Theme parks in Benidorm

Another great thing about a holiday in Benidorm, are the loads of theme parks that surround the resort. Some of these parks are really great and should not be missed out. In this article I will show you the biggest theme parks on the outskirts of Benidorm. No need to drive kilometers on end, just catch the bus or take a cab.

Terra Mitica
Terra Mitica and the wooden
coaster
I will start of with the biggest one. There is a lot of ink spilled on this amusement park because it was a contested project from the beginning. The park never really got off on the right foot and that is too bad, because it is really stunning. The theme of this park is the ancient history. The Greek, the Romans, Egypt... All these ancient empires have their own area in the park, with stunning typical environments and architecture. The attractions in the park are no less awesome. A huge wooden rollercoaster on the side of a mountain, a suspended looping coaster, a rapid river, dark rides...are just some of the attractions in Terra Mitica. There are also two cool shows to be seen, a lot of junior rides, attractions for children and thrillrides...
Inferno
Terra Mitica is not the cheapest excursion to do, but do look out for coupons or discounts with travel agents, restaurants (fastfood) or in hotels.
I visited the park when it just opened in 2000. Entrance prices were a lot cheaper back then and we remember having a great time and being amazed by the beautiful setting of the park. I do read on the web that there is a lack of maintenance and the park has lost some of the magic of the beginning. But reviews are still very good, so if you are a roller coaster and/or ancient history buff, do try it out!

Aqualandia
Aqualandia
The second park on the list is the great Aqualandia. As the name suggests, this is a water park. Not just any water park, it is Europe's largest water park! If you like a sorts of slides, pools and rapid rivers, this is definitely the place to be. Although it charges a pretty hefty entrance fee (above 30 EUR), it is worth the money. You can sit around all day. They have lockers to put in your valuables, but you have to pay a fee to rent one. There are nice areas for relaxing or sunbathing (sun loungers to rent) and pick-nick places, where you can eat your own lunch or you can buy (expensive) fastfood on site. There are slides for the adrenaline junks with dangerous names like “Black Hole”, “Kamikaze”, “Big Bang” or “Vertigo”, the last being the highest capsule slide in the world! There are also river rapids and slides in which you have to sit in a rubber ring. You can hire them on site (again you have to pay...) or bring your own.
If you are not a hero in the water, no problem. There are slower slides and a slow river where you can float around in a rubber ring. Aqualandia also has different pools and a huge wave pool, all the pools are nicely themed and look gorgeous.
The Adventure area is for kids. They can have a fun time in shallow pools with waterfalls, small slides and all sorts of fun elements.
The main concern expressed in the review on the web is the salt water. Aqualandia does use salt water from the sea. The reason for this is to be environmental friendly! Some people say it stings in the eyes and sometimes hurts your back on the faster slides. This may be true, but I still like the fact they do not waste any precious drinking water...
Another point is that the park is expensive. Not only the entrance fee, but the extras cost a lot too, like a locker, a sun lounger, a rubber ring, the food... Aqualandia defends itself by stating that you are always free to bring your own sun lounger, rubber ring and food...
Aqualandia in general does get good reviews and is certainly recommended for spending a hot day. I never visited Aqualandia, because it is only open in peak season (until end september) and I normally go on vacation in October or November...
Although Aqualandia could be a full day excursion, there is a possibility to combine it (with a very good combination ticket) with next door neighbor Mundomar.

Mundomar
Entrance gate of Mundomar
This park is right next door to Aqualandia, just outside of Benidorm. This is a park for the animal-lovers. The park is home to mostly aquatic animals like dolphins, penguins, sea lions and brightly colored fish. They also have parrots, small mammals, bats, monkeys and birds. The main attraction of this park are the animal shows. There is a parrot show, a show with sea lions and the dolphin show. These shows are scheduled one after another leaving enough time to walk up (it is on the side of a mountain) and enjoy the other creatures in the park. All the shows are very good and unforgettable. I especially loved the sea lion show. After the show you can go up and get a -stinky- kiss from the sea lion. They take pictures and you can buy them on your way out. It was some time ago, but I remember the price for the pictures not being very expensive (although I didn't buy the photos). There is also the possibility to feed some animals like the sea lions and the penguins. You can buy a small carton with fish and trow them in the water. It is fun to see the penguins dive and swim really fast to get to the fish. They do take good care of their animals (although when I visited there was a possibility to "meet" the dolphins and I don't like this idea) and the environment is really nice. At the dolphin show you also get a beautiful view over Benidorm.
If you like animal shows and marine wildlife, I really suggest visiting Mundomar.

Terra Natura & Terra Aqua
This is more then just a zoo, it has more then 300,000 square meters of room for more then 1500 animals of 200 different species! The park is divided in 4 area's: Pangea, America, Asia and of course Europe. The themes are beautifully incorporated and the animals habitats are designed in a way that you can have an optimal view at the animals without the use of bars. They make use of natural resources to contain the animals. You can rest assure that all the spectacular animals are included; tigers, jaguars, monkeys, elephants, rhinos, crocodiles...
Terra Natura
They have various shows, with and without animals.
I never visited Terra Natura, so I can not tell you if it is good. Overall it gets a very good score on tripadvisor, albeit just a little less then Mundomar... Maybe they are not comparable, because Mundomar is more specialized in marine wildlife and this one has the more traditional selection of animals.
If it gets to hot in Terra Natura, you can go to the park next door, Aqua Natura. This is a waterpark. Not really the same as the waterpark Aqualandia. This one is not so big and has lesser slides and attractions. It is more suitable for families since the slides are not to frightening. They also have a sea lion show. A combi ticket for Terra Natura and Aqua Natura costs just a little more then the entrance fee of one of the parks, so most people combine both. I must say that people complain on the web that only half of the slides are open. After 2 pm, the life guards change position so the other half can be opened... In peak season, all the slides should be open at the same time...


Fonts de l'Algar and the Dino park Algar
Dino Park Algar
Further away from Benidorm are two more parks. One is Les fonts de l'Algar. This is no amusement park, but just a nice park with a lot of waterfalls. You can have a swim in them and jump from platforms. The water is freezing cold, so swimming will only be possible in summer (when there are a lot of locals and tourists in the water). The park is worth a nice stroll, but there are some stairs.
A little further from the waterfalls is the Dino Park Algar. The park used to be a botanical garden specialized in cactus and exotic plants. They made it a more family friendly park with models of dinosaurs and a 3D cinema and a small museum. Some of the dinosaur models even move or make a sound.
Both of the parks are reachable by car. There is a bus, Llorente nr 18, but it only stops at the fonts de l'Algar, visitors for the Dino Park have to walk a bit. This bus certainly does not ride frequently, so check on the website of Llorente and keep an eye on the watch so you will not loose the last bus to Benidorm.

Practical information
  • Most of the parks have expensive restaurants and only sell limited choices of fastfood. It would be better and a lot cheaper to pack your own lunch.
  • Buy tickets in advance and take a look around. Travel agents, hotels, restaurants (fastfood) sometimes offer big discounts on entrance fees. If you are lucky, you can catch one of the promoters of the park, these give away great discount coupons. You will certainly not miss them if they happen to drive past; there is one on a very high scooter, making a lot of noise or clowns in a convertible..
  • Terra Natura/Aqua Natura, Terra Mitica, Mundomar/Aqualandia are all perfect to visit by bus. The bus will drive up to the entrance and rides frequent to most parts of Benidorm.
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