Port Aventura to open Europe's tallest rollercoaster in 2012

Port Aventura will debut a record-breaking coaster in 2012. Image © Port Aventura

Spain's Port Aventura will open Europe's tallest rollercoaster in 2012, with the new ride set to tower some 249 feet over the park.

The Bolliger & Mabillard Mega Coaster will become the headline attraction at Port Aventura, and is set to feature a theme based around the Himalayan mountains. It will be a triple record-breaker for the park, being the tallest in Europe, featuring the longest drop (255 feet) and being the fastest coaster of its type in the continent (at 83 miles per hour). The ride's first drop will use the park's topography in order to achieve its full length.

No name has been released for the new coaster, although some reports have quoted it as "Shambhala: Expedicion Al Himalaya". Port Aventura is billing it as a chance to "live the same sensations experienced by the greatest adventurers", and promises that riders will be taken to "great heights, terrifying descents, dark tunnels and mountain lakes".

The €25 million rollercoaster will feature five camelback hills, providing significant "airtime" for thrill-seekers. Sections of its circuit will intertwine with the existing Dragon Khan coaster, which it is set to supercede as Port Aventura's biggest draw.

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