When I was little my parents took me to the fair and put me on a merry-go-round. The first ride of my life turned out to be terrifying and I ended up scared and crying.
At that time nobody thought that rollercoasters, thrill rides and theme parks would turn out to be big loves of my life. Ever since rollercoasters are on my mind. In elementary school I turned every essay into a rollercoaster adventure. When going on vacation I got on my parents' nerves till they integrated a visit to the closest fair or theme park – and it's the same with my friends nowadays.
There is nothing better than entering the perfectly themed parallel universe of a theme park. Suddenly you find yourself in another country or in another age. You can experience danger and thrill in a safe surrounding – if you are allowed to!
And here comes the fly in the ointment! A lot of theme parks (especially in Europe and particularly in Germany) won't let guests with disabilities go on rides. That is because they are afraid that in case of an emergency those guests are not able to rescue themselves.
Therefore I am so excited and thankful that some theme parks are extremely wheelchair friendly. Like Port Aventura in Salou, Spain! When I was younger I read a lot about this park and always wanted to visit it.
Port Aventura guest service office
After breakfast we walked to the park entrance which is approximately 15 minutes away from the H10 Salauris Palace. The road to the park is slightly uphill and bumpy but manageable. I was overwhelmed by the friendly service at the guest service office. I got a free ticket and my boyfriend got a special rate for his ticket. In addition I got a free seasonal pass which gave us discounts on food, drinks and merchandise in the park (find more information for here).
Ice cream from one of the many food stands in the park
Port Aventura's main park features five themed lands: Mediterrània, Far West, México, China, Polynesia, as well as Sesame Street. We didn't visit the newer Ferrari Land that is dedicated to the Italian sports car brand.
When entering Mediterrània, the park's main entrance area, we were able to get a first impression of the park's intense theming. The land features a lot of food and merchandise, Furios Baco, a launched coaster that is said to be rough and bumpy and that was out of service most of the day – so we didn't ride it.
Mediterrània with Furios Baco
The first ride of the day was the Silver River Flume, a Western themed log flume in the Far West area. To get to the loading area in a wheelchair you can ask staff and they will help you using a lift. I was happy to see that there is an extra access for wheelchair users. The boat is stopped and you can take your time to get on and off the ride. We were asked if we wanted to ride twice – of course we did.
Silver River Flume
Far West
Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of the next ride – Stampida a wooden duelling coaster which was surprisingly smooth for an older wooden coaster. To ride this coaster, like most of the park's attractions, you enter the ride through the exit.
Port Aventura Halloween decoration
Up next was Hurakan Condor. With a height of 115 meters this is one of the world's tallest drop tower rides. We were able to ride twice in a row here, too.
Hurakan Condor
Another rollercoaster is El Diablo - Tren de la Mina. This family coaster is smaller but definitely worth a ride.
El Diablo - Tren de la Mina
But the actual reason we were here was Shambala in the China section of Port Aventura. Until 2018 Shambala was Europe's tallest hypercoaster in Europe. An impressive and massive white structure of steel that offers loads of fun and much more important: Airtime! I can't get enough of the feeling when you find yourself high up in the air and suddenly you are ripped to the ground. For a moment you are weightless – a body experience free from disabilities! Shambalas station features a lift for wheelchairs – so it's a must ride ;)
Dragon Khan & Shambala
Port Aventura's China section
Apart from the thrilling rides Port Aventura offers excellent nature and we strolled through the park for three or four times during our visit.
Port Aventura' offers lots of green areas
Of course the park's facilities are all accessible including the rest rooms. I want to emphasise that staff was extremely helpful with the wheelchair. Everybody was friendly and it was never a problem to get on a ride! If you like rollercoasters as much as me don't miss Port Aventura when in the Barcelona area! Continue here.
Wheelchair entrance Shambala
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