Universal’s Port Aventura World tour strikes all the right notes
Lisa James samples Spanish thrills
Arriving at Spain’s biggest theme park, the last thing I expected to see was a ritual ceremony and dance performed by Maoris against a tropical paradise backdrop of palm trees and straw huts.
Many more surprises were to come as I made my way around Universal’s Port Aventura, stumbling across China’s forbidden city and the Chichen Itza ruins of Mexico, where I was held up at rifle point by a Mexican bandit.
Moving on to the wildest town in the West, Penitence, I made a brief stop at the Saloon Can-Can for a beer and a snack. However, I was forced to stay longer than anticipated as I found myself caught up in the middle of a feud between two rival cowboys who challenged each other to a dual in the centre of the bar.
The situation eventually resolved when a member of the audience stepped forward to be sworn in as Penitence sheriff and return law and order to the town.
In creating five mini-regions of the world – Mediterrania, Polynesia, Mexico, Far West and China – Universal’s Port Aventura’s designers have left no stone unturned in their attention to detail.
Penitence is a town complete with a graveyard, jail, local store and even platform for public hangings.
Its main street is so authentic that every time Icrossed the road, Iautomatically checked to see if any horse-drawn coaches were crossing my path.
In Mediterrania, white and earth-coloured villas and tavernas are set along a waterfront; in Polynesia, a bird show features all manner of weird and wonderfully exotic creatures, including the singing green parrot named Lolita.
The Great Wall of China leads to the Forbidden City where a performance of Chinese acrobats from the Beijing Troupe is a star attraction.
With so many performances going on and things to see, it is easy to forget that the park has some of the best rollercoaster rides of any in Europe.
Of particular note are Dragon Khan, in the China section; Stampida, a wooden rollercoaster where two wagons compete against each other in Penitence; or Tomahawk, a smaller version of Stampida for children.
The thrills of the park are available to all. Every theatre has wheelchair access, and disabled people are able to board all but one of the park’s rides.
The choice of food ranges from snacks and fruits at stalls to waiter-service restaurants. A three-course meal at the most expensive restaurant, called Raco de Mar, costs about ú12 per person, while a snack and drink costs ú2-ú3.