Water Worlds

AQUASHOW PARK HOTEL

Quarteira, Portugal

Everything about Aquashow Park Hotel bursts with colour – from the vibrant rooms to the primary-coloured waterslides and tubes in the outdoor waterpark. Get wet on the watercoaster and race friends in the twin space shuttle tube. The variety here is stupendous: huge areas of wave pools, lazy river, spraygrounds, bubbling pools, snake ride, plus a large splash area for smaller children. Then there’s the indoor waterpark, with more slides, tubes, pools, playgrounds, water jets and spa. Adults have their own outdoor pool, as do kids, and on dry land there’s a games room and playground. The nearest beach is less than a 10-minute drive. Doubles sleeping three from €209, and family rooms sleeping four from €414, including breakfast. aquashowpark.com

PORTAVENTURA HOTEL EL PASO

Salou, Tarragona, Spain

Part of the massive PortAventura World resort, the Mexican-themed El Paso is a handy base for making the most of all the theme parks on your doorstep. Guests get discounted tickets to PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park and its 16 attractions and pools including serpentine waterslides, wave pools, a lazy river and special areas for small children. There’s tons of fun on dry land on all the rollercoasters and rides of PortAventura Park and neighbouring Ferrari Land. Doubles sleeping up to four people from €169, including breakfast. portaventuraworld.com

CAMPING LA CÔTE D’ARGENT

Hourtin, Gironde, France

One of France’s largest waterparks happens to be set within a pine forest that’s only a few minutes’ walk from Hourtin-Plage on France’s Atlantic coast near Bordeaux. Camping Le Côte d’Argent is built around the waterpark, which includes high-speed twisting slides, lazy river, multi-lane racer slides and splash areas for younger kids. The campsite itself has kids’ clubs, playgrounds, sports facilities – football, tennis, basketball – as well as a skate park. It’s also very close to Lake Hourtin, which has paddleboarding and kayaks to rent. Seven-night pitches from €162; mobile homes from €737 per week. Also bookable through Eurocamp. camping-cote-dargent. com

UNION LIDO MARE

Cavillino Treporti, Italy

The seemingly endless stretch of sand along the Adriatic on the other side of the Venetian lagoon is broken up by the sprawling Union Lido Mare, which calls itself Italy’s first five-star campsite. Let the kids take their pick between the seven pools and 15 slides in the two outdoor waterparks, along with a lazy river and lots of splash and spray areas. With Venice so close, it would be criminal not to visit. Lodging ranges from hotels and apartments to mobile homes and pitches. Also bookable through Eurocamp. mare.unionlido.com

AMADRIA PARK KIDS HOTEL ANDRIJA

Zablaće, Šibenik, Croatia

Amadria Park takes up a large slice of Croatia’s Adriatic coast south of Šibenik, creating an enormous holiday village of hotels, campsites and, one of its biggest attractions, Aquapark Dalmatia. Stay at the aptly named Kids Hotel Andrija, which has a huge stretch of beach, two pools, including one just for kids, plus sports, mini golf and a game room. It’s only a few minutes’ walk to Aquapark Dalmatia, a huge complex with indoor and outdoor waterparks, wellness, fitness and playrooms. Indoors is a huge splash park with slides, lazy river and a spa with an indoor pool that’s open all year round. Aqua Rain Fortress dominates the outdoor complex, with its slides, tipping buckets, lazy river and outdoor Jacuzzis. Family rooms from €123, room only. amadriapark.com

AMADA COLOSSOS RESORT

Faliraki, Rhodes, Greece

Five-star Amada Colossos Resort is neatly divided between family and adult zones, and this extends to the huge waterpark. Older kids can whoosh down five big waterslides, and smaller slides and tipping buckets will keep young ones happy. Toddlers have their own Spray Action Zone, and everyone can use the lazy river or obstacle course. The large pool has areas for ball games, swimming and adults only to go with its Jacuzzi and swim-up bars. There’s also a 430m beach, an amphitheatre and several children’s clubs. B&B doubles from €105; family rooms from €469. amadacolossosresort. com

LUXME COSTA BOTANICA

Corfu, Greece

Newly renovated LUXME Costa Botanica on Corfu’s northern shore is in a serene spot between a Blue Flag beach and olive groves. In the midst of greenery is the sprawling 40,000sq m Costa Aqua Park. The Free Fall mega-slide has a heart- stopping near-vertical drop, while the Kamikaze Slide is an exhilarating bumpy ride. Things are a bit calmer in the children’s play area, with bozo slides, lazy duck and a lazy river winding under palm trees. The Grecoland kids’ club is for children aged four to 12, while teens can play tennis, padel, beach volleyball or football. Best of all is the donkey farm. Botanica Room sleeps two adults and one child from £230, all-inclusive. grecotel.com

STELLA PALACE

Analipsi, Crete

One of the Mediterranean’s largest waterparks, five-star Stella Palace’s StellaLand promises endless spills and thrills with multislides, magic cone slides, tipping buckets, spray area, family rafting, a relax pool and an adults-only section. Its Kids Zone looks after youngsters aged four to 12, and as the resort is a member of the Luxury Childcare Association, you can expect high standards of childcare. Family rooms from £208, all-inclusive. stellapalace.gr

Princess Andriana Resort & Spa

I have to tell you, the new waterpark at H Hotels Collection’s Princess Andriana Resort & Spa is a perfect addition to an already wonderful resort. Positioned right next to the crazy golf, amphitheatre, football pitch and archery range, the waterpark has given families even more reason to choose this brilliant Rhodes destination.

The Aqua Princess Waterpark is pure magic for families. My eldest daughter practically ran to the main slides tower the moment she spotted those seven towering slides. She was fearless, racing down the Racer Slide and squealing with delight on the Freefall. Me? I needed a bit more convincing. Especially when it came to the Blackhole – yes, the one where you plunge through complete darkness. Let’s just say I eventually gave in (peer pressure from a 10-year-old is real), and, I’ll admit, it was absolutely thrilling once I stopped screaming!

 While we were testing our nerve on the big slides, my partner and youngest daughter were having the time of their lives in the gentler areas. The water fountains and spray zones were a hit, and the mini slides on the colourful Aqua Tower kept my little one entertained for hours. The beauty of this waterpark is that it genuinely caters to everyone – from thrill- seeking teenagers to toddlers taking their first tentative splashes.

Now, let’s talk about refuelling because all that sliding works up quite an appetite. The resort has added two new restaurants near the waterpark area. Rozu is an absolute treat – a Nikkei restaurant serving divine Japanese-Peruvian fusion. Think citrus-fresh ceviches and miso-glazed dishes that’ll make your tastebuds dance. Then there’s Balsero, which does fantastic Tex-Mex – proper sizzling fajitas, loaded tacos and margaritas that are dangerously good while you’re overlooking the Aegean.

The kids’ favourite spot had to be the ice cream desk. It’s all included in the ultra all-inclusive package so there’s no guilt about second servings. The waterpark is open from 10am to 5:30pm daily, which gives you plenty of time to enjoy everything else this spectacular resort offers. With this new waterpark, Princess Andriana has become one of our favourite family destinations in Rhodes. Family rooms sleeping four from €242 a night, all-inclusive. hhotels.gr Rochelle Streater

XO CAPE ARNNA

Fethiye, Türkiye

Within walking distance of Fethiye is the sleek XO Cape Arnna, whose XO Water Park has something for all ages. Let toddlers loose among the fountains and bubblers in the interactive water play zones, while the multiple slide experiences have loops for kids and adults of all age ranges. Parents, meanwhile, can relax in the shaded family lounge areas. The resort’s kids’ club has everything from a PlayStation hub and soft play areas to a junior chefs’ studio. Triple rooms from £408, all-inclusive. xocollection.com

LIBERTY LYKIA

Ölüdeniz, Türkiye

In a dramatic location backed by forested mountains, Liberty Lykia put children in mind when it designed its waterpark and pools. Waterslides, splash pools and cave pools will keep kids entertained, and there’s also a grown-up pool for over-16s. The hotel has created its own baby beach, where a breakwater keeps little ones safe. There’s free baby care available for babies from six months to three years, and older children have a dizzying number of activities. Choose from mini golf, archery, judo, football, a kids’ disco and a weekly talent show. Rooms sleeping two adults and two children from £194, including breakfast. libertyhotels.com

REGNUM THE CROWN

Belek, Türkiye

To say Aqualantis, the waterpark at Regnum the Crown, is impressive is an understatement. Designed to look like ancient cities, it’s positively huge, with large areas devoted to various age ranges. Slides, tubes, a water playground with tipping buckets, sprays and more slides, plus calm and shaded areas where kids can catch their breath. There’s also a wave pool, another pool for water activities, the main pool, an adult pool, an outdoor spa pool, as well as an indoor pool just for kids. The workshops, games and activities in Bamboo Kids World keeps children of all ages entertained, while teenagers have their own club as well as a large games centre. Doubles sleeping four from €653, all-inclusive. regnumhotels.com

TERME ČATEŽ

Brežice, Slovenia

A short drive from Slovenia’s border with Croatia, Terme Čatež offers a budget-friendly stay, with a campsite of pitches and mobile homes surrounded by a 10,000 sq m outdoor waterpark. Young kids will love the pirate’s island, tipping buckets and waterslides, and everyone will enjoy tubing in the lazy river. The outdoor park is open from May to October, but all year round you can enjoy the huge indoor waterpark, with swooshing slides, tubes, pools and a wellness spa. Mobile homes from €135 a night, standard pitches from €25. Also bookable through Eurocamp. terme-catez.si