Alicante’s La Marina Alta leads the way in disabled access

Spain’s large tourism industry has formed an important part of its economy for many decades, but with long-haul destinations gaining popularity in more recent years and the growing appeal of the “staycation”, the government is determined to stay ahead of the competition.

The latest tourism initiative will involve the promotion of Alicante’s La Marina Alta area as a prime holiday resort in Europe for the disabled. According to official figures, this part of Spain already attracts more than six million visitors per year and its accessibility to wheelchairs can only broaden its appeal.

Apart from the measures that one would ordinarily expect of this type of programme (such as ensuring that hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars offer easy access to disabled customers, for instance), plans are in progress to open access to the surrounding countryside.

Much of the ecological focus of this scheme is aimed at the Montgó National Park, where four separate routes are to be made wheelchair friendly. The Camí de Dénia tour that stretches between the Colony and the Cova del Camell is most suitable for those wishing to explore the different species of Montgó. The route that links Torre del Gerro and Molinos de la Plana de San Jeronimo, Jávea, combines botanical elements and cultural interest. Another route focuses primarily on the cultural and agricultural heritage of Jávea’s iconic windmills. The last tour leads from the port of Jávea to Cabo de San Antonio, which is famous for its natural beauty and coastal ecosystems.

All of these routes will feature wooden platforms ideal for wheelchairs, adapted viewpoints so that all visitors can enjoy the amazing views, and tactile elements, such as notices in Braille, which will help visitors with visual problems. Safety elements, such as ropes and barriers, will also be incorporated in all the new routes, to assist people with less serious mobility problems.

Marina Alta’s coastal position primarily tempts people to enjoy the sea and Alicante’s social welfare department will ensure that sailing courses will also be available for disabled tourists.

With imaginative planning like this, it’s certain that La Marina Alta’s tourist numbers will increase still further over the next few years.

Rimontgó has several properties with excellent disabled access:

Newly built villa in wonderful location just meters from Jávea Golf Club

Brand new villa in El Garroferal urbanisation only three kilometres from Jávea town centre

New post on at Friday, 16 July, 2010, 12:16 pm and is archived in Lifestyle, Places of Interest. Subscribe to answers with RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or make a trackback from your web.