Many of us know historical facts about Italy but did you know that Italy is home to the tallest watercoaster in the world? Or a rollercoaster that goes from 0km to 100km and climbing 115ft in 3 seconds? No? Well, you’ll be pleased to know that Italy has a plethora of amusement parks of all shapes and sizes for all types of thrill seekers of all ages.
Here are 10 of the best theme parks and waterparks in Italy that you have to visit.
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Gardaland – Lake Garda eastern shore
Tickets – from €30
Ranked fifth in top ten amusement parks in the world by Forbes Magazine in 2005, and attracting almost 3 million people a year, northern Italy’s Gardaland has been in operation since 1975, meaning its celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Garland is a thrill seekers paradise, the park is the perfect choice for roller coaster lovers (the latest opened in March 2015 ‘Oblivion: The Black Hole’) but also children with 32 rides to choose from, including 3 water rides and 4 dark rides. As well as the amusement park, there is the Gardaland Sea Life Aquarium and the Gardaland Resort Hotel, meaning you can stay for the thrills and get out and about when in need of a chill.
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Mirabilandia – Savio, Emilia-Romagna
Tickets – adults from €29,90 – under 140cm from €24,90
Famous for its food, wine, ancient history and Motor industry, next time you’re passing through you’ll also have to stop by Mirabilanida The largest theme part of the region, it boasts the world’s tallest Watercoaster the ‘Divertical’ and europe’s second tallest ferris wheel standing 90 metres tall. Also, within the same group, there is the Mirabilandia beach, a water park based around a caribbean island that comes with all sorts of rides, slides and relaxing areas.
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Movieland Park – Lake Garda
Tickets – adults €25 – under 140cm €19
Also on the shores of Lake Garda, though not as big as the movie theme parks found the USA way, that doesn’t mean you won’t get any less excitement for your euro here at Movieland Park. From the Terminator 5 immersive game, the Diabolik themed ride (which opened this year), horror house filled with famous scary faces and numerous shows, if you find yourself getting hot and bothered you can check out the Caneva Aquapark that packs 16 rides into your ticket price as well.
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Aquafan – Riccione, Emilia-Romagna
Tickets – adults €28 – kids 140cm and below €20
Another waterpark to wet your whistle is Aquafan. Opening in 1987, it has become the most famous water park in Italy and also in Europe. Located in Riccicone, this 100,000 square meter park is for all ages, and hosts parties with some of the world’s biggest djs. Due to it being a waterpark, you can understand that it’s only open June through to September. There is a whole host of rides and attractions to entertain, including some of the longest waterslides in the world.
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Parco Della Preistoria – Rivolta D’Adda, Lombardy
Tickets – adults €12 Under 12s €9
Open February through to November, this dino adventure park is just outside of Milan and doubles up as an educational botanical garden and nature reserve. Telling millions of years of history, children and adults discover the beasts that once walked the land and in the ways that lived, ruled and evolved. With over 30 attractions as well as the wildlife park and labyrinth, this park is the perfect escape from Milan.
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Italia in Miniatura – Viserba, in Rimini
Tickets from €10 – kids under 1m free
Does exactly what you’d expect it too. See the famous sites of Italy in one place and in miniature size. Whether you’ve always had a height complex or want to feel like godzilla for the day, you’ll find yourself towering over 273 miniatures of famous Italian and European buildings and landmarks. Don’t believe me, just take a look at the website which features cats rubbing up against the Duomo in Milan and children hugging the Basilica in Florence. There’s also a neat monorail that takes you the park, as well as a selection of rides for the kids to check out too.
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Etnaland – Belpasso, Sicily
Tickets – adults start at €20 – children at €15
Set in the province of Catania of Sicily, here you have a theme park, waterpark and dinosaur park at your disposal. Set at the foot of Volcano Etna, one of the Unseco’s World Heritage sites, the theme park is the newest addition to these entertainment parks and features a mix of heartstopping rides like The Storm, Etnaland Tower and Vortigo, and features world glass water rides too. Then, with the adjacent waterpark and prehistoric adventure ground, Etnaland is a unique experience in one place.
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Rainbow Magic Land – Valmontone, near Rome
Tickets – adults from €27 – children from €22
Covering over 600,000 sq.m. and divided into 3 themed areas, the theme park is home to 36 attractions such as a 3D interactive dark ride, Spinning coaster, raft rides, a free fall tower and more. For thrill seekers, you should head straight to the Shock rollercoaster which takes riders from 0 to 100km and to a height of 115ft in just 3 seconds. Yes please!
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Fibilandia – Rimini, Emilia-Romagna
Tickets – from €16
One of the oldest theme parks in Italy, it opened in 1965, and comes with its own cute mascot called Babau. This seaside theme park for younger children is set in one of the most visited beach resorts in Italy, making it the perfect Plan B for young families that are enjoying a bit of sun but also looking to keep the young ones entertained. As well as play, they make sure that its an educational trip too, teaching about all manner of things from wildlife, science and food. The park is split into themes, Medieval, Oriental, The Pirate Bay, the wild west village and the Magic Village.
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Cavallino Matto – Livorno, Tuscany
Tickets from €17
When it opened in 1967, ‘the crazy little horse’ theme park was originally called Parco Gulliver but in the 1990s it expanded and was rebrand Cavallino Matto.Today, it has 5 rollercoasters, the Safari Adventure that features animatronic animals, a 3D cinema and various live performances by acrobats and orchestras. Nice. They recently started a new attraction called Alien vs Avatar and its been a hit with families that have visited. Though smaller than many of Italy’s other’s parks, it’s well worth the visit.