PortAventura opens Uncharted: first dark ride of amusement park

Catalonia's largest amusement park PortAventura opened Uncharted: The Enigma of Penitence, its newest roller coaster, on Friday morning during an opening ceremony on a warm sunny day.

This marks the first dark ride of the famous park, mainly known for the Dragon Khan roller coaster and the Hurakan Kondor free fall.

The roller coaster, 'Uncharted, the Enigma of Penitence' is located in the park's Far West area and is based on the box office hit film starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, which has a close connection with Barcelona, as some scenes were filmed in the Catalan capital.

Uncharted is set to be the season's big attraction, and the most adventurous will be in charge of finding an Aztec treasure that legend has it that more than 500 years ago was hidden in a place that does not appear on any map.

The roller coaster riders will live through the "discovery by explorers Nathan and Sully" as they uncover "the greatest fortune ever found in the heart of the Far West. But it seems that they are not the only ones to have found it," the park explains.

The ride officially opens for the bravest ones on Saturday, and while the park had invited actors Tom Holland, and Antonio Banderas, both part of the film cast of Sony's Uncharted movie.

"The experience happens from the outside, as when you come to PortAventura's Far West area, you see this big mountain out in the blue," David García, general director of PortAventura told Catalan News.

The feeling is "completely different" as once inside, people are in an abandoned building where the experience starts there. There is an average of "one hour of waiting in line, but it is going to be interactive," as there are several activities to carry on while waiting to get on the ride, as García explained.

Unique rollercoaster

The Uncharted ride is "unique" as it is the "first in the world with a side launch," García told this media outlet. There are also five launches, and "imagine yourself in the dark, and you are being launched sidewards and backward, with a lot of videos and effects. It is great," he added.

And the reality is that this is a new adventure for PortAventura, which expects to welcome 5.3 million visitors this year and hopes the new ride is a push in the UK and France.

"It is something new, which we did not have in PortAventura before, and it is bringing a new experience to the guest. It is the first one, but I hope it will not be the last one," Luis Vidal, development manager at PortAventura, told Catalan News.

Dark and unexplored territories 

The dark ride roller coaster is 673 meters long and reaches over 12 meters high in a unique enveloping space, 4,800 square meters and 16 meters high, according to the Salou-based theme park. Uncharted: The Enigma of Penitence in PortAventura is "the perfect mix of hairpin turns, revolving platforms, and amazing animation in search of the lost Aztec gold.

The new ride promises to reveal dark and unexplored territories with a pre-show full of surprises and a journey of unexpected events in a totally immersive experience. 

The attraction occurs in complete and utter darkness and is only recommended for people capable of facing dizzying speeds, immersive special effects, and hyperreal visual effects.

Costing €25m, the project is a result of a collaboration between design company Intamin Amusement Rides, and Sally Dark Rides, who specialize in the development of dark rides and animatronics design.