Aquapark Istralandia — Attraction in Općina Brtonigla

I brought five kids over two different weekdays: one a textbook perfect hot summer day, and the other cloudy, moody, and sprinkled with morning rain - the kind that scares off more than half of the bookings. And let me tell you, my dear friends: that rainy, "don’t go" day was the best one.

Fewer crowds, zero lines, no elbow fights for floaties - just pure water-slide bliss. If you’re reading this trying to decide when to go, here's your tip: go when the clouds show up. Trust me. A little drizzle never hurt anyone (you’re wet anyway), and it might just give you the best day of your vacation.

Now, spoiler alert: as an overgrown, oversized, and fully aged-up kid, I may have caused a few joyful physics experiments on the slides - the kind involving mass, acceleration, viscosity, and splash radius. You don’t need a science degree to understand it, but a little imagination helps. And no, I wasn’t the only adult re-living childhood at 40 km/h in a double tube. It was glorious.

The place is stacked with attractions: high-speed slides, gentle splash zones, float rivers, inflatable madness, and "non-sliding" water features for lazy retirees. There’s something for everyone - whether you're five or fifty-five. You won’t need many words once you scroll through the photos and videos here. The smiles say it all.

But something else deserves the five stars: the staff and management. Even though many of them are young, seasonal, probably not trained at hospitality schools, they are genuinely kind, helpful, present, and make everything feel smooth and safe. No forced smiles. Just good people making your day better. That counts.

Now - kids don’t write reviews. And if they did, they wouldn’t care about the next bit. But if you’re still reading, wondering "Is it worth it?" - stop. It absolutely is. Book it. Pray for light rain

A few gentle tips for the management (from the adult who pays for the tickets): Even though the food is decent, it feels like it’s not. A little love in presentation, a friendlier ordering process, and some signage showing where other food options are (without a scavenger hunt) would go a long way. And while the kids are here for splashing, I’m here for flavor. Give us something a little special too - maybe a grill corner, a salad bar with real forks, or just one item that says: Hey adult, we see you!

Still - bravo. You’ve built something joyful. We’ll be back. Possibly wetter, possibly louder,...

I have very mixed feelings about visiting the water park. I'll start with the negatives so I can end on a positive note.

➖ Right at the beginning, we were surprised that we should pay extra high amounts for a sunbed, lockers, a bracelet, parking... while a lot of this could be included in the entrance fee, which is already quite high. ➖ We spent about 5-6 hours waiting in queues for the slides and food, some entrances are poorly organized, the staff can't keep up, some people don't respect the queues and overtake and there's no staff there to stop them. The number of inflatable rings is far from enough to cover the huge number of visitors. We waited over 80 minutes for one of the slides and it wasn't even worth it. ➖ The food was a disaster, the staff act like everyone is bothering them, the call (number) system doesn't work and there's chaos everywhere, so you never know when your turn will come. The burgers were terrible, the buns were cold (probably just taken out of the fridge) and the chicken was dry, tasteless and heavy, I was still nauseous for 2 hours. ➖ Before closing, I was a little disappointed that they let us go up to the water slide and stand in line, but right in front of us they closed it up at the top, saying it was over. Elsewhere, this is solved by simply closing the entrance below so that other people don't go there and those who are already there can ride.

➕ Despite all these flaws, it's a pretty nice and clean place, full of unique attractions that are (mostly) worth the long wait. I especially have to appreciate the Space Rocket (a cabin with the falling platform), it's a strong adrenaline experience. Some water slides go uphill, which I've never experienced before. It was also fun to watch when someone got stuck there. There is a beautiful view of the water park and the surrounding nature from above. I liked that the staff on the water slides respected groups and let them go together. ➕ There is a really nice kids section, a wave pool, a dance program, a foam party, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the music selection (from modern pop to 80s hard rock 🤘). ➕ And despite the terrible burgers, at least they had excellent fries 🙂

The park is nice, the attractions are great, but many things could (and should)...

We visited Istralandia with high expectations — and to be fair, most of them were met. The park is well-run, very clean, and offers a fantastic variety of water attractions for both kids and adults. It’s located in a beautiful green setting not far from Novigrad, and you can easily spend a whole day enjoying what’s on offer.

The slides range from family-friendly to full-on thrill rides. Our favorites were the Free Fall, the Multislide, and the Rafting slide, but there’s also a large wave pool, plenty of splash zones, and a dedicated area for younger children that’s spacious and safe. Everything felt secure, with lots of lifeguards around and well-marked signs.

On the positive side:

✅ Clean facilities for the most part ✅ Tons of shaded loungers ✅ Great layout and not overly crowded, even in peak season ✅ Family-friendly with something for all age groups

However, just like other major parks in Croatia, the extra costs and food quality were disappointing:

❌ Food was poor and overpriced. We spent close to €80 on lunch and snacks, and everything tasted like low-quality fast food — dry burgers, overcooked pasta, and tasteless pizza. It’s disappointing to pay premium prices for cafeteria-style meals that just aren’t good. Bring snacks if allowed or eat outside if you can.

❌ Paid extras everywhere. Parking wasn’t free, lockers cost extra, and while we didn’t rent a VIP spot this time, we noticed similar issues as at Aquacolors — basic setups with high prices. After paying over €200 for a family of four, the constant add-ons feel a bit greedy.

❌ Lack of drinking water fountains. In the summer heat, this really matters. You’re forced to keep buying bottled water, which adds up quickly. A few free refill stations would make a big difference.

Overall, Istralandia is a top-tier waterpark, definitely one of the best in Croatia, and we had a really fun time. But the extra costs and bad food leave a sour aftertaste, especially after spending a lot on tickets. Go for the water fun — but go...