The 5 theme parks in Benidorm are open and almost fully operational now – I say almost, as part of Terra Mitica, Iberia Park actually opens this coming Saturday – 5th July. There are plenty of discount vouchers available around the resort, but be careful, as they are not always as clear as you may think!
Discount vouchers readily available
You can cut vouchers out of many of the free newspapers around, pick them up at McDonalds and Carrefour or receive one from an attractive young lady working for one of the parks, who is handing them out on the streets of Benidorm. You will almost always find one at the bottom of Calle Ruzafa in the Old Town, opposite Ale Hop or at the Sunday and Wednesday outdoor market . Then there is always the "tall man" dressed in gold and riding his very big bike, throwing them out to the crowds below, quite a memorable site on the streets - but have you noticed that he is always followed by a lady riding her moped directly behind him? They are a great help, especially if you are a family and plan on getting to more than one of them.
Voucher discounts vary
However, be careful as they do have expiry dates on them. The one which I collected from McDonalds in Benidorm, offering the best discount of 10€ for adults and 8€ for children had already expired – on 30th June but the other half of the voucher for Terra Mitica was valid for the whole of 2014! The triple voucher, handed out on the street is valid until 31st July. But the worse one was the voucher for Terra and Aqua Natura, which at first glance has a big "10€ descuento especial" splattered across it ! Wow you´re thinking – however, what it actually means, if you get your glasses on, is 5€ discount in each park.
Why not drop entrance prices!
In my opinion, they should save all that money on printing these glossy vouchers, then having to distribute them and just drop the entrance prices. I bet that they would increase the footfall straight away. It is the same mentality with the toll roads here – the number of people using them drops so what do they do – put the prices up which has the opposite effect... there´s just no telling some people.
Is Iberia Park worth the price?
The last of the theme parks opens on Saturday – Iberia Park, which is actually part of Terra Mitica. Originally it was part of the main park then they decided to separate it – just after the drop tower the path is closed which leads to Iberia Park. There is no access from the main park now.
51% price increase from 2012
Last year they came under a lot of criticism for charging for the rides within this area – although they did make a big point of stating that the entrance was free. Well no more! This year they are charging an entrance price to get in, like for the main Terra Mitica park, then once inside the rides are all included. But what a price may I add – 29€ for an adult and 21€ for a child! The main Terra Mitica Park costs 37€ per adult and 28€ per child – although the 2nd day is free or get a combined Terra Mitica AND Iberia Park ticket for 53€ per adult and 39€ for a child. So basically they have divided what was once ONE park into two – and charging for both. In 2012 before the park was divided it cost 35€ and now it is 53€ for an adult.... that´s Spanish inflation for you!