France · FR

Water Circus

Water Circus is a summer thrill water park in Étrembières, Haute-Savoie, parked between Geneva and Chamonix at the foot of the Salève. Its signature attraction is a fleet of water-jump ramps — up to 12.5 metres high — that launch you on skis, a snowboard, a skateboard or a BMX into two deep heated catch pools. It is less a traditional slide park than an outdoor arena where the spectacle is you: families and friends take turns flying down the ramps while everyone else lounges, swims and cheers from the sidelines. The 11,000 m² complex pairs that adrenaline with a generous low-key side: a bathing area, a giant chill zone, sun loungers under parasols, a misting space, a 12-hole mini-golf, beach-volley and pétanque courts, a bouncy castle for the little ones, a snack bar and a panoramic rooftop bar overlooking it all. The result is a day out that works for daredevils and sun-worshippers in the same group. As a seasonal park it typically opens from mid-June to late August, so check dates before you set out.