Ferrari Land is the second theme park at PortAventura World and opened in 2017. This is the first Ferrari-branded theme park in Europe, which tells the story behind the Ferrari brand and provides a nice mix of attractions suitable for all the family. The only other Ferrari Land in the world is in Abu Dhabi so it was great to be able to have this experience in Spain.
We booked the Hotel Gold River with Jet2 Holidays, so this included a day ticket to Ferrari Land included in our package – another perk of staying at one of the six on-site hotels at PortAventura World. If you don’t have tickets included or are staying at a hotel in Salou, a one-day family ticket for 4 for Ferrari Land is approximately 76 euro when booked online in advance.
You enter the park under its impressive F1 style logo bridge with the iconic Ferrari sign above your head and into Piazza Maranello and are transported into the world of Ferrari. Chloe is a big F1 fan, so we couldn’t wait to start exploring Ferrari Land.
What captured our attention straight away was the parks signature thrill ride and for good reason.
Red Force is the tallest rollercoaster in Europe and one of the fastest, themed as a F1 car it accelerates you from 0-112mph in just under five seconds before you zoom vertically up 376ft, followed by a shear drop back down to ground level. The closest we came to this was watching it from the grandstand, there are extreme rides but this was on a totally different level.
The centrepiece of the park is the eye catching bright futuristic looking Ferrari building painted in the brands signature red colour, containing the Ferrari Experience, where we headed to first.
There are two immersive rides here, Racing Legends and Flying Dreams, which was a personal favourite. This 4D experience with its water effects, smell, breezes and a giant wrap around screen was similar to Soarin at Epcot as we flew over world landmarks showcasing how Ferrari cars have changed over the years.
Back outside, PortAventura World have cleverly designed landmarks of Italy into the fabric of the Ferrari Land park, walking past the Colosseum and Venice’s St Mark’s Campanile you do forget you are actually in Spain, the theming is so well done.
There are several places to eat here from authentic Italian at the table service restaurant Ristorante Cavallino which I had read before our trip serve delicious pizza and pasta dishes. However these were closed when we visited at the end of May which was disappointing along with their Pit-Lane restaurant.
I couldn’t believe how quiet the park was, we might have got lucky as it was midweek, so we didn’t need any express passes and were able to ride on all the attractions we wanted without having to wait.
The two Thrill Towers designed to look like Ferrari pistons were a hit with Ian and Chloe. One is a drop tower, the other bounces you up and down as it descends. At 55 metres tall they are both quite a height, but next to Red Force they looked rather small in comparison.
To escape the heat, we particularly enjoyed the Ferrari Land Gallery exhibition, which showcased the history of the iconic car brand and its founder, Enzo Ferrari and the interactive exhibits were really engaging for kids.
Our family favourite was the Maranello Grand Race Circuit, where we raced each other around the 500 m long racetrack in a replica Ferrari.
The park has expanded recently adding lots of junior attractions including a mini Red Force coaster which was a lot faster than it looked and Crazy Pistons which were our favourites.
There are another five rides and attractions here which looked great fun for families with younger children, from a mini drop tower to taking part in a race circuit on the junior championship.
Tip – If you want to experience Pole Position Challenge, the parks authentic F1 driving simulator – make sure you go as soon as the park opens and book your place – this can sell out quickly.
A large Ferrari store contained what must have been every piece of Ferrari branded clothes and souvenir available but the prices were as high as the Red Force coaster.
Overall
We loved every minute of our visit to Ferrari Land, it’s such a unique park, beautifully themed and well worth visiting if you are already at PortAventura.
Ready to book
Prices for a family of 4 staying at the Hotel Gold River – Port Aventura World with flights from Bristol airport to Reus, start from just £493pp for a 4 night stay on a half board basis booking through Jet2 Holidays.