We were already in the region. Ravenna was four days away. Mirabilandia sits on the Adriatic coast just south of the city — it would have felt wrong not to go.
The annual tradition had taken us to Europa Park the year before, and Gardaland earlier in the year, which set an unfair bar. We went In September this time, just because it was close! Mirabilandia doesn’t try to be Europa Park. It has its own register: louder in places, more Italian in its bones, less manicured in ways that turn out to be charming. The entrance is a drawbridge through a stone castle, which is a very Italian way to say welcome.
The castle gate at Mirabilandia. Drawbridge, turrets, deep blue sky.
The lake
The park’s central lake is its best-kept secret. You round a corner expecting another ride queue and instead there’s still water reflecting the trees, a moored pirate ship half-visible through the branches, and a ruined stone tower rising from the far bank. It is, improbably, peaceful. We stood there longer than the ride schedule probably intended.
The lake from the south bank — willows, old stone, pirate ship. September light.
Through the trees at the lake’s edge — a different view, same quiet.
The rides
Mirabilandia’s headline coasters are genuinely serious. The steel structures dominate the skyline from almost every angle — silhouetted against a sun that had no business being that bright in late September. We did what the tradition asks: queue, ride, repeat, find somewhere to sit down with a coffee, repeat.
Coasters against the afternoon sun. The scale of these things doesn’t come through on a map.
Between rides
The café area near the SpongeBob zone offered a covered terrace, white ironwork chairs, and a view of small children screaming with joy at cartoon characters while adults checked their phones. It is a very specific kind of contentment — watching other people be elsewhere while you catch your breath. We had one coffee each. Nobody rushed us.
The terrace café. Bunting, blue chairs, SpongeBob in the background.
A theme park is rarely the point of a trip. But the tradition holds — somewhere new, somewhere in Europe, somewhere to get the adrenaline fix with Sarah. Mirabilandia delivered on all three. The lake alone was worth the entrance fee.
If you’re visiting the region, Sarah’s tours at tours.kalica.co.uk cover Ravenna and the Adriatic coast — a day at Mirabilandia fits naturally into a wider visit.