The shriek of a child hitting a pool after a near vertical drop. The smell of chlorine mixed with sun cream and fried churros. The moment when a wave pool goes from gentle lapping to full surf in three seconds flat. A great water park is one of the few places where adults and children occupy the same plane of pure joy. Europe has some of the best on the planet, from a tropical paradise inside a former airship hangar in Germany to a Thai themed kingdom on the shores of Tenerife. Here are the water parks that deliver on the promise for families travelling with children.
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Siam Park, Tenerife: The World Champion
Siam Park has been voted the best water park on Earth multiple times, and the votes are not wrong. The theme is Thai, executed with a level of detail that borders on obsessive. The Tower of Power is the signature ride, a near vertical drop through a translucent tunnel that passes through a shark tank. Guests emerge on the other side breathless and grinning. The wave pool is the largest artificial wave pool in the world, producing waves up to three metres high. The lazy river, the longest in the world, winds through tropical gardens and past underwater caves. Entry costs roughly forty euros for adults and twenty eight euros for children if booked online. Go early. The queues for the Tower of Power build fast and do not shrink until late afternoon. The park is best for children aged eight and above, though the Lost City area offers gentler slides for younger visitors. The landscaping alone is worth the price of admission with waterfalls, bridges, and palm trees everywhere you look.
Tropical Islands, Germany: Summer Inside a Hangar
Forty five minutes south of Berlin, inside the largest free standing hall in the world, sits a full tropical rainforest. Tropical Islands began life as a project to build a cargo airship hangar. When the airship project collapsed, the investors built a beach instead. The result is extraordinary. The dome maintains a constant twenty six degrees Celsius year round. Inside you will find a sandy beach, palm trees, a lagoon pool, a rainforest with actual plants and birds, and water slides that wind through the artificial canopy. You can stay overnight in a tent or a lodge inside the dome. Entry costs forty five euros for adults and thirty five euros for children. The park is open twenty four hours a day. Visit in January when it is snowing outside and the contrast between the frozen Brandenburg landscape and the humid tropical interior is almost surreal. It is an experience that has no real equivalent anywhere else in Europe.
Aqualand, Corfu: Greek Island Adventure
The Greek islands do not immediately spring to mind when thinking of water parks, but Aqualand in Corfu is one of the best in the Mediterranean. The park sits in the centre of the island, about thirty minutes from Corfu Town, surrounded by olive groves and hills. The Kamikaze slides and the Black Hole are the adrenaline highlights, but the park excels at the family experience. The children’s area is well designed with scaled down slides and shallow pools. The lazy river drifts past sun loungers and snack bars. The wave pool produces a respectable swell. Entry costs twenty eight euros for adults and eighteen euros for children. The combination of a beach holiday on Corfu with a day at Aqualand makes for a perfect family week that balances culture, beach time, and pure fun.
Aquapalace, Prague: Central Europe’s Biggest
The largest water park in Central Europe sits just outside Prague, a twenty minute drive from the city centre. Aquapalace combines indoor and outdoor areas, a sauna world, a wave pool, and a dedicated children’s water world. The adrenaline zone features slides that range from the merely exciting to the genuinely terrifying. The Palace of Relaxation offers steam baths, whirlpools, and a salt cave for parents who need a break from the slides. A full day ticket costs approximately eight hundred and fifty Czech koruna, roughly thirty four euros. The park is excellent for a family day out from Prague and is easily reached by bus from the city centre. It offers a great rainy day option for families visiting the Czech capital.
Splashdown, Poole: Britain’s Top Pick
The United Kingdom does not have the climate for year round outdoor water parks, but Splashdown in Poole makes the most of what it has. The Infinity is a vertical drop speed slide that launches riders down a near sheer drop. The Screamer is a fifty metre body slide that twists and turns at speed. The wave pool and children’s area round out the offering. Entry costs twenty pounds for adults and seventeen pounds for children. Capacity is limited and sessions sell out during school holidays, so booking online is essential. The park is compact but well run and offers a genuine water park experience without leaving the UK. The south coast location means you can combine it with a day at the beach in Poole or Bournemouth.
Which European water park would your family choose. The shark tunnel in Tenerife, the tropical dome in Germany, or the slides of Corfu?
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