EDITOR’S NOTE: This CNN Travel series is, or was, sponsored by the country it highlights. CNN retains full editorial control over subject matter, reporting and frequency of the articles and videos within the sponsorship, in compliance with our policy. ANTALYA, Turkiye — I’ve always loved a good waterslide, but it had been years since I’d set foot in a waterpark when I arrived at Antalya’s Land of Legends and found myself staring up at Dragonfly Tower on the Turkish Riviera. From a distance, it didn’t look too intimidating. The problem was that the closer I got, the taller it seemed to become. Stretching up 52 metres into the sky, it’s around the height of a 16-story apartment building. The tower opened in May 2026 and is the jewel in the crown of the new Waterfly at Land of Legends, Türkiye’s biggest theme park, located on the country’s southwest Mediterranean coast. My nerves really started to kick in when I began the climb. More than what felt like dozen loops around the tower later, I was still climbing its staircase. It felt less like a waterpark attraction and more like a StairMaster workout. By the time I reached the top, I could feel my heartbeat in my chest — not only from the climb but also from my trepidation. There are three slides on the tower and I was going on the most challenging, the high-speed, 278-metre-long Emerald Blur. Inside a giant washing machine The ride is so steep, riders have to wear specialized back support to keep safe from injury when the G-forces hit. When I reached the entrance to the slide, I realized the most terrifying part wasn’t the height. It was the trapdoor. Standing inside the launch capsule, I waited for the automated countdown. And then came the worst possible scenario: a false start. The countdown stopped and started over again. That made it even scarier. Then the floor disappeared. The ride lasts around 56 seconds from launch to splashdown, but time becomes meaningless when you’re hurtling down one of Europe’s tallest waterslides. For a split second, it felt like I almost blacked out from the shock of the initial drop. When I came to my senses, I found myself being tossed around the inside of a giant washing machine, spinning through twists, turns and a kaleidoscope of colors created by sunlight shining through dazzling patterns on the slide’s exterior. It was complete chaos. Water blasted into my face as I screamed my way to the bottom. My first emotion wasn’t exhilaration. It was relief. Then came pride. Then came the thought: “I want to do that again.” In fact, I rode it five times. That’s perhaps the most surprising thing about Dragonfly Tower. While it was terrifying, somehow it left me wanting more and brought out the thrill-seeking kid in me. Leroy Ah Ben, CNN
