New Coral Bay and Makamanu Jungle for 2026
Alexandra
Major summer 2026 investments: capacity, footprint and park positioning
Caribe Aquatic Park will expand by a 6,000 m² family zone named Coral Bay, The Lost Legend, while PortAventura Park adds an outdoor adventure trail titled Makamanu Jungle, The Adventure Trek, both scheduled to open in summer 2026 after announcements at FITUR 2026. The new facilities are sited to optimise guest flows between themed hotels, transit stops and parking areas, and to increase daily capacity across the resort during peak season.
What each new area will deliver
Coral Bay — family water zone
Coral Bay is conceived as a themed pirate bay that has resurfaced after centuries underwater. Key operational features include:
- 6,000 m² site footprint within Caribe Aquatic Park
- A Europe-unique family water coaster designed for mixed-age groups
- An adventure pool with a bespoke aquatic obstacle course
- Multiple new water slides and a dedicated food and beverage outlet
From an infrastructure standpoint, Coral Bay will require expanded lifeguard coverage, reinforced water-treatment throughput and reconfigured guest circulation to reduce bottlenecks adjacent to the park’s main promenades.
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Makamanu Jungle — outdoor adventure trail
Makamanu Jungle occupies the Polynesia zone in PortAventura Park and focuses on elevated walkways, hanging bridges and nature-integrated challenges. The concept draws on Polynesian mythology — the name Makamanu means “bird’s eye view” — and aims to deliver an immersive, low-impact adventure trail suitable for children and adults.
Operational implications include seasonal maintenance for wooden structures, enhanced signage for wayfinding across multi-level paths, and staff training for safety on suspended elements.
Opening timeline and guest experience targets
Both experiences are slated to open in summer 2026. The resort positions them to increase appeal to multi-generational families, extend average length of stay, and improve off-peak visitation through new packaged offerings with the resort’s hotel inventory.
Comparative snapshot
| Feature | Coral Bay | Makamanu Jungle |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Caribe Aquatic Park | Polynesia area, PortAventura Park |
| Area / Footprint | 6,000 m² | Outdoor trail (linear footprint) |
| Main attractions | Family water coaster, obstacle pool, slides | Elevated walkways, hanging bridges, challenges |
| Target audience | Families with children of varied ages | Families, teens, adventure-seeking adults |
| Operational needs | Water treatment, lifeguards, F&B service | Structural maintenance, safety staff, signage |
Brief historical context
PortAventura World has evolved over three decades from a single theme park into a broad leisure complex near Barcelona, now composed of theme parks, waterpark, themed hotels and conference facilities. The resort has welcomed over 100 million visitors since opening and added components such as Ferrari Land and multiple hotel properties under PortAventura Hotels and Ponient Hotels to diversify revenue streams. In November 2022 the resort received B Corp certification, reflecting a shift toward integrated sustainability and governance practices in operations and development.
Operational and market implications for leisure tourism
The two additions are consistent with broader European trends: operators are expanding family-focused, immersive experiences to drive off-peak occupancy and longer stays. Key market impacts include:
- Capacity management — new attractions distribute guest load across sites, reducing congestion in core zones and enabling higher throughput during peak days.
- Package and yield optimisation — combining new attractions with themed hotel stays supports higher average daily rates and cross-selling of F&B and experiences.
- Sustainability integration — outdoor, nature-themed attractions like Makamanu facilitate low-energy visitor experiences compared with energy-intensive roller coasters.
For travel trade and tour operators, the additions present opportunities to create family-centric itineraries that combine theme-park days with local cultural excursions around the Barcelona corridor.
Operational checklist for launch
- Recruit and train additional lifeguards and safety staff
- Verify water-treatment capacity and redundancy
- Implement phased wayfinding and crowd-flow simulations
- Coordinate with hotel reservations to create bundled offers
- Finalize seasonal maintenance schedules for elevated structures
Forecast and strategic significance for international tourism
PortAventura World’s investment in family attractions is likely to strengthen its role as a primary leisure destination on the western Mediterranean circuit. The timing ahead of the 2026 summer season supports recovery of international travel demand and appeals to families seeking combined sun-and-activity breaks close to major transport hubs. Over the next three to five years, these expansions may:
- Increase average stay length and ancillary spend per visitor
- Attract new source markets prioritising family experiences
- Prompt competitive responses from other European parks and waterparks
Local tourism businesses and shore-excursion planners can leverage extended park hours and family-focused programming to diversify day-trip offers within the region.
Summary and closing
The resort’s two new areas — Coral Bay, The Lost Legend at Caribe Aquatic Park and Makamanu Jungle, The Adventure Trek in PortAventura Park — represent targeted investments in family-oriented immersion, operational capacity and product diversification ahead of summer 2026. Expected outcomes include improved guest circulation, new packaged stays with the resort’s hotels, and a stronger competitive position in European family leisure tourism.
GetBoat.com is always keeping an eye on the latest tourism news and will monitor how these developments affect regional destinations, beach activity and wider travel trends.
