Magic of the Greek City. Amusement parks. – Thessaloniki, Greece – Tourist Blog

By the time the time came to get acquainted with amusement parks, we have already talked tightly with our new Greek friends. Sharing plans for the near future, new acquaintances, absolutely sincerely revealed, began to praise the places of our future visits. Still would! We are going to apply a visit that is not expelled and very popular in Thessaloniki Amusement Parks: Magic Park and Waterland.

Of course, we understood that Magic Park would not be at all like the Paris Disney Lend, that it would not even be an extreme-thematic Spanish port of Aventura (Salou). For some reason, it seemed to me that it should be similar to our city park of culture and recreation: with green plantings, long shady alley, numerous benches and leisure gazebos, a mass of attractions, children’s railway and many, many others. But what we saw, going to the territory of the park, at first did not even just disappointed, watched Lightly shocked. At the same time, a vague memories appeared from the bins of memory. Only in a couple of hours I managed to remember – this park, like two drops of water, look like "Czech Moon Park" from the distant childhood. Everything immediately fell into place.

But first things first.

To start, buying tickets. The ticket price depends on centimeters / meters and age of visitors. The scheme is as follows: adults – from 12 to 60 years; children from 1 meter to 12 years; children from 60 centimeters up to 1 meter; Elderly gentlemen and age-related ladies – 60+ and a separate price tag for disabled. As a bonus, for each purchased ticket, a coupon-discount is a dignity of 1 euro, in case you want to have a snack on the park.

Attractions are divided into:

1) paid, 2) free, 3) with children up to 12 years old, 4) joint, 5) for adults only and 6) for sucking tiny kids, apparently for those who are from 60 centimeters.

Recognition turned out to be more than ***********: The motto "Entertained itself" to this park is directly related. On the "felling" rides of the territory, there is almost no green, just a half dozen small benches, a couple of cafes and a pair of souvenir shops. But, nevertheless, the park is interesting.

Out of a light shock, focusing on the local population, throwing unnecessary conventions, we still managed to delight the true pleasure by visiting the positions of "elephants", pirates and giant passengers ******* – swing, ride on the "mountain river "(With numerous thresholds and obstacles) on a log-boat, fly in the" Dead Loop "(Wow …), shoot in a dash, win jumps on the racetrack, twist in a centrifuge, wander through the mirror maze and many, many other, not less Interesting "entertaining". True, the "Wheel of Ferris" and "American Gorki" – they are not calculated on extreme lovers, but for family rides are quite suitable.

Since the "age" rides in the park is practically no, then, as he wrote above, everyone is trying to entertain himself. How, for example, to fulfill a desire and swim in the pool on a fun octopus or ride children’s fabulous two-story carousels if the attraction is designed only for a parent with a child up to 12 years? Just! It is necessary to take the Greek child "rental", out of the queue, or just anegone to a large family, helping them all go through the turnstile. After all, the task of the controller is not in the search for portrait similarity between parents and children, but in the fact that every child has a parent! Ultimately happy all – moms, children and "tenants". Many large moms, by the way, were very grateful "for the help". Maybe in another similar place when uncle and aunt at the age of 20 – 70 years old ride on the children’s carousels "Flying elephants" or "compete" in speed with small kids, it would be looked, just say, in idiot (ridiculous) but not only in Magic Park, in which I, once again, was convinced that the Greeks are able to truly sincerely, without conventions to enjoy life. How often will they even enchant us with their immediacy!

"Waterland", he is "water park"

Water parks – perhaps the only amusement parks to which I breathe exactly. By visiting your tourist life more than four dozen countries, unwittingly begin to compare, discuss dignity / disadvantages of this or that park. It often happens that on the same object, even in loved ones, the opinion may be diametrically opposite to yours.

So, we are going to the aquity kingdom of Poseidon, as affectionately, with love they call the locals their water park. We are going on a free, with the appropriate themed color, bus. Deciding not to risk, sat down at the final stop, so easier and in terms of free seats, and in terms of orientation. Park is outside the city. Weeping on serpents and difficult to perceive the union, almost without pointers to the object: for 8 kilometers of the whole couple, almost invisible among a dozen other, larger pointers – arrows. Sitting in the soft chair of the excursion bus, quietly singing "ODU of Glory", which did not go there by car, with his own. Panorama outside the window – stunningly beautiful. Suburb. Well-groomed gardens with smooth rows of olive trees, rich houses of citizens with traditional, classic elements in the design, beautifully decorated flower beds with flowers. Time in the way "From the end to the final" – 45 minutes.

The bus stops at the entrance to the park, just in the side – the cash registers, in which a decent line is built in seconds. But it does not take 5 minutes as we, already with tickets, pass through the turnstile.

Well, hello, the kingdom of Poseidon!

Leaving your things in the storage chamber, went to get acquainted with the park. Territory, as our Greek friends said, huge. The park map shows that on the territory conveniently settled: platforms for volleyball and basketball, tennis courts, mini-football field, children’s playground, recreation areas. There are also shops, bars, restaurants, massage "Cabinet", Medpunkt, photo-service kiosks and many other service trifles. And the main "residents" water park – attractions.

They are only 8: 1) "Fast River", 2) Swimming pool with waves, 3) "Tarzan", 4) "Large Gorki", 5) Children’s pool, 6) "Slides of the symbol", 7) Pool "Knosso" and 8 ) A new attraction, which is rightfully proud of all residents of thessalonikov – "Pirates Island".

On green lawns are friendly and not very rows. We occupy a couple standing under the sprawl branches of the mighty tree, performing the role of an umbrella "from a natural tree".

And now – have fun, having fun, swim, splash, in general – toys!

The choice is true is not great. The first "wiring circle" of the results did not bring. And living in Greece for a couple of months, it became extremely difficult to disappoint me, especially it concerns the amusement parks.

I’ll tell you in order.

1. "Fast River" (or slides with rain). Before riding a slide, you need to climb the mountains with a bagel on the shoulder. And then descend "from the mountains" on the noisy fast river. The main and only task is not to fall out of the bubble, so that the rest of the way is not to rush on the pope, overcoming the stone thresholds, and at the end of the way it is not to moisten at the bottom of the pool.

2. Pool with waves. Perhaps this is the only fun attraction. Include it 2 times an hour, fun last minutes. The depth of the pool is different, therefore the pleasures are different: someone has enough pleasure from the caressing waves reaching the "shores" of the pool, someone gets adrenaline from the raging element "in the open sea". The work of rescuers is worthy of respect. Before the signal whistle sounds, there is a distance than whether it is checked on the waves than it is more, the safer for others; Small, nimble kids are distilled off, they simply not cope with this element; And, of course, it is checked, whether everything is tightly held for the handrails. Around the pool also a lot of lounge chairs and umbrellas.

3. "Tarzan". Bar obstacle. Adjustion for teenagers: in the pool swinging islands and mesh above head. Funny entertainment: the islands turn over, do not hang on the grid, the pool is deep … if you are not very mobile or nerastoropic – learn how to fall into the water correctly, and, of course, swim. I saw for the first time (and heard) how teenagers can laugh caustiously.

4. "Large slides". In different parks, they are called differently. Somewhere with such slides ride on special mats, in this water park – on bagels. If you sit in a bubble wrong, then four springboard meets on the way will leave long memories, and not only in the head. Still standing in line for an attraction, it may be oh what a useful time.

5. Children’s swimming pool. The area of ​​the pool is huge, with a dozen different mini-rides on water: mushrooms-waterfalls, snake fountains, slides and other things. Around the pool in two rows, in a checkerboard, delounted chairs with umbrellas. Selected place for parking wheelchairs.

6. "The slides of the symbol", in the amount of 5 pieces having one trigger (starting) platform, were personally for me, very cool (simply, I swaw):

2-white have almost vertical descent – the best for men – extremes;

Yellow – too "curly" and closed, and, as it seemed to me, the longest;

Red – like Russian roads: "Seven bends on the mile" with pitfalls, bumps, steep and sharp turns;

blue is more calm and not so extreme as her girlfriends, but there is always a turn. Camera, working in standby mode, after 25 minutes "rebelled". While I set it up, the young lady was already swimming in the pool. Second, almost half an hour, she refused to stand. On white slides and slide is absent, adrenalinearians, almost, too.

7. Pool "Knosso". Relax pool with massage. This is the pool to which I was offended. I do not know what is added to it for disinfection, chlorine does not smell in it (!), but the chance to stay without a tan – 100%. For two months I watched my tan: I used different creams, regularly flipped as a kebab, hacked, then one barrel, then another. But his honey-amber-nut shade lost after 10 minutes relax in the pool. It is difficult to describe the color of those tan residues, which was conquered on the body after "whitening". Therefore, I advise everyone to visit the Water Park in thessaloniki on the day of arrival, well, or the next day, but definitely until the first go to the beach.

eight. "Pirates Island" – the most positive place water park. The attraction is new, because modern and interesting. How parents track their children – incomprehensible. There are no one hundred. And it is completely not surprising that among the funny babies, forgetting about the age, adults are having fun and uncle. True, the protection on this hill-ship-island has strengthened, the change of "Karaul" is often held, and parents periodically try to proper. Whistle sounds like a warning. Yes, only this is the same as "draw water with a breathe".

Each attraction is on duty. For children’s attractions, except for the doctor there is an animator and a lifeguard. Firmly do not affirm, but as it seemed to me, they value with his work.

Lost in cafes and restaurants can be prepared delicious, ordinary portions, without excesses. True, not fiscal, actually, as in all cultural and entertainment institutions. Local, they greatly think about rides to such weekends, taking with them thermos and food. Wrapped in foil foods them without problems are heated in a cafe (in microwaves). Bags-refrigerators stand almost every sun bed.

Finally – I will abandon a spoon of having a trick in a barrel with honey. Two minuses that do not spoil the mood and in general the whole do not affect the rest.

Minus First. Queues, queues, queues … The number of bagels is limited, on the one hand, it is correct, even in terms of security. But, on the other hand, we are waiting for this bagel for 20-40 minutes, and the pleasure lasts only 1.5-3 minutes, at best minutes 5 minutes. Rolled, bagel give and in line again. On the "slings of the symbol" ride without bagels, but if you are not an amateur "fast driving", then you will also have to stand in a quiet slide.

Minus two. Park is outside the city. Even on the Park website it is written: "Come to our car". Leave the car there is where – near the park is equipped with huge parking. A little worse those who, like us, arrived at the corporate bus. In the morning the bus makes 4 flights, and in the evening only 2 (!), an hour before closing, and an hour after the closure. There is no buses, which means that he has come to the park to the opening, get ready to have fun in it before sunset (closing), t.E. all day. Having arrived at the gate of the park bus taking storm. Riding on the way back Very fun. Young people are singing, the whole bus picks up, someone has time to sit on the "second floor" on the knees of a friend to dance Syrtaki. In hooliganski it does not look, everything is within the framework of decency, therefore fun, but slightly closed.

1. As our Greek friends said, the second bus on the way back maybe not be.

2. 50% returned pledge for renting a safe.

3. Almost every attraction is stationary shower.

4. The number of sunbeds the account does not give in. They stand even on the golf course, if it is free from players in this time period.