Cool down, splash out and have some fun

Amanda Thompson and photographer Stefan Schwartze joined some very happy little people on a tour of the island’s major waterparks.

Aqualand Magaluf

It was the perfect June assignment for a mother with children who were hot, bored and restless – a visit to the water attractions of Mallorca. In temperatures reaching 34 degrees, we packed picnics, costumes, and sunscreen, and went off in search of the best water adventures on the island.

Our first stop was Aqualand Magaluf. This was a popular choice with the young testers as several of their friends have bought resident-only season tickets and it is a popular meeting point for local children. Aqualand Magaluf received a Thomson Safety First Gold Medal in 2004 and mothers certainly seem impressed with the vigilance of lifeguards.

Kids’ verdict: “Pleeeese can we go again tomorrow”.
Mum’s verdict: User-friendly, spacious and nice shaded areas for picnics. The life guards have great personalities and are super with the children,” said Caroline, mother of Mollie, one of our young testers.

Marineland
Our next visit was Marineland, which is nicely situated, with lovely views over the sea at Portals. Our young testers were all familiar with Marineland as it is popular for school visits and birthday parties. It doesn’t matter how often they visit, they never seem to tire of watching the spectacular dolphin show or admiring the birds, reptiles and sea life on offer. There is also a smallish pool area where children can cool off while parents have a cup of tea.

Kids’ verdict: “Pleeeese can we buy a dolphin… or just a little turtle then.”
Mum’s verdict: It’s lovely to see the children’s faces as they admire and learn about the marine life. This is a great asset for the children of the island, but I found it slightly too hot and crowded in June. As we live here all year round I would definitely go again in low season.

Western Water Park
The children were up and ready long before I was for our third test of the week – Western Water Park. Here we were joined by Mollie, 5, and triplets, Henry, Tobias and Robin, 4, who were very taken with the cowboy theme and did not want to miss the Saloon Cowboy Family Show or the Oliver Water Park show at any cost. We all went to see the Oliver Water Show and were impressed with the divers who plunge from dizzying heights into a pool of only 3m. One of the divers set fire to himself before diving in – unbelievable, especially in this heat! While the boys went to see the cowboy show, the girls preferred to explore the rides.

Kids’ verdict: “Oh no! It’s not fair! Why do we have to go home now, we still haven’t seen everything.”
Mum’s verdict: There is certainly a lot to do and see in this park, making it good value for money, but as it became very busy, we were worried about losing sight of the children and thought it might be better for older children who do not need as much supervision. There was a good selection of restaurants and the restrooms were clean and easy to find. We liked the fact that there were guides walking around to offer advice and assistance in several languages. However, more shaded areas would be nice.

Aqualand El Arenal
Our final day was spent at Mallorca’s largest water park, Aqualand El Arenal with Sandra, 19. Our first impression was not too good as there was a long queue to get in with people getting irritable in the hot sun. Once they opened a second gate the queues moved quickly and we found ourselves in an attractively landscaped park, offering lots of areas to relax, loads of water features, and mini-golf for those who don’t like to get their hair wet. Fitness queens can even learn to dance like Madonna at the surf beach.

Kids’ verdict: “Just five minutes more, pleeeese mum.”.

Mum’s verdict: Although this park involved a longer drive for us I’d definitely go again as I liked the landscape and appreciated the abundance of shade. The queues at the rides were not too long considering the time of year. Definitely worth arriving early and spending a whole day there.

Hidropark

Unfortunately the team of testers ran out of time and were not able to head North to Alcudia to visit the Hidropark much to the disappointment of the little folk! But, at least we have something to look forward to another time. The 54-hole supergolf attraction, available at a small additional fee, is definitely something the kids would enjoy. Like the other water parks we visited, the Hidropark has a variety of shutes, slides and pools for all ages as well as the ever-popular kamikaze ride. Other attractions that make the Hidropark a little bit different are the Euro Bungee, slot machines and mini go-karts and motor boats. However, It’s worth noting that the karts and boats are only suitable for children under 12 and children under 11 do need to wear armbands on the rides. This park is smaller than the others on the island but is said to be very family orientated (apparently you oversee the whole park from your sunbed, making it easy to keep an eye on your children). It also has the usual picnic areas, a restaurant and fast food outlets.

FOOD COSTS

If you are going to use the water parks on a regular basis it is well worth investing in an icebox and taking a picnic. At all the parks, food prices are similar. Expect to pay between €4–€4.60 for a baguette and around €3.20 for a medium coke. Ice cream costs between €1.90 for a lolly and €2.90 for a Magnum. Marineland and Aqualand do family menus and three for the price of two on baguettes and hot dogs.

WHAT THE TESTERS SAY

Jade, 7 years

I loved it at Aqualand El Arenal because it was so big and there was so much to do. My favourite ride was the rapids.

Kara, 6 years
I love the dolphin show at Marineland and Kids Waterland at Western Water Park, especially when the big bucket makes you wet.

Hella, 28 years
I like the fact that they change the shows in Marineland so if you go a few times with the pass de temporada you don´t get bored.