Pyrenees is a steel inverted roller coaster at Shima Spain Village in Shima, Mie, Japan, named after the mountain range that forms the natural border between Spain, Andorra, and France, echoing the park’s Spanish-themed setting. Built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and designed by Werner Stengel, the ride opened in 1997 as one of the earliest large-scale inverted coasters of its era.
For 17 years, Pyrenees held the title of the world’s longest inverted roller coaster, a record it kept until Banshee opened at Kings Island in April 2014. Riders dangle beneath the track with their feet dangling free, racing through a layout of loops, twists, and a corkscrew finish across more than 4,000 feet of steel track.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Shima Spain Village
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
- Opened: 1997
- Height: About 148 feet (45 m)
- Top speed: About 62 mph (100 km/h)
- Length: About 4,049 feet (1,234 m)
- Inversions: 6
The Ride Experience
Riders board trains with feet hanging free beneath the track, a hallmark of B&M’s inverted coaster design. The layout sends the train through a vertical loop, a zero-g roll, a cobra roll, a helix, and a corkscrew, all built into a course engineered by veteran designer Werner Stengel.
With a ride time of about one minute and 53 seconds, Pyrenees is a longer-than-average inverted coaster experience, which is exactly what earned it a lengthy stay atop the world rankings for track length in its category.
A Long-Standing Record
When Pyrenees opened in 1997, its roughly 4,049 feet of track made it the longest inverted roller coaster on Earth, a distinction it held for 17 years. That record finally fell in April 2014, when Kings Island’s Banshee opened in Ohio with a longer inverted layout.
Despite losing the record, Pyrenees remains a signature attraction at Shima Spain Village, continuing to operate for visitors exploring the park’s Spanish-inspired theming decades after its debut.
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Pyrenees FAQs
Where is the Pyrenees roller coaster located?
Pyrenees is located at Shima Spain Village, a theme park in Shima, Mie Prefecture, Japan.
Who built the Pyrenees roller coaster?
It was built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and designed by Werner Stengel, opening in 1997.
Was Pyrenees ever a world record holder?
Yes, Pyrenees was the world’s longest inverted roller coaster from 1997 until April 2014, when Banshee at Kings Island surpassed it.
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Photo: Yanajin33 / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.