waterpark

ONE of my favourite summer days out is on the south coast of Devon, where you’ll find the UK’s biggest waterpark.

Splashdown Quaywest Waterpark on Goodrington Sands beach in Paignton, Devon boasts several slides and pools and will reopen on May 2.

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In total, the park has 11 main waterslides and one of the latest additions to the park is a pirate-themed water playground, ideal for kids under 12-years-old.

Dubbed Shipwreck Island, visitors will find seven smaller slides, tipping buckets and interactive water features such as spray arms.

As a born-and-bred Devonian, Splashdown Quaywest was on my doorstep growing up and it still hold a huge draw nowadays, when the sun is shining.

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The park’s provision for younger kids has grown significantly in recent years, but they’ve always been known for their bigger rides – making it a fail safe day out for families.

When it comes to those bigger rides, visitors can head on Devil’s Drop – a black hole ride, with a 19.8metre vertical drop, making it the highest and fastest flume in the UK.

Alternatively, you can head on The Screamer – a high-speed steep waterslide.

And there’s Corkscrew – a waterslide where across 98 metres you’ll spin 360 degrees several times over.

And there’s a normal swimming pool area, if you just fancy a swim.

Tickets cost from £20 per person aged over nine years old or from £16 for those aged under nine years old.

Alternatively you can get a combined adult and child under five years old ticket, which costs from £24.

But what makes the waterpark an even better place to visit than most, is that it sits right next to Goodrington Beach, which is a long beach split into North Sands and South Sands.

Along the South Sands you’ll find lots of different spots to eat from kiosks to restaurants including Brewers Fayre Inn On The Quay – which has a large garden and great views of the sea.

In between the two beaches is a Premier Inn which also has incredible views of the coastline and is a great option if you want to extend your stay in the area.

Behind the Premier Inn you’ll also find Reach Outdoors, so if waterslides weren’t enough for you, you can head on a kayaking adventure or try out paddleboarding.

On North Sands, the beach is backed by Young’s Park with a boating lake where I have spent many days during summer holidays on giant swan pedalos.

And if that wasn’t enough, in the park there is also crazy golf and go karting.

On this side of the beach you can drop by Cantina for some food, which also has a huge garden to soak up the sunshine, while you dine on £5 cheesy chips (or even crabby or steaky chips).

Rather conveniently, it is also next to a play park if kids want to let off some steam.

After eating there, I would always venture back to the beach via Devon‘s Ice Cream Shop for a cone of locally made ice cream costing a few quid – the cappuccino crunch and clotted cream vanilla flavours are a must.

And if parents need a caffeine fix, coffee will set you back between just £2 and £3.

This end of the beach also has a number of B&Bs costing from around £79 a night – and you couldn’t be closer to the beach.

If you fancy a walk, Goodrington also sits on the South West Coast Path, which you can walk along to reach Paignton in as little as 20 minutes.

Paignton town centre has even more things to see and do for families as well, such as a huge play park, pier, arcades, cinema and often a sprawling funfair.

A EUROPEAN theme park less than two hours from the UK has been named the best in the world.

Liseberg in Gothenburg, Sweden is home to Europe‘s longest dive coaster and highest free-fall ride – and will soon be getting a new waterpark.

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Named the top theme park by Blooloop, Liseberg has over 40 rides and attractions which include the new £87million Oceana waterpark.

Following a fire in 2024, plans for the waterpark were revised and now the attraction is expected to open either this year or next year.

The Oceana waterpark will feature 6,000-square-metre of indoor pools and 4,000-square-metres of outdoor water attractions.

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There will be 19 water slides, a 244-metre “dynamic river” and water go-karts.

There will also be an indoor and outdoor bathing area.

The new attraction will be able to host up to 1,750 guests at any one time, across both the indoor and outdoor areas.

A café, a shop and a restaurant will be on-site as well.

Last year, the theme park revealed a new family attraction called Stormvåg (Storm Wave) which will open this summer.

The new Stormvåg (Storm Wave) ride will be a family swing ride, with a boatyard theme.

Liseberg can be found on a forested hillside and has a number of different areas including Rabbit Land which is dedicated to the park’s green rabbit mascots and features gentle rides for little kids.

The park has a number of different areas including Luna Park which is a retro space themed area and another area is themed around Nordic mythology.

Thrill rides include a wooden rollercoaster called Balder and a launch rollercoaster called Helix.

Unlike other theme parks in Europe, visitors have to navigate around the theme park using escalators due to its hillside location.

Tickets to the park cost £29.30 per person, and that includes unlimited goes on the rides.

For those wanting to extend their time at the park, there is a hotel as well – The Grand Curiosa Hotel.

The hotel can be found at the park’s entrance and boasts 457 rooms.

Inside, there is an 18th century whimsical and ‘curiosity’ theme with a slide in the lobby and even a carousel in the restaurant.

Each floor has its own theme ranging from the ocean to mythical creatures and is meant to reflect the curiosity of explorers from the 18th century.

There is also a cinema room in the hotel, as well as playrooms.

Rooms at the hotel cost from £107.97 per night.

The easiest way to get to Liseberg is by flying to Gothenburg, which takes just under two hours and costs as little as £13 per way for a one-way flight in April from either London or Edinburgh.

Then from the airport it is about 20 minutes on public transport to the park, or if you are travelling to the park from central Gothenburg it takes only 10 minutes via public transport.

You can even stay at The Grand Curiosa Hotel without going to the theme park, so it makes the ideal base for exploring the city of Gothenburg as well.

In other attraction news, the UK’s best theme park’s £12million Viking-themed land to open next month.

Plus, a popular seaside amusement park that’s FREE to visit is getting new rides.

ROYAL Caribbean’s massive new cruise ship is launching next year – and new images have revealed what you can expect onboard.

Hero of the Seas is the fourth Icon Class Ship, and set to cost a huge $2billion (£1.5billion) to build, it will break a number of records.

The ship will have nine swimming pools – the most ever at sea – including a Caribbean themed one and the biggest swim up bar at sea.

Coconut Cove will be the newest pool, while The Hideaway will be home to the two adult-only pools.

Category Six is be the biggest waterpark at sea, with two new family raft slides as well as the first funnel raft slide at sea.

The kid-friendly waterpark Splashaway Bay will have new features too.

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Skywalk-zip line attraction Crown’s Edge will return, as well as the Flowrider surf simulator, golf courses and rock climbing walls.

When it comes to eating and drinking, there are 28 to choose from including the new jazz-themed Orleans Parish Supper Club.

Otherwise there will also be the food hall stalls at the AquaDome market, as well as Italian, steakhouses, seafood and Mexican options as well.

Don’t forget the Royal Promenade neighborhood’s restaurants, bars as well, along with the 30,500 plant Central Park.

Otherwise when it comes to live shows there is the Royal Theatre and the biggest ice arena at sea, Absolute Zero.

One of the most exciting new additions to the ship is the Ultimate Family Treehouse room option.

The three-deck treehouse includes a rooftop terrace over the side of the ship as well as a private hot tub.

Two of the floors will be for teens, with two main bedrooms, ensuites, and abalnies.

The suite even has direct access to Surfside, a family-friendly neighbourhood with cooking classes.

The sailings will include seven night sailings from Miami from August 2027, including stays at the private Perfect Day at CocoCay island.

Royal Caribbean boss Michael Bayley said: ““Icon Class truly set a new standard for family vacations, and Hero of the Seas takes that vision even further.

“With more water, more thrills and more choices for all ages, we’re continuing to build on what our guests love about Royal Caribbean and delivering the experiences families are looking for when vacationing together.”

Holidays are not yet on sale but you can sign up for the waitlist to be contacted as soon as they are on April 2.

As the fourth ship of the Icon Class series, it will be a similar size to their others too.

The Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot was one of the first on the Icon of the Seas.

She said: “Imagine taking Paris’ Eiffel Tower or The Shard skyscraper in London and tipping them on their side. Icon is even longer than they are high.

“While The Shard soars 1,016ft into the sky, Icon of the Seas eclipses that at 1,198ft long – the poor Eiffel Tower pales in comparison at just 984ft.

“The ship is cleverly divided into eight distinct neighbourhoods, with more than 40 places to eat and drink on board.

“Of course the ship’s Adventure Ocean kids’ clubs will keep the little ones happy while you enjoy the sun, and families will also have a ball together visiting the arcades, laser tag, mini golf and the largest ice rink at sea.”

There is also the Star of the Seas – here’s what its like onboard.

THE UK’S biggest indoor waterpark has revealed what to expect from its revamp in time for the Easter holidays

Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool is getting a £500,000 renovation.

The main upgrades will include some basic improvements, such as a new changing room village.

Images show a much more modern look for the cubicles, with the waterpark now 40 years old.

The slides are also being repainted, while new sound systems are being installed.

The waterpark, which opened in 1986, will be ready to show off the new look by the Easter holidays.

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General manager Kyle Woodcock said: “This is a landmark year for us, and we wanted to mark our 40th birthday with improvements that our guests will really feel.”

In the mean time, there are 18 slides to choose from, as well as wave pools and river rapids.

One of the most popular slides is the Master Blaster which is also the longest indoor watercoaster in the UK.

Another record-breaker is Sidewinder, which is the first indoor half-pipe waterslide in the world.

Kids will love splashing their mates with the country’s biggest water cannon too.

It’s the perfect time to visit the waterpark too – the tropical climate means it is 30C all year round.

Splash out on a private Tiki Cabana, and you get unlimited alcohol and lunch for around £60 each.

The waterpark also has an adult only spa with saunas and steam rooms, which costs an extra £7 on top of a standard ticket.

There are two cafes for food and drink, as well as a shop for anything you’ve forgotten.

We’ve rounded up some other indoor waterparks you can find across the UK.

And there are plans for a new indoor water attraction as well in the UK- here’s everything you need to know.

WHEN it comes to city breaks, some of the cheapest in Europe are found a bit further east.

And Romania‘s Bucharest is not only affordable, but is getting more flights too.

Romanian airline, AnimaWings, has started six new weekly flights from London Gatwick to Bucharest.

This isn’t the only option though as there are also cheap flights with Ryanair from London Stansted with one-way journeys starting from £18.99.

Wizz Air also offers cheap flights to the city from London Luton.

With a flight time of just over three hours, Bucharest is the ideal city break destination.

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Last year, The Telegraph even named Bucharest as being one of Europe’s ‘last great cheap cities’.

It added that Bucharest has everything you need for a good city break with “expansive, tree-lined avenues, lively bars and characterful museums.”

Bucharest is inexpensive, according to Numbeo – a pint of local beer costs on average £2.55 and an average meal is around £10.18.

For a three-course meal, you’re looking at around £50 and a cappuccino is just £2.45.

It’s not just food and drink that’s on the cheaper side as public transport is the same – a typical single journey on the tram and metro network is as little as 85p.

One of the most popular places in the city to go is Therme Bucharest, a spa and waterpark.

Split into three parts, the Galaxy area is a more family-orientated with 17 water slides, a wave pool and water playground.

The Palm zone is where people go to relax – with three mineral pools and swim-up bars, it has been created for relaxation.

And Elysium is a ”restoration area’ with lots of traditional and modern treatments from hammams to infrared light therapy beds.

Sun Writer Steve Corbett visited Therme and called it one of ‘Europe‘s greatest secrets’.

He compared it to Center Parcs’ Subtropical Swimming Paradise as he tried out the water slides, high-tech treatments and poolside bars.

One woman even flew to Bucharest for a spa break at the Therme because it was cheaper than one in the UK.

Kara Wildbur booked her and her mum in at the Therme for £64 after finding out a spa break would be £400 back home.

Even with the flights being £157 return for the two of them, with the hotel costing £94 – it worked out cheaper than a UK spa day.

Another attraction is the Museum of Senses, which is an interactive museum – especially good if you’re visiting the city with kids.

It’s full of optical illusions, infinity rooms and hands-on exhibits.

Tickets for adults start from £9.33, and £6.79 for children.

When it comes to eating, there’s plenty of quirky cafes within the city.

Some top spots include The Grand Café Van Gogh in Bucharest which some visitors have said reminds them of Amsterdam.

It’s an art-themed cafe filled with Van Gogh artwork in the Old Town.

Another is Dulcinella which sells éclairs, New York-style rolls and is known for having an ‘Instagrammable-vibe’.

Caru’ cu Bere is considered the most famous restaurant and beerhouse in Bucharest and was founded in 1879.

Its house beer, called Berea casei, is brewed on-site and is still made from the original recipe – you can pick up 400ml from £4.30.

The best times of year to visit Bucharest are between April and October, with highs of 31C in June and July.

Just skip the winter months – the average temperature in December and January is around -2C.

For more on Romania, here’s another city that is one of the world’s ‘most underrated destinations’ that’s super cheap with new 3-hour flights.

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A POPULAR water attraction that’s the largest of its kind in the UK is getting upgrades in time for the Easter holidays.

Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool is the largest indoor waterpark in the country and it is getting a £500,000 refresh.

The water attraction that sits on Blackpool’s promenade has a tropical climate and 18 slides inside.

It’s set to undergo a the huge refurbishment to coincide with it’s 40th birthday, having first opened back in 1986.

The improvements will be to the waterpark’s changing village rooms.

The slides will be refreshed too with a lick of paint, and a new audio system being installed.

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The upgrades are due to be finished before Easter and will be completed in time for the school holidays.

General manager Kyle Woodcock said: “This is a landmark year for us, and we wanted to mark our 40th birthday with improvements that our guests will really feel.”

One of the most popular slides is the Master Blaster which is the UK’s longest indoor water rollercoaster.

Another is Sidewinder – the world’s first indoor half-pipe water slide which has been called a “white knuckle” experience.

Another thrilling slide is the very fast Montazooma which has tight hairpin bends.

There’s also the Treetops Water Chutes racing slides, the slower moving Ushi Gushi River Creek lazy river and Typhoon Lagoon is the waterpark’s huge wave pool.

Even if the weather isn’t playing ball outside, the attraction is always warm as it sits around 30C.

On the outskirts of the pool, visitors can enjoy the warmth in their own private Tiki Cabanas which can be hired out for the day.

Here, visitors can enjoy beer, wine, lunch, and even watch TV while lounging in a hot tub for £60 per person.

It’s not all thrilling slides and splashing about in swimming pools either – there’s also a quieter spa area for adults only.

The Sea Breeze Spa is for those 18 and over to ‘renew, re-energise and feel refreshed’.

It has a sauna, steam room, heated loungers, foot spas, aromatherapy and even a salt inhalation room.

Access to the spa is an additional £7 alongside an admission ticket.

There’s food available on-site too at the Waterfalls Cafe and Waters Edge kitchen where you can pick up drinks, sandwiches and even hot food.

There’s an option for dessert too at the Cool Waves stand, which serves ice cream and sweet treats.

On Tripadvisor, the attraction has a rating of 4.0 out of 5 with over five thousand reviews.

One visitor wrote: “Great family day out at one of Blackpool’s best attractions.”

And another said: “The kids absolutely loved it here with lots to keep them entertained.”

The waterpark is currently open during the weekends – and will reopen on weekdays in the Easter holidays.

General admission tickets into Sandcastle Waterpark start from £24.95 for those age eight and over.

Those between three and seven can get in for £15.95 and under twos go free.

Plus, here are all of the waterparks in the UK mapped – with lazy rivers and wave pools to cool off during the hot weather.

And here’s a massive waterpark hotel that is still warm in winter with 26 slides and even its own theme park.