Whenever Cancun is mentioned, thoughts of white sandy beaches, tropical drinks and bikini clad bathing beauties inevitably come to mind. And although the Mayan Riviera certainly offers those pleasant diversions; it can also be a family friendly, culturally enriching and a wheelchair accessible destination. You just have to know where to look.

Wheelchair Accessible Beach Condo
Lynn Schneider offers the perfect solution for folks searching for family friendly wheelchair-accessible accommodations – Casita de Arte. Located 15 minutes from the Cancun airport in Puerto Morelos, Lynn’s two-bedroom, two-bathroom oceanfront unit features wide doorways, good pathway access, ramped access to the beach and a beach wheelchair. Currently the bathroom has a standard shower; but Lynn plans to add a roll-in shower this fall. A commode-shower chair is also available upon request.

The unit boasts a fully equipped kitchen, plus there’s an accessible restaurant located on the premises. Additionally, there are a number of restaurants just a short walk away in the village. Says Lynn, “My daughter has cerebral palsy and she loves the condo. I was also very surprised to find such a large number of accessible restaurants, shops and galleries in the small village of Puerto Morelos.”

Cancun Accessible
If you’d prefer to stay in a traditional hotel, the folks at Cancun Accessible can find one that suits your needs. Founded in 2005, Cancun Accessible shut down after Hurricane Wilma; but was later reopened by former operations manager Judith Cardenas. After working at another travel agency Judith realized that her real passion was accessible travel, so she followed her heart. 

Accessible Cancun can also provide airport transfers in a wheelchair-accessible van. Since there are no accessible taxis in Cancun, this is the only way to get around if you can’t transfer. Attendant care services, medical equipment rental and oxygen services are also available.

Although the Cancun Accessible website is only available in Spanish, their booking agency offers English descriptions of their services, along with English speaking agents. If you’re not fluent in Spanish, this is really the best way to make your arrangements.

Seeing the Sights
If you like to shop, Judith recommends heading to the downtown area of Cancun. “The main street -- Tulum -- has curb-cuts, level sidewalks and many shops with a level entry,” says Judith.

Of course no trip to the Yucatan is complete without a visit to one of the many archeological sites in the area; and Cancun Accessible can make arrangements for that too. “Chichen-Itza is a good choice for wheelchair-users as it’s pretty flat, and access modifications have been added,” says Judith. Cancun Accessible offers half-day tours to this site in their lift-equipped van. Additionally, wheelchairs are available for slow walkers.

Tulum is also a popular archeological excursion. It can be visited in a few hours; and then you can either return to your hotel or continue on to Xelha, the largest natural aquarium in the world. Whatever your preference, Cancun Accessible can tailor tours and excursions to fit your needs, tastes and physical abilities.

Candy Harrington is the editor of Emerging Horizons and the author of Barrier Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide For Wheelers and Slow Walkers. She blogs regularly about accessible travel issues at www.BarrierFreeTravels.com.

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If you’d like to explore the other coast of Mexico, read about Wheelchair-Accessible Fishing in Los Cabos.

And don’t forget to review these recent updates to the Air Carrier Access Act, before you board your flight to Mexico.