Tower of Power and wave lagoon at Siam Park in Costa Adeje
The Thai-themed water park opened in 2008 after four years of building work on a site of 185,000 square metres. Its lagoon simulates up to 40 types of wave, and surfers compete there in the evenings.
Johannes Bornewasser is an author, journalist and editor-in-chief of Teneriffa News. He is regarded as a recognised expert on the Canary Islands. Bornewasser is also responsible for the editorial content of the website.
4 min read
Foto: Johannes BornewasserDer Siam Park auf Teneriffa ist der aktuell größte Wasserpark Europas. Er lockt mit diversen Wasserrutschen und Attraktionen.
0:00 / 0:00
„Siam Park Tenerife“ opened in 2008. Since then, hundreds of visitors have been flocking daily to this water slide paradise in Costa Adeje (Playa de las Americas) to experience Europe’s largest water park in the south of the Canary Islands. Here, we introduce you to Siam Park – and offer some useful tips.
Under the tagline „The Water Kingdom“, every visitor – from families with children to adventure-seeking adrenaline junkies – gets their money’s worth. During the day, visitors of all ages can splash about – either in the warm water of the children’s pools or in the lagoon at the world’s largest wave machine. In the evening, even professional surfers can test their skills on the ride, which simulates up to 40 different types of waves.
>>> You can find a Siam Park experience report with lots of photos here <<<
Video from Siam Park
Tower of Power – Siam Park’s infamous turbo slide
But for most visitors, the 28-metre-high water slide Tower of Power is far more interesting. The almost vertical slide ends in a Plexiglas tube that runs right through the middle of a huge shark tank. What is a spectacular sight for onlookers proves to be too great a test of courage for many who are initially intrigued: every day, hundreds of visitors venture up the tower, only to turn back immediately after a fleeting glance down into the depths.
Things are a little more laid-back on the „Jungle Snake“. It’s a system of tubes comprising four different slides that wind their way through an artificial tropical landscape. Anyone wishing to conquer the „Dragon“, on the other hand, will need considerably more courage. This high-speed slide is not only the symbol of Siam Park, but also a real challenge for both body and mind. Four people at a time ride down a steep slope in a giant rubber ring. Visitors then race through a completely pitch-black tunnel before even experiencing a brief moment of weightlessness.
The park’s location was not chosen at random. The municipality of Adeje is regarded as a burgeoning tourist destination, scenically beautiful and particularly affluent. So anyone holidaying in Tenerife should plan a detour to Siam Park. Whilst it is not a cheap attraction, it is certainly one that’s well worth the visit.
The history of Siam Park
The foundation stone was laid back in 2004, and Siam Park was due to open in 2007. However, it took a whole year longer than planned to complete the site, which initially covered 185,000 square metres. Upon its opening, however, the water park went down in history as one of the largest construction projects in the history of the Canary Islands. And since then, Siam Park has been constantly expanding. For example, with the addition of the two attractions ‚Kinnaree‘ and ‚Sawasdee‘.
Fascinated by the name and architecture of Thailand (which, until 1939, was largely the Kingdom of Siam, hence the name), park director Christoph Kiessling initiated the construction of the giant water park in an Asian style. And the Kiesslings (family patriarch Wolfgang is one of the most successful German entrepreneurs abroad) had already proved their ability to build parks back in the 1970s, when they established Loro Parque in the north of Tenerife. It was Europe’s first landscape zoo, which has since established itself as one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife parks and has attracted millions of visitors ever since.
„If you’re going to do something, do it properly,“ said Christoph Kiessling in an interview. And he backed up those words with action: together with the artist Paolo Bonanno, he travelled to Thailand and Cambodia. There, the pair found the inspiration for the design of the statues and other decorations at Siam Park. Bonanno was given free rein in designing the gigantic water park – and the result is breathtaking. In September 2008, Siam Park finally opened, in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
No comments on this article yet.