Beaches for ALL

The Algarve conjures up images of turquoise seas, golden beaches, appetizing food, delightful villages and welcoming locals. Now the Accessible Beaches scheme enables disabled holidaymakers to enjoy that favourite pastime; to simply sit in the sun and savour the view and even to bathe in the sea!
Getting to a beach can present serious practical problems for disabled or physically impaired visitors. The Accessible Beach - Beach for All ("Praias acessíveis") project began in 2004. Beaches that comply with the requisite standards are awarded the Accessible Beach flag, making it easy for visitors to identify a suitable area.

As a result, many beaches now provide excellent facilities for those with restricted mobility including easy road and pedestrian access, reserved disabled parking, wheelchair ramps, wheelchair runners/walkways on the sand, handrails, toilets for the disabled, low bar counters, lower restaurant tables and areas free of obstacles. Some beaches even have amphibious chairs to assist disabled people to have that highly desirable dip in the sea! This is wonderful news and enables those travellers with restricted mobility to enjoy the superb beaches and sparkling waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

At present there are over 40 beaches (including river beaches) with amenities for the physically impaired. Whatever you have in mind, whether it is an exhilarating cosmopolitan beach or a remote windswept expanse, there will be one perfect for you. Accessible Beaches are located all along the south coast in east, west and central Algarve and also on the west coast, where the beaches are particularly unspoiled. The choice is yours.

Albufeira, the famous and picturesque `Gateway to The Algarve`, has a coastline that stretches for 30 kms and is divided into roughly 25 different beaches. Its wonderful climate makes it a favourite destination. Many of the main Accessible Beaches are located here, where there are no less than eight with disability facilities. Included is Praia da Galé, a long sandy stretch with many points of access by road.

The adjacent Faro has both ocean and river beaches, both with disability facilities and the wonderful amphibious bathing chairs. As it is close to the principal town of the Algarve, it has a great
atmosphere and plenty of nearby restaurants.

Lagos, to the west of Albufeira, has as its main beach Meia Praia which has many small beach bars along its length. All of the expected mobility impaired facilities are available plus assisted bathing with the amphibious chairs. There are another three Accessible Beaches nearby.

There are four wonderful beaches to enjoy at Portimão, which is close to Lagos: Praia da Rocha is a resort in its own right with restaurants, bars and shops. The praia has glorious golden sands and lots of room for everyone even in the height of the season. It has a wooden walkway along the entire length of the beach, plus beach cafes and restaurants, making it easy for wheelchair access. Praia do Vau is also an Accessible Beach and it too has beach bars/restaurants.

Loulé, close to Faro, is a pretty, whitewashed town and marina. Vilamoura beach is located at the largest golf and holiday resort in the Algarve. Quarteira stretches for several miles and is very popular and busy in season. Vale de Lobo and Garrão Poente are also Accessible Beaches.
Other Algarve Accessible Beaches can be found at Aljezur, Vila do Bispo, Lagoa, Silves, Olhão, Castro Marim, Vila Real de Santo António and Alcoutim.

The `Accessible Beaches - Beaches for All` scheme now makes finding a suitable Algarve holiday spot so much more straightforward for disabled people. This is wonderful news for those who have longed to visit Albufeira and its surrounds, but have abandoned the idea of a beach-centred holiday there. And there is an abundance of cheap holidays in Albufeira, so it will be easy to find at least one just perfect for you. The hardest part will be choosing! At last the disabled or physically impaired can travel to the Algarve and know that they can confidently visit the beach of their dreams.