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Aqualand is Tenerife’s other water park, the one that lives in Siam Park’s shadow, and the honest truth is that it divides people more sharply than almost any attraction on the island. Some visitors have a brilliant, cheaper, calmer day and prefer it to the crowds at Siam Park. Others find it dated and overpriced and wish they’d gone to Siam instead. Both are right, because it depends entirely on who you are and what you want.
So this guide does the thing the reseller pages won’t: it tells you honestly who Aqualand suits, how it really compares to Siam Park, and where the money traps are. If you’re deciding between the two, the short answer is that Aqualand is the pick for young families and a quieter, cheaper day, and Siam Park is the pick for thrill rides. The detail is below.
Contents
- Is Aqualand worth it?
- Aqualand vs Siam Park
- Tickets and prices
- The dolphin show
- The rides
- Getting there
- Best for young children
- Practical tips
- Frequently asked questions
Is Aqualand worth it?
It depends who’s going, and being honest about that is the whole point. For families with young children, Aqualand is often the better choice. It’s smaller and easier to get around, the pools and rides are heated to 24°C all year, there’s a big pirate-themed area built for little ones, and it’s calmer and cheaper than Siam Park. Plenty of parents come away saying their kids had a better day here than at the bigger park.
For thrill-seekers and older kids, it’s a harder sell. The rides are fewer and gentler than Siam Park’s, the park shows its age in places, and the extras add up: food, photos and a couple of paid add-ons that reviewers grumble about. If your idea of a water park is the biggest, fastest slides, you’ll get more from Siam Park and probably feel Aqualand didn’t compete.
So it’s genuinely worth it for the right visitor and a mild disappointment for the wrong one. Work out which you are before you book, and the comparison below does exactly that.
Aqualand vs Siam Park
This is the decision most people are actually trying to make, so here it is side by side. We cover the bigger park in full in our Siam Park guide.
| Feature | Aqualand | Siam Park |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Smaller, older | Largest in Europe |
| Thrill rides | Fewer and gentler | More and bigger |
| Best for | Young children, a calmer day | Thrill-seekers, teens and up |
| Signature draw | Dolphin show | Tower of Power drop through a shark tank |
| Price | Cheaper | Pricier |
| Own food allowed | Yes | No |
| Crowds | Quieter | Busier |
| Sister park combo | Jungle Park | Loro Parque |
The one-line version: pick Aqualand for a cheaper, calmer, family day, and Siam Park for the best rides. If you have a week and the budget, some people do both, since each pairs with a sister animal park on a combined ticket.
Tickets and prices
Aqualand is noticeably cheaper than Siam Park, which is a big part of its appeal, with adult tickets typically from around €30 and reduced prices for children, though the exact figure moves with the season. Booking online in advance skips the ticket desk and usually comes with free cancellation, and the button below shows the current live price.
There’s one money-saver that genuinely sets Aqualand apart: unlike Siam Park, you can bring your own food and drink into the park. Given how expensive the on-site food is, and reviewers are consistent on that, packing a picnic can save a family a real amount over the day. If you also fancy the sister park, a combined Aqualand and Jungle Park ticket, the local answer to Siam Park’s Loro Parque pairing, covers both over your holiday.
The dolphin show
The dolphin show is Aqualand’s signature, running daily, usually at 15:30, and it’s the single thing people remember most. It has won international awards and gets glowing reviews, with plenty of visitors calling it the best part of the day and worth the ticket on its own. For many families it’s the reason they choose Aqualand over Siam Park.
It also comes with the honest caveat we’d give for any captive-animal attraction. These are dolphins kept and trained to perform, and captive cetacean shows are increasingly objected to on welfare grounds, the same debate that surrounds the orcas at Loro Parque. Some visitors find the show uncomfortable for that reason and skip it or skip the park entirely, while others feel it’s well run and enjoy it. It’s a personal decision, and worth making with that in mind rather than being surprised on the day. One thing most reviewers agree on: the separate paid “dolphin museum”, where you pay a couple of euros to view the dolphins through glass outside the show, is not worth it.
The rides
There’s a solid spread of slides and pools, just fewer and gentler than Siam Park’s headline rides. The bigger draws include Tsunami, the Kamikazes, Anaconda and Boomerang, alongside a wave pool and a slow Lava River for drifting around on a float. Adults get an open-air spa area with a heated jacuzzi and hydro-massage, and there’s a dedicated pirate-themed zone, Isla Pirata, for small children.
Everything is heated to 24°C year-round, which is a genuine advantage in winter when an unheated pool would be bracing. It’s a park you can comfortably fill a day in, especially with the dolphin show timed for mid-afternoon, but if raw thrill count is what you’re measuring, Siam Park has more.
Getting there
Aqualand is in Costa Adeje, close to the resorts, so for most people in the south it’s a short trip rather than a day out. There’s a free shuttle bus with pickup points across Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos, which makes it easy without a car, and if you do drive, parking is free, which is a small saving Siam Park visitors don’t get in the same way.
For getting around more generally, our guide to getting around south Tenerife without a car covers the buses, and if you’re still choosing a base, many of the best hotels in Costa Adeje are within easy reach of both water parks.
Best for young children
This is where Aqualand genuinely beats its bigger rival. Everything about it suits families with younger children: the smaller, more manageable size, the shallow pirate play area, the heated water, the gentler slides and the dolphin show that little ones tend to love. Parents of under-sixes in particular often report an easier, happier day here than fighting the scale and the queues at Siam Park.
Older children and teenagers chasing the big drops will get more from Siam Park, so for mixed-age groups it comes down to who you’re really planning the day around. Our guide to things to do in south Tenerife with kids has more family options, and it’s worth a look at our day trips guide if you want to spread the week across more than water parks.
Practical tips
- Bring your own food and drink. Aqualand allows it, unlike Siam Park, and the on-site prices are steep, so a picnic saves a family real money.
- Book online in advance for the lower price, the free cancellation and to skip the ticket desk.
- Skip the paid “dolphin museum”. Reviewers agree the couple of euros to view the dolphins through glass outside the show isn’t worth it.
- Time your day around the 15:30 dolphin show if you want to see it, and get there early for the slides beforehand.
- Use the free shuttle or the free parking, both of which keep the cost down.
- Pack water shoes for hot ground and rough queue surfaces, as our packing guide covers.
- Choose Aqualand for young children and a calmer, cheaper day, and Siam Park for the thrill rides.
Frequently asked questions
Is Aqualand better than Siam Park?
Neither is simply better. Aqualand is smaller, cheaper, calmer and stronger for young children, with its dolphin show. Siam Park is bigger with far better thrill rides. Pick Aqualand for a family day on a budget and Siam Park for the rides.
How much are Aqualand tickets?
Cheaper than Siam Park, typically from around €30 for an adult with reduced prices for children, though it varies by season. Booking online in advance is the best value, and the live price shows at the booking link.
Can you bring your own food into Aqualand?
Yes, which is a real advantage over Siam Park, where you can’t. The on-site food is expensive, so a picnic saves money for a family.
What time is the Aqualand dolphin show?
Usually daily at 15:30. It’s the park’s signature attraction and widely praised, though captive dolphin shows are objected to by some visitors on welfare grounds, so it’s a personal decision.
Is Aqualand good for young children?
Yes, it’s arguably the best water park on the island for under-sixes, thanks to its size, the shallow pirate play area, the heated water and the dolphin show. Older thrill-seekers get more from Siam Park.
How do I get to Aqualand?
It’s in Costa Adeje. A free shuttle bus runs from Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos, and parking is free if you drive.
Prices, opening hours, show times and ride availability change through the year, so always check the current details with the park or the booking page before you go. Ride height and health restrictions apply to some attractions.