According to the World Tourism Organization, Spain welcomes 52 million tourists per year, being beaches the most preferred destination. Reading through this article you'll get to know where to find which beaches offer accessible facilities for people with reduced mobility.

Accessible areas in beaches in the Valencian Community are the endowment of a wide variety of equipments and services in order to allow people with reduced mobility to use and enjoy the beaches. For this purpose, signs, ramps, special walkways to the seashore, amphibian chairs or a rest area with sunshades and special furnishings, bathing-huts, WC and showers with bathing chairs have been installed. www.comunitatvalenciana.com is the official tourism site of beaches in the Region of Valencia (comprising of three provinces: Castellón, Valencia and Alicante) which provides info in English (click on British flag): select "Beaches" in the menu on the left, then "Accessible Beaches" in the beaches page and this will open a list by town/village in alphabetical order. By clicking on a certain beach a new window will be opened featuring main services and facilities of that beach.

Would you like to get some info on accessible facilities of beaches in Barcelona , you should go to www.bcn.es, select first the English version, then "Tourism" and then select " Barcelona and the Sea": by clicking on the beach's name a new window will open displaying services and facilities. 

Arona is located in the Southern Teneriffe coastline ( Canary Islands ) and there are three impressive accessible beaches there (Las Vistas, Las Américas and Los Cristianos): more info can be obtained from their website www.arona.org, select "Turismo Accesible" and then "playas". The pdf containing detailed information on leisure adapted activities and equipment in beaches is accessed in http://www.arona.org/portal/RecursosWeb/DOCUMENTOS/
1/1_1054_1.pdf. The website www.portalturismoaccesible.org provides info on accessibility and facilities of beaches in Lanzarote and Tenerife in the Canary Islands and Castro Urdiales in Cantabria (Northern Spanish coastline).

The oficial website of the Galicia Autonomous Region http://www.turgalicia.es, select first your language, then click on WHAT TO SEE, Natural Heritage, select then "Rias and Beaches": choose the province and "resource type" (beach): service description in beaches include info about ramps, adapted toilets, etc.

Costa del Sol is located in the province of Malaga (Andalucía) and accessible facilities in tose beaches can be obtained at www.visitacostadelsol.com/esp/accesible/guias_turisticas/
guias_turisticas.pdf

In the province of Bizkaia, (Basque Country, Northern Spanish coastline) the free adapted sea bathing (beach chairs) is provided both by the Red Cross service and BIDAIDEAK, a local disabled people organization (Teléfono 94 476 62 00)

Mancomunidad de Islantilla (Tel 959 64 60 13), in Huelva comprising of Lepe and Isla Cristina, offers free use of beach chairs from 11am to 7pm. Islantilla beach is equipped with ramps and footbridges.

A list of accessible beaches in the Balearic Islands is available at: www.caib.es/govern/sac/fitxa.es.jsp?codi=47453.

Descriptions, photo galleries, services and equipment of Spanish beaches can be obtained at the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente website http://www.mma.es/costas/guia_playas/avanzada.htm; though information on accessible facilities doesn´t go any further than featuring the existence of ramps.

Rebecca Arce

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