Discover which attractions might be interesting for younger children
Today we bring you a visit to this well-known theme park focused on those with a child around the ages of 2-3-4, and we can already tell you that you can go without any problems: there are attractions for everyone. However, don’t get your hopes up for big rides, as you’ll only be able to go on specific ones. Let us explain.
Firstly, regarding age, children under 3 years old don’t pay (from 4 and up, they do). From here on, age doesn’t matter much, only the child’s height. Whether or not they can go on a ride will be determined by a minimum height requirement, and we can already tell you that the ride attendant won’t make exceptions: if they’re too small, they won’t be allowed to ride.
Dispones de nuestra versión en castellano de este artículo en el siguiente enlace
- Which PortAventura attractions can a child ride based on their height
- Other tips to enhance your visit with children
- Other activities you can do near PortAventura
- Where to stay near PortAventura
- Other articles that might interest you
Which PortAventura attractions can a child ride based on their height
In this list, we’ve grouped attractions where the child can ride without any restrictions and those where the child must meet a minimum height requirement. Attractions requiring over 1.20 meters are excluded from these restrictions (we consider that even the tallest 3-4 year old children won’t reach that height).
We can group the attractions into two categories:
Attractions that don’t require any minimum height:
- China: Angkor, Imperial Cobra, Kids’ Area, Kiddie Balloons, and Kiddie Kitties (all with an adult companion)
- Mexico: Armadillos, The Colts, The Secret of the Maya (the last two with an adult companion)
- Far West: Buffalo Rodeo, Carousel
- Sesame Adventure: Elmo’s Farm (with an adult companion), Waikiki, Kiddie Dragons, The Magic Tree, The Enchanted Orchard
- Polynesia: Canoes (ride alone)
Attractions requiring a mandatory companion if the child is below a specific height:
- China: Tea Cups (minimum height 0.95)
- Mexico: The Devil – Mine Train (minimum height 1.10)
- Far West: Tomahawk (1.05), Silver River (1.00), Wild Buffalos (1.00), Crazy Barrels (1.00), Grand Canyon Rapids (1.10), Blacksmith’s Labyrinth (1.00)
- Sesame Adventure: Blas’ Jump (0.95), Tami Tami (1.00), Coco Pilot (1.00), Jumping Butterflies (1.05), Street Mission (0.90)
- Polynesia: Except for canoes, all require a minimum of 1.20 meters.
Attractions based on heights
We’ll provide the list in another way, based on heights:
- No height requirements: Elmo’s Farm (Sesame), Imperial Cobra, Angkor, Kiddie Balloons, Kiddie Kitties (China), Carousel (Far West), and The Colts (Mexico)
- 0.90 m: Street Mission (Sesame), Tea Cups (China)
- 0.95 m: Blas’ Jump (Sesame)
- 1.00 m: Tami Tami, Coco Pilot (Sesame), Crazy Barrels, Wild Buffalos, Silver River (Far West)
- 1.05 m: Jumping Butterflies (Sesame)
- 1.10 m: Grand Canyon Rapids (Far West), The Devil – Mine Train (Mexico)
As you can see, of the main attractions, we can only ride Angkor and Street Mission with children, both of which are very worthwhile. However, there are other rides we mentioned that are also a lot of fun and children will enjoy them.
Apart from these attractions, you’ll also find interactive decorations and shows to make the entire journey enjoyable for children. Another great trick that kids love is moving around with the steam train between the Sesame Adventure and Far West scenes (you must get off at each station, you can’t stay inside the train).
Other tips to enhance your visit with children
You can bring your stroller until the last moment
Inside the park, you can rent strollers. There are single and twin strollers, but they are rigid and don’t allow the seat to be reclined for a «nap mode.» However, if you have a stroller, it’s not worth renting one: take yours from home and park it at the entrance of each attraction.
Carrier backpacks for queues
Like in all theme parks, attractions have queues and these can be endless depending on when you go. During the queue, you can’t take your stroller with you (it has to stay at the entrance), so you’ll have to carry the child if they ask for arms. If your child often asks for arms, a carrier backpack can be a good option.
Water, water, and more water (and it’s free)
Children spend the day asking for water, and it won’t be any different here. If you don’t want to bring a jug from home or pay 2-3 Euros for each 33cl bottle, there’s a cheap option. Bring a bottle from home and fill it up at the fountain in each bathroom. It’s free water, but the taste isn’t great, and the temperature is tap temperature. It’s not comparable to bottled water, but you’ll save a lot of money.
Sunscreen, above all else
We don’t know why, but the park is far from shaded. There are shaded areas and areas. In Polynesia, there are more shadows, but China, for example, is a pure sunbathing area. We consider it a design flaw (Tarragona is not Iceland, it’s foreseeable that there will be sun), so we recommend that you bring a lot of sunscreen and reapply it every two hours.
You can bring food, but the park makes you beg to eat
A large part of the park’s income comes from merchandise and catering, so it’s clear that they don’t like you bringing your food. Unlike other parks in Europe, where the space is encouraged as a friendly area for you to visit as a regular member, here priority is given to the occasional tourist visit.
The result is that there are no picnic areas, and all areas with tables expressly prohibit outside food. If you go with food from home, you’ll have to beg for benches along the way. And we already warn you that a pack of cut fruit costs more than 6 Euros.
Take advantage of shows to rest
We know that traveling with young children is tiring, and even more so when they are overstimulated. Take advantage of the shows to sit for a while and let them be fascinated and distracted by watching. They are for all audiences, but for example, in Sesame Adventure, we’ll find shows for the little ones (and one is at 1 p.m., ideal for a quiet lunch).
Bring spare clothes, hats, and/or raincoats
Yes, we know that you always carry spare clothes. But this is not the place where you should forget them. With so many water attractions, it’s normal that you’ll need to change their clothes. And as for what clothes to bring, it depends a lot on the time of year you go.
In winter, take care of the raincoats and spare clothes so that the child doesn’t get cold. For summer, forget about the raincoat… it’s so hot that the child will want to get wet, and the sun will act as a natural dryer. But don’t forget the hat, open shoes, or airy clothes.
If you want to know about other activities to do with children in the neighboring town of La Pineda, we recommend our article 7 things to do with children in La Pineda. (For the moment, we haven’t translate it to english)
Other activities you can do near PortAventura
We suggest the following Civitatis activities that we’ve found most recommended to do in La Pineda or its surroundings:
| Paddle surfing in Salou (15 Euros) |  |
| Half-day catamaran tour in Cambrils (42 Euros) | |
| Entry to PortAventura Park (51 Euros) | |
| Entry to Ferrari Land (21 Euros) | |
| Entry to Caribe Aquatic Park (29 Euros) | |
The prices of the activities are what we’ve seen at the time of writing this article. The actual price is what you can see on the Civitatis website.
Where to stay near PortAventura
There’s a wide range of hotels within the same complex. We suggest the following hotels, which are located very close to the park and offer some advantages.
| Hotel El Paso (4*): With a Far West atmosphere, it’s one of the best hotels on the premises and the closest to the entrance. |  |
| Hotel PortAventura Caribe (4*): It’s also located very close to the entrance and has many swimming pools. | |
| Hotel PortAventura (4*): It offers free and unlimited access to the PortAventura theme park (for the entire stay, including arrival and departure days) and 1 day of access to Ferrari Land per person per stay (subject to the park’s opening calendar). It has direct access to the Mediterranea area of the park. | |
On the other hand, we offer you three more options outside the premises:
| Hotel H10 Salauris Palace (4*): It’s the closest hotel to the park outside the premises. It’s already located in the Salou area. | |
| Hotel La Hacienda (4*): It’s located in La Pineda, a very family-friendly area, in case you want to do other activities beyond the park itself. | |
| Hotel Palas Pineda (4*): Also located in La Pineda, it’s one of the best in the area. We’ve been there a few times, and there are no complaints. The spa area is amazing. | |
Other articles that might interest you
Activities near Port Aventura:
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