DISABLED ACCESS HOLIDAYS IN SPAIN

In the past, Spain has not had a great reputation for good disabled access facilities for accommodation, beach access and for access to tourist attractions, however things are certainly improving. There are noticeable improvements mostly in some of Spain's older resorts such as Torremolinos, Fuengirola and Benidorm and in popular Spanish cities such as Barcelona. Some of the more relaxing and quieter Spanish resorts are also putting more emphasis on easy access onto beaches, and benefit from flat level beach promenades. Torremolinos and Benidorm provide excellent public transport, and many local buses now are catering well for disabled travellers.

All flights are 2.5 to 3 hours away and most flights are available from local airports, depending on the time of year.

Calpe is generally flat with good access but has few drop kerbs. It also has wheelchair accessible beaches with disabled toilets, changing and showering facilities as well as disabled parking.

Benidorm really has been at the forefront of the holiday business for so long and continues to keep itself there with improvements for its disabled customers every year. Although Benidorm stretches quite a long way along the coast, the town itself is compact, without too many steep walks. The three disabled access points to the beach, open from 10am to 7pm, include changing rooms with extended shaded area for users, and a concrete ramp which gives easy access to the sea for wheelchair users. As well as this they've also received funds to purchase special wheelchairs that go directly into the sea. The council are proud of the fact that so many people now come, and return to, Benidorm specifically because of the superb disabled facilities.

At the seaside, shellfish and salt-dried fish are on the menus of every restaurant. The day's choice might include gilthead (dorada), bass baked in salt (lubina a la sal), seafood with a squeeze of lemon, or some delicious sea-fresh red mullet (salmonete) and whiting (pescadilla).






















Andalucia is a southern region in Spain that is made up of the eight provinces of Huelva, Sevilla, Cordoba, Jaen, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada and Almeria. West of Malaga city is the most visited stretch of the Andalucian coastline, the Costa del Sol. Andalucia has been a favourite destination for sun-seeking travellers for decades and there is no wonder why. With an average of over 320 days of sun a year, your luck will need to be fairly bad to have planned a stay here and not have seen the sun.

The Costa Del Sol welcomes more than two million people a year who arrive at Malaga international airport and head to one of the many resorts located along this stretch of coastline from Gibraltar in the west to Nerja in the east. The best-known resorts lie west of Malaga beginning with hedonistic pleasures of Torremolinos, Benalmadena, and Fuengirola. From here, travel to Marbella and then to the glamorous marina of Puerto Banús. Further west is Estepona, which has managed to maintain a relatively low-key atmosphere, reflecting its former life as a fishing village. North of the coastal resorts of Fuengirola and Torremolinos there is the popular, pretty village of Mijas, with great views down to the coast. Malaga is sprinkled liberally with pretty pueblos blancos, or white towns and villages, the most well known of all these being Ronda. Malaga is the stepping stone to the Costa del Sol. Relatively few visitors visit the city as they rush from the airport to their holiday resort. In doing so they miss a gem of a city with a fascinating old quarter next to a Roman theatre and Moorish palace, a commercial centre with first class shopping and a vibrant social life.

There are lots of full day excursions from the resorts of the Costa del Sol. The most exciting ones include visits to Granada, Seville, Cordoba or Ronda. Also very popular are shopping trips to Gibraltar and a day excursion to Tangier in Morocco on which you travel across the Straits of Gibraltar by high-speed catamaran to Africa.



Costa Brava, between the Mediterranenan and the Pyrenees, is in the province of Girona and the region of Catalonia in Spain’s north-eastern corner. The Costa Brava has been considered a package holiday, fish and chips and sangria destination, an image based only on a few towns of the Southern Costa Brava. The real Costa Brava is a diverse region of extraordinary natural beauty and heritage (Dali, Picasso, Romanesque, Roman Ruins). It is well known for its beaches and resorts, with a scenic and rugged coastline: a succession of coves, cliffs, and mountaintop lookouts dotted along. It has a average annual temperature of 16ºC, with moderate rainfall, and an average of 2,500 hours of sunshine. The 214 kilometres coastal zone of the Costa Brava stretches from Port Bou on the Franco-Spanish border to Tossa del Mar, just north of Barcelona The modern tourist infrastructure of the area has turned Costa Brava into one of Spain's most popular tourist destinations.

Capital of the province is Girona City, a walled medieval enclave that has been fought over every century since it was founded. Coupled with its rich history, there is also a thriving cultural scene. Inland, an abrupt change in the terrain marks the volcanic region of La Garrotxa, a rolling, flowing landscape in the foothills of the Pyrenees, perfect for rambles through ancient woods into the craters of volcanoes.















As the least known of the Spanish coasts the area has managed to sustain it’s natural beauty and traditional culture. The Costa de la Luz, or the Spanish Algarve as it is often known, has much to offer, whether it is playing golf in idyllic surroundings, cycling through aromatic pine forests or relaxing on the quiet beaches, here the ‘Real Spain’ can be found.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the Costa del Sol it has been left unspoilt by mass tourism and the locals are all very welcoming. The beaches are probably the best in Spain with fine golden and white sands. Deep and wide, stretching for miles the beaches don't suffer the high-rise development of so many tourist resorts, fantastic if you want a relaxing holiday, as you will always find a peaceful spot. The area is great for cultural holidays with the beautiful 'White Villages' and cities like Cadiz and Seville catering for people looking for a short city break.

The most convenient airports to travel to are Faro (Portugal) a 40 minute drive or Seville (Spain) a 1 hr drive.





















A superb climate ensures holidays are popular all year round. Costa Dorada holidays are very popular with families, combining outstanding sandy beaches with some of Spain’s most exciting attractions for children: the Aquopolis waterpark at La Pineda and the thrills and non-stop entertainment at Universal Port Aventura, Spain’s best known theme park.

Salou is by far the liveliest Costa Dorada holiday resort and is ideal for visiting Port Aventura. Quieter Cap Salou offers a more relaxed alternative with intimate pretty coves complementing a fantastic choice of Salou beaches. Downtown Salou offers an inexhaustible selection of cafes, bars, restaurants, nightclubs and discos. There are also outstanding lively Mediterranean beaches at Cambrils and La Pineda, which along with Salou form a 10-mile continuous beach resort. Cambrils is a more authentically Spanish alternative to Salou, with attractive old cobbled streets, a picturesque fishing harbour and renowned tapas bars and restaurants. Holidays on the Costa Dorada also feature idiosyncratic Sitges, a famously cosmopolitan Spanish resort popular with the gay community and trendy visitors from Barcelona. Sitges has elegant mansions, superior museums, film festivals, carnivals and famously vibrant nightlife.

Costa Dorada holidays are not complete without a visit to the fabulous city of Barcelona, which is easily reached by public transport from Costa Dorada resorts. Other worthwhile Costa Dorada holiday excursions include Tarragona with its a fine cathedral and extensive Roman ruins and the monastery at Montserrat. Costa Dorada holidays should include a trip into the lovely farmland stretching inland towards the mountains, a delightful region of vineyards, almond orchards and pretty little villages.

North east along the Costa Dorada coast between Tarragona and Sitges are a selection of delightful small resorts. The El Vendrell and Coma-ruga/Calafell areas offer great beaches with a superb cultural and arts scene. A warm Mediterranean climate, an impressive cultural programme and some very fine restaurants make this stretch on the Costa Daurada a rather chic place to be. You're close to Barcelona here too, with short transfer time south from Barcelona Airport and easy access into the city for Barcelona daytrips.

All resorts in Spain