Let’s not pretend this is a normal holiday. You’re not museum-hopping or wine-tasting. You’re willingly throwing yourself down plastic tubes at 50 km/h and calling it fun. And if you’re going to plan a full-on, no-holds-barred water park holiday in Spain—you need to do it right. Because nothing ruins your splash-fest like showing up with the wrong shoes or forgetting to book your tickets during a Spanish bank holiday (rookie error).

Here’s your step-by-step, slightly chaotic, painfully honest guide to planning a proper water park holiday in Spain.

Step 1: Choose Your Water Park HQ (and don’t wing it)

Spain’s got water parks all over—so first you’ve got to ask: are you a Siam Park kind of person (Tenerife, massive, Instagrammable, slightly terrifying) or more into Aqua Natura (Benidorm, family-friendly, chill with a splash of sea lion)?

Consider:

• Do you want beach nearby or is the hotel pool enough?
• Travelling with kids? You need shaded queues and splash zones.
• Hate chaos? Avoid peak-season Torremolinos unless you thrive in noise.

Pick your base like your sanity depends on it. Because it does.

Step 2: Lock in the Park Tickets Early (especially in July)

Do not, under any circumstance, wait to buy your tickets at the gate. Spanish summer queues are biblical.

Some parks let you book online and skip the line. Others offer early entry or bundle deals with nearby zoos or resorts. Look for those. Save money. Avoid sweat.

Oh—and check the calendar. Spanish public holidays turn even sleepy parks into splashy stampedes. Plan around them unless you’re into elbows and waiting.

Step 3: Book the Right Place to Sleep (not too close, not too far)

You want accommodation that’s:

• Close enough to walk if the kids stage a protest
• Far enough to sleep when the park’s DJ starts their 9 PM foam party

Family hotel? Great. Airbnb with kitchen? Also good (snack control = life saver). Just don’t end up in a hostel full of stag parties unless you packed earplugs and a strong tolerance for inflatable flamingos.

Step 4: What to Pack (aka: Don’t Be That Person)

Let’s break this down:

• Water shoes – not negotiable unless you enjoy blisters and hot tile burns
• Ziplock bags – for your phone, for snacks, for literally everything
• Microfibre towels – dry faster, pack smaller, don’t smell like wet dog
• Cheap sunglasses – because you will lose them on the slide
• Sunscreen. A lot of it. The Spanish sun does not play around

Pro tip: bring a hoodie or shawl. That late afternoon wind hits different when you’re soaked and waiting in line for round three.

Step 5: Travel Like a Local (or at Least Fake It)

Get familiar with local transport. Buses, trains, even bikes—many parks are way easier to reach this way. Renting a car? Book early. Parking near the parks fills up faster than the wave pool on a Saturday.

And eat like you belong. Forget sad fries inside the park. Hit a nearby tapas bar or pack a cooler if allowed. Cold tortilla hits different after a day of chlorinated chaos.

Step 6: Don’t Overpack the Days

You don’t need to ride every slide in the first hour. Or even the first day. Build in a chill day. Hit the beach, wander a market, take a nap.

Burnout at a water park is real. Pacing is key. So is hydration. And pretending you don’t need to lie down after three hours of stairs.

This isn’t just a holiday. It’s a full-body event. Get it right, and it’ll be the kind of trip that lives in your group chat for years. Get it wrong, and you’ll be Googling “Spanish pharmacy sunburn cream” before day two.

So plan smart, splash hard, and maybe—just maybe—don’t forget your flip-flops.