investindustrial, which retained a majority holding of 50.1%. The resort adopted the name 'PortAventura World Parks & Resort' in 2016. Subsequently, Ferrari Land was introduced on April 7, 2017, followed by the opening of PortAventura Dream Village later that year.
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total park visits | 3,703,217 | 3,700,000 | 3,819,474 | 3,940,444 | 3,896,901 | 4,715,088 | 4,962,512 | |
| PortAventura Park attendance | 3,439,444 | 3,494,998 | 3,499,375 | 3,528,908 | 3,607,937 | 3,589,918 | ≈3,700,000 | |
| PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park attendance | 263,773 | 324,476 | 313,831 | 367,993 | 335,351 | 326,611 | ||
| Ferrari Land attendance | – | – | – | – | – | 713,421 | 1,045,983 | |
| Percentage of international visitors | 35% | 38% | 36% | 33% | 33% | 33% | 36% | |
| Hotel room occupancy | 323,723 | 334,409 | 337,219 | 376,026 | 390,200 |
| Financial position (thousands of euros) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed assets | 913,867 | 934,196 | 968,483 | 997,964 | 988,362 | |||
| Current assets | 31,939 | 19,802 | 27,320 | 44,740 | 58,822 | |||
| Total equity and liabilities | 945,806 | 953,998 | 995,803 | 1,042,704 | 1,047,184 | |||
| Total liabilities (current and non-current) | 500,990 | 492,577 | 515,062 | 548,418 | 543,028 | |||
| Revenue figures (thousands of euros) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating income | 181,200 | 181,800 | 194,682 | 191,160 | 203,055 | 234,957 | 230,349 | |
PortAventura Park
This theme park is divided into five distinct zones inspired by various civilizations: Mediterrània, Far West, México, China, and Polynesia, along with a dedicated Sesame Street section. Mediterrània functions as the primary entry point.
- Key Attractions
- Furius Baco, an Intamin Accelerator Coaster featuring winged seats, launched in June 2007, reaching top speeds of 83.9 mph (135 km/h).
- Stampida, a wooden roller coaster designed as a dueling ride.
- Tomahawk, a junior wooden coaster running alongside Stampida.
- Silver River Flume, a traditional log flume experience.
- Grand Canyon Rapids, a whitewater river rapids ride.
- Hurakan Condor, an Intamin drop tower towering 330 ft.
- El Diablo – Tren de la Mina, an Arrow Dynamics mine train coaster with speeds near 60 km/h.
- Dragon Khan, built by Bolliger & Mabillard, includes 8 inversions and previously held world records for most inversions and tallest vertical loop; it remains highly ranked among global roller coasters.
- Shambhala, a B&M hypercoaster that holds European records for being the fastest (134 km/h), tallest (76 m), and having the longest drop (78 m) on the continent.
- Angkor, a splash battle attraction themed around the Angkor ruins, introduced in 2014.
- Tutuki Splash, a Shoot the Chute ride set against the backdrop of an erupting volcano.
- Tami Tami, a roller coaster designed for children.
- Street Mission, an interactive dark ride based on Sesame Street characters.
Ferrari Land
InvestIndustrial collaborated with Ferrari to establish Ferrari Land within the PortAventura resort on a site covering 60,000 m2. This park offers various rides, dining options, retail outlets, and racing simulators. Officially opened on 7 April 2017 following an investment exceeding €100 million, it represents the resort’s second theme park and operates separately from PortAventura Park.
Positioned adjacent to PortAventura Park’s entrance area, Ferrari Land adopts a Mediterranean motif inspired by Italian culture, featuring replicas of Venice’s Piazza San Marco and Rome’s Colosseum. Its signature attraction is Red Force, a vertical accelerator coaster standing 112 m tall that surpassed Shambhala as Europe’s tallest and fastest roller coaster. A children’s zone was incorporated in 2018.
Globally, Ferrari Land ranks as the second amusement park themed around Ferrari after Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.
Roller coasters
| Name | Manufacturer | Speed | Height | Length | Location | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shambhala | Bolliger & Mabillard | 83 miles per hour (134 km/h) | 249 feet (76 m) | 5,410 feet (1,650 m) | China | 2012 |
| Dragon Khan | Bolliger & Mabillard | 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) | 148 feet (45 m) | 4,165 feet (1,269 m) | China | 1995 |
| Furius Baco | Intamin | 83.9 miles per hour (135.0 km/h) | 15 feet (4.6 m) | 2,789 feet (850 m) | Mediterrània | 2007 |
| Junior Red Force | SBF Visa Group | 28 miles per hour (45 km/h) | – | – | Ferrari Land | 2018 |
| Red Force | Intamin | 112 miles per hour (180 km/h) | 367 feet (112 m) | 2,887 feet (880 m) | Ferrari Land | 2017 |
| Stampida | CCI | 46 miles per hour (74 km/h) | 84 feet (26 m) | 3,127 feet (953 m) | Far West | 1997 |
| Tomahawk | CCI | 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) | 44 feet (13 m) | 1,444 feet (440 m) | Far West | 1997 |
| El Diablo – Tren de la Mina | Arrow Dynamics | 37 miles per hour (60 km/h) | 54 feet (16 m) | 3,306 feet (1,008 m) | México | 1995 |
| Tami Tami | Vekoma | 21.7 miles per hour (34.9 km/h) | 28 feet (8.5 m) | [convert: needs a number] | SésamoAventura | 1998 |
Flat rides
| Name | Manufacturer | Height | Speed | Length | Location | Inaugurated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kon-tiki Wave | HUSS Park Attractions | [convert: needs a number] | – | – | Polynesia | 1995 |
| Serpiente Emplumada | Anton Schwarzkopf#Schwarzkopf | [convert: needs a number] | – | – | México | 1995 |
| Yucatán | Mack Rides | – | 13 revolutions per minute | – | México | 1995 |
| Hurakan Condor | Intamin | [convert: needs a number] | [convert: needs a number] | [convert: needs a number] | México | 2005 |
| Maranello Grand Race | C&S | – | – | [convert: needs a number] | Ferrari Land | 2017 |
| Thrill Towers | S&S - Sansei Technologies#S&S Worldwide | [convert: needs a number] (55 m) | – | – | Ferrari Land | 2017 |
| Street Mission | Sally Corporation, ETF Ride Systems#ETF Ride Systems | – | – | – | SésamoAventura | 2019 |
Water rides
| Name | Manufacturer | Speed | Height | Length | Location | Inaugurated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tutuki Splash | Intamin | 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) | 45 feet (14 m) | 1,438 feet (438 m) | Polynesia | 1995 |
| Silver River Flume | Mack Rides | 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) | 50 feet (15 m) | 2,260 feet (690 m) | Far West | 1995 |
| Grand Canyon Rapids | Intamin | 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) | – | 2,800 feet (850 m) | Far West | 1995 |
| Canoes | Zamperla | 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) | – | 2,800 feet (850 m) | Polynesia | 1995 |
| Angkor | Mack Rides | 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) | – | 2,800 feet (850 m) | China | 2014 |
Attractions incorporating motion pictures
| Name | Manufacturer | Height | Length | Location | Inaugurated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dino Scape 4D | Thinkwell Group, Universal Creative | 6.6 feet (2.0 m) | N/A | Polynesia | 2000 (Closed 2022) |
| Flying Dreams | Brogent Technologies | N/A | N/A | Ferrari Land | 2017 |
| Racing Legends | Simworx | N/A | N/A | Ferrari Land | 2017 |
| Street Mission | Sally Corp, ETF Ride Systems | N/A | N/A | SésamoAventura | 2019 |
PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park
Located next to PortAventura Park, PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park covers an area of 50,000 m² and offers 16 water attractions and slides, along with more than 8,500 m² of aquatic surface. The park embraces a Caribbean ambiance, complete with sandy beaches, palm trees, and a soundtrack of Latin and reggae rhythms, complemented by various shopping and dining venues.
Attractions
- King Khajuna – Standing at 31 meters, this is Europe's highest free-fall slide featuring a 55-degree descent, designed by ProSlide Technology. It debuted in 2013.
- Ciclón Tropical – A MultiBUMP slide created by ProSlide, launched in 2013.
- Rapid Race – A ProSlide ProRacer slide introduced in 2013.
- The Mambo and Limbo – Two corkscrew-style waterslides from ProSlide, opened in 2002.
- El Tifón – A pair of body slides developed by ProSlide, available since 2002.
- El Río Loco – A leisurely Lazy River attraction inaugurated in 2002.
- El Torrente – A ProSlide Mammoth river ride featuring four-person tubes, opened in 2002.
- Barracudas – Two tube slides by ProSlide using two-passenger inline tubes, introduced in 2002.
Children’s Attractions
- Indoor Zone with Junior Slides – An indoor play space equipped with a pool and slides by WhiteWater West, operational since 2002.
- La Laguna de Woody – A play area themed around Woody Woodpecker, designed by WhiteWater West and opened in 2002.
Accommodation at the Resort
The resort boasts six themed hotels rated either four or five stars:
- PortAventura Hotel PortAventura: Mediterranean-inspired (4 stars)
- PortAventura Hotel Caribe: Caribbean-themed (4 stars)
- PortAventura Hotel El Paso: Mexican-themed (4 stars)
- PortAventura Hotel Gold River (including 'The Callaghan's'): Western-themed (4 stars)
- PortAventura Hotel Colorado Creek: Rustic Western theme (4 stars)
- PortAventura Hotel Mansión de Lucy: Victorian Western style (5 stars)
Moreover, four off-site hotels managed under the Ponient Hotels brand offer complimentary shuttle services to the park:
- Ponient Vila Centric by PortAventura World (4 stars)
- Ponient Píramide Salou by PortAventura World (4 stars)
- Ponient Dorada Palace by PortAventura World (4 stars)
- Ponient Marinada by PortAventura World (4 stars)
Special Seasonal Celebrations
Throughout seasonal intervals such as summer evenings, Halloween (from September through November), and Christmas (from November to January), PortAventura Park presents exclusive walk-around experiences and performances. These include mazes like [REC], Horror in Penitence, La Selva del Miedo, as well as the nighttime Halloween spectacle Horror en el Lago.
- Summer
- Dance Revolution – Hosted at Gran Teatro Imperial Theatre
- PortAventura Parade – Features music and dance leading into FiestAventura
- FiestAventura – Fireworks accompanied by water effects and floats
- Halloween
- Halloween Kingdom – Presented at Gran Teatro Imperial Theatre
- [REC] Experience – A terror-themed walkthrough
- Horror in Penitence – Horror maze attraction
- La Selva del Miedo – Another terror maze experience
- Halloween Parade – Monster-themed music and choreography culminating in Horror en el Lago
- Horror en el Lago – Nighttime fireworks show enhanced with water effects and floats
- Christmas
- PortAventura Christmas World – Takes place at Gran Teatro Imperial Theatre
- Cuento de Navidad – An artistic ice-skating show featuring acrobatics
- Christmas Family Festival – A family-exclusive Christmas area
- Christmas Parade – Illuminated parade with music and carriages leading to La llegada de los Emisarios Reales
- La llegada de los Emisarios Reales – The arrival of the Three Kings' emissaries accompanied by a multimedia fireworks display