There’s a thrill seeker in all of us who silently craves the scariest roller coasters and heart-pounding rides. To help satisfy your need for speed, here are five unique amusement parks to visit one day.
Beto Carrero World (Brazil)
Beto Carrero World is the largest theme park in Latin America and one of the largest theme parks in the entire world. The park opened in 1991 and has since developed partnerships with Universal Studios and DreamWorks Animation, meaning you’ll see many familiar characters. Located in Penha, Santa Catarina, Brazil, the park was named after Beto Carrero, its founder. The park has several shows (a cowboy show, a circus show and others), roller coasters and water rides. At the zoo, you can walk out on a catwalk to observe the tigers, or feed baby animals with a bottle. The park also has a German village (Santa Catarina has many German immigrants), a pirate’s island and an Old West Village. And don’t miss the ice cream palace.
Tivoli Gardens (Denmark)
Tivoli Gardens is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It opened in 1843, making it the second oldest operating amusement park in the world — and it’s only grown better with age. Inside its gates, you’ll find all kinds of rides, from the tame Ferris wheel with a nice view of Copenhagen to the ride-if-you-dare Demon, a virtual reality roller coaster that has three loops and goes over 90 feet high. Other rides have a dreamy fairytale vibe or provide a dose of nostalgia. In addition to rides, the Tivoli offers theatre performances, music performances and the Tivoli Ballet Theatre, the only classically-based ballet company in Denmark besides the Royal Danish Ballet.
Port Aventura World (Spain)
Ready for an adventure? Head to Port Aventura in Tarragona, Spain. Port Aventura World has three main attractions: Port Aventura World, Port Aventura Caribe Aquatic Park and Ferrari Land Park. At Port Aventura World, you’ll find numerous rides, each one based on a different historical civilization (for instance, board a Kontiki catamaran in Polynesia or sail into ancient China). The aquatic park is home to King Khajuna, the highest fall slide in Europe, and also offers a pirate ship with a crew made up entirely of Sesame Street characters. Ferrari Land is entirely based around the Ferrari brand. Ride bounce-back towers that are modeled after a Ferrari’s pistons, take an interactive journey to discover the brand’s founder and don’t miss the Italian music on the streets.
Pleasure Beach (United Kingdom)
Pleasure Beach in Blackpool is packed with roller coasters and shows. You can enjoy the United Kingdom’s only Nickelodeon Land, where you can adventure with Dora or SpongeBob. If you’re just there for the thrill, the park offers ten roller coasters, including the United Kingdom’s tallest coaster. Don’t leave without seeing one of Pleasure Beach’s legendary shows, such as the Hot Ice program that showcases figure skating stars.
Wonderla (India)
India’s three Wonderla amusement parks are located in Kochi, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The Wonderla parks have everything — wildlife, thrilling rides and good food. At the Kochi park, you can start at the entrance with a delicious spread of Indian breakfast specials and then take your pick from the 50+ rides spread across the park property. In Bangalore, make sure to take advantage of the fun shows like the Rain Disco. And if you’re at Wonderla Hyderabad, rides like Recoil and Equinox can turn your day around.