Things To Do in PortAventura

PortAventura gives you plenty of scope for retail therapy – the shops here are all based around the park’s themes, so you can find Mexican jewellery, Spanish ceramics and merchandise featuring theme park characters and rides. Or you can immortalise photographs of your favourite holiday moments on printed T-shirts and mugs.

Michelin-starred Can Bosch serves up Catalan seafood in a cool, classy venue. To try a bit of everything, go for the tasting menu which gets you 8 courses for 63 euros. As mar i muntanya – what we might call surf ’n’ turf – is a speciality, expect pigs’ trotters stuffed with sautéed scampi and rabbit with baby squid. You’ll definitely need to book ahead for this place.

Palm trees, hammocks, reggae music – the vibe at this place is more Caribbean than Costa Dorada. There's a whopping 50,000 square metres of slides, waterfalls and lagoon-like pools. You’ve got 16 rides to choose from, whether you want to charge through a pitch-black tunnel slide or bob around in the wave pool. All the family can compete on the six-lane Rapid Race ride, while thrill-seekers should head straight for the Ciclón Tropical’s white-knuckle drop. Not forgetting the King Khajuna. At 31 metres tall, it’s one of the highest freefall slides in Europe. Tots aren’t left out, either – they’ve got everything from play areas to splash pools and a brand new pirate ship manned by a crew of Sesame Street characters.

In keeping with its different themes, PortAventura offers lots of cuisines, so you’ll never get bored with the food here. In the Mediterranean section you’ll find pizza, pasta and freshly-netted fish, while if you fancy nachos and fajitas, you can hit the Mexican area of the park – and for exotic salads and tropical juices, try the Polynesian area.

For a change from the tailor-made sands of Bahamas Beach, a 20-minute drive to Cambrils leaves you spoilt for choice. The 9-kilometre sweep of sand actually consists of 9 Blue Flag beaches, complete with sunbeds and parasols for hire. The waterfront is packed with bars for drinks and snacks. You can also try watersports, from scuba diving to parascending.

Out of the resort, nearby Cambrils gives you a 9-kilometre sweep of sand with 9 beaches, all of them with Blue Flags to their name. If you like surfing, busy Prat d’en Flores is a popular spot, or for a quieter patch with calm, child-friendly water head to del Cavet.

If you fancy eating outside of the resort for a change, head over to Cambrils. The place is famous for its super-fresh seafood and down at the marina you’ll find 2 Michelin-starred restaurants lined up with more rustic alternatives. Grilled sardines, swordfish steak, mussels and calamari – whatever the price tag, it all comes freshly netted with waterfront views.

PortAventura’s got pretty much everything on tap – and that includes the shops. You’ll be able to browse for souvenirs, gifts and sports accessories here. You can also get special mementos of your stay including replicas of your favourite theme park characters and printed T-shirts and mugs.

This genial Irish bar is full of the craic – from the creamy pints of Guinness, to the live Irish music courtesy of bands like the Shamrockers, to the traditional Sunday roast. The bar staff have even been known to teach guests a few steps of Irish dancing in the early evening, before things get too busy.

You can get the drinks in at PortAventura’s hotel bars, but for a bigger night out your best bet is Salou. Here you’ve got a lively mix of theme pubs, karaoke and live entertainment. If you’re staying on for the clubs, expect R’n’B, house and pop to be spinning ’til 4am.

This place rocks – literally. Six nights a week you’ll get live music here. They favour Irish folk and soft rock so you’ll be shaking your hair to the Eagles, Van Morrison and Oasis. Performers are on from 10pm to 1am, but the place doesn’t shut up shop ’til 4am so there’s no rush to leave.

Castells – that’s human towers – are big round these parts. And you’ll find some of the best over in Tarragona, about 25 minutes’ bus ride away. Here, skilled castellers dressed in traditional costume stand on each other’s shoulders to make vertigo-inducing towers. It’s a real spectacle to watch – but a bit of a Jenga-style moment when they have to get everybody down again.

Bresca is a popular place, so it’s best to arrive close to the 8pm opening time – or, better yet, book ahead. If you can’t decide what to eat, you could try the tasting menu – 8 courses for 63 euros. Signature dishes include pigs’ trotters stuffed with sautéed scampi, rabbit with baby squid, and octopus with alioli. An extensive wine menu complements the locally sourced food.

PortAventura’s hotel bars each have different themes. There’s the Wild West bar, the Caribbean bar and the Mexican bar. Each one has drinks and entertainment, but for a more dedicated night out, Salou is just 5 minutes’ drive away. It’s the liveliest town in the area, with karaoke in the pubs, while the clubs tend to throb with R’n’B, house and pop grooves.