Destinations for tourists with disabilities or reduced mobility

Persons with disabilities of various types and persons with reduced mobility, such as the elderly and obese people, often find it difficult to navigate facilities and equipment in tourist buildings, and leisure facilities.

For these audiences, we suggest below eight tourist destinations with excellent infrastructure that have prepared to appropriately cater to travellers with special needs.

Bonito (MS)

Considered one of the best ecotourism destinations in Brazil, Bonito is located in the southeast region of Mato Grosso do Sul and has outstanding landscapes. Among the main attractions of the region, there are bathing in waterfalls, hiking trails, boat trips, and observation of aquatic animals in crystal clear waters. Those more venturesome can face the Anhumas Abyss, which has a 72–meter high rappel into a crevasse that gives access to a lake of calm waters where it is possible to dive.

Accessibility:
Hearing, physical or motor, and visual impairment.

Tourist Guides: prepared and trained to provide assistance under special conditions.

Attractions: fluctuation in Bonito’s Natural Aquarium or Sucuri River, rafting on Formoso River, rappelling in Anhumas Abyss, accessible to people with reduced mobility and disabilities.

Infrastructure: crosswalks with visual and tactile signage, wide sidewalks, and non–slip and smooth surfaces.

Brotas (SP)

The capital of adventure, as it is known, is one of the best known tours among those who enjoy extreme sports such as rafting, water rides in boats, canoeing, canyoning, and other adventures. This is because the natural beauties of Brotas – its rather peculiar relief composed of “cuestas” and the large water sources – provide much more than moments of relaxation. Adrenaline rush is part of the environment.

Its rivers, its waterfalls, preserved forests, and the many options of stay and a complete infrastructure, atract more and more tourists.

Accessibility:

Hearing, physical or motor, and visual impairment.

Attractions: activities such as ballooning, rafting and zip lines are adapted for people with limited mobility and wheelchair users.

There are rooms adapted for wheelchair users.

Fernando de Noronha (PE)

Comprised of 21 islands and belonging to the state of Pernambuco, the Fernando de Noronha archipelago is outrageously beautiful. The lush vegetation and crystal clear waters form a cinematic scene and is home to several species of turtles, sharks, shoals of colorful fish and dolphins.

Diving professionals and amateurs regularly seek Fernando de Noronha. The archipelago offers visibility of up to 50 m deep, with pleasant temperatures around 28° C.

Accessibility:

Physical or motor disability and reduced mobility.

Information and Control Stations (PIC):

PIC Golfinho–Sancho: has showers, shop, equipment rental, snack bar, and adapted bathrooms. It also has a suspended walkway linking the lookouts Golfinhos, Sancho and Dois Irmãos.

Baía do Sueste Beach: support team for people with reduced mobility to swim at the beach, bathrooms adapted for wheelchair users, access ramps, and amphibious chair.

Hostels, bars, restaurants, trails, buses adapted to receive people with disabilities.

Fortaleza (CE)

Known for its charisma and spontaneity, the people of Ceará often receive visitors with open arms and great joy.

In Fortaleza, the capital, the days are paradisiacal, and the nights are intense, ensuring fun for every day of the week. In Praia do Futuro, there are stalls along the beach, each with its own musical style and decor. The kiosks offer coconut water, seafood and different types of fruit punches.

On the west coast of the state, you can visit beautiful beaches such as Cumbuco and Jericoacoara. Surrounded by dunes and lagoons, the famous Jeri attracts people from all over the world for its charming inns.

On the east coast, the most famous beaches are Canoa Quebrada and its huge cliffs, and Morro Branco, with colored sands that are used as raw material for local handicrafts.

Accessibility:

Hearing, physical or motor, and visual impairment and reduced mobility.

Airport: Pinto Martins – Fortaleza International Airport offers complete infrastructure for people with any kind of disability, as well as exclusive transportation for better comfort.

Transportation: Fortaleza offers free transportation, such as buses and subway, for anyone with a disability. In addition to these means of transportation, there are vans and taxis adapted to serve the population.

Attractions: one of the main destinations, the Beach Park, has a security structure for its visitors. Some rooms of the Beach Park resorts were built to receive persons with special needs, including adapted bathrooms. The complex also has several access ramps. In the water park, however, the free fall rides, for security reasons, cannot be used by this public, but are free to visually impaired persons.

Hotels: there is an extensive hotel chain with fully accessible hotels.

Foz do Iguaçu (PR)

Foz do Iguaçu is one of the symbols of Brazil. A water whirlpool falls from high basalt cliffs creating an unparalleled spectacle: the 275 waterfalls that make up the Iguaçu Falls. Sculpted 120 million years ago, this wonder of Nature is at the heart of a rich ecosystem that is home to many animal species threatened with extinction. Located on the border between Brazil and Argentina, the Falls attract thousands of tourists every year. Those who visit can walk by walkways that lead to a few meters from the largest of the waterfalls, the Devil’s Throat, and enjoy the lush forest of Iguaçu National Park, considered the largest subtropical rainforest in the world and declared a Natural World Heritage Site by Unesco.

The lake, formed with the construction of the Itaipu hydroelectric plant, also provides fun options with artificial beaches, anchorages, marinas and parks. During the visit to the largest hydroelectric plant in the world, it is possible to see the grandeur of the work and of the waters from the outer and inner sides of the plant. The Itaipu Tourist Complex further offers attractions and activities in Brazil and Paraguay.

Accessibility:

Hearing, physical or motor, and visual impairment and reduced mobility.

Airport: Foz do Iguaçu International Airport has partial infrastructure for persons with visual impairment and reduced mobility.

Transportation: the city has an accessible fleet of buses, but there are fewer taxis and other means of transportation.

Maceió (AL)

The coconut trees are part of the landscape of the entire coast of Alagoas. They can be seen, for example, from one of the rafts with colored sails that take visitors to the natural pools of Pajuçara Beach in Maceió, capital of the State.

The pools are formed during the low tide, between sand banks and reefs near the coast, and are so shallow that allow seeing the fish with the naked eye. The raft crossing lasts about 15 minutes.

The State has many beautiful blue and greenish beaches with warm waters, such as the Francês, Maragogi, Gunga and Paripueira beaches.
Another important attraction of Alagoas is the São Francisco River, the Old Chico, very important in terms of economy for all localities it crosses.

The typical cuisine is based on seafood and one of the most traditional dishes of Alagoas is the sururu, a kind of shellfish cooked with coconut milk.

Accessibility:

Hearing, physical or motor, and visual impairment and reduced mobility.

Airport with excellent accessibility conditions within the technical standards, with panels in braille and chairs for person with little mobility.

Accessible Rafts: natural pools can be reached with rafts up to three times larger, fit to transport wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility.

Accessible Beach Project: launched in April 2015, by the Municipal Secretariat of Sports and Leusure (Semel) at Pajuçara Beach; it includes activities such as sea baths in amphibios wheelchairs, adapted bocce and stand up padle for wheelchair users, for example.

Hotels: According to data of ABIH–AL, 100% of the hotels in Maceió comply with Brazilian law in relation to accessibility.

Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

Breathtaking natural attractions, spontaneity that turns everything into a party, the sense of welcoming, and iconic landmarks famous all over the world. All this makes the city of Rio de Janeiro an incomparable and unforgettable destination.

With 450 years of history, Rio is home to fascinating treasures in its museums with enviable collections. Land of Carnival and samba, it also has many theaters, concert houses, shopping malls and restaurants open throughout the year.

But it’s the combination of its geographical features – the sea, the mountain, the forest – with the human presence that ensures to Rio de Janeiro the condition of being a unique city. Many points of the city are surrounded by extraordinary landscapes. It was the first city in the world to receive from Unesco the title of World Heritage Site in the category Cultural Landscape.

In addition to its most famous attractions, such as the Christ The Redeemer, an art deco statue of Jesus Christ, and the Sugar Loaf, a complex of mountains, the city offers other countless programs focused on nature, adventure, religion, history and culture, such as the tours by the Botanical Garden and the cable cars to Santa Teresa, visits to the Metropolitan Cathedral and to the Modern Art Museum, and the possibility to fly over the city starting from the ramp of Pedra Bonita.

Accessibility:

Hearing, physical or motor, and visual impairment and reduced mobility.

The Santos Dumont Airport has facilities for persons with visual impairment, such as: signaling on the floor; airport map in Braille; qualified personnel to accompany the person if necessary. Accessible bathroom for wheelchair users and accessible pay phones.

The city underwent a vast renovation to host the Olympics and Paralympics, and there are works in progress to make accessibility improvements.

Attractions: the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, which will receive competitions, is a traditional site for paddleboat rides, and now it has motorized boats to make the tours accessible to all visitors. To visit the Sensory Garden of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, one must be blindfolded to feel the different textures and smells of plants chosen especially to sharpen the senses, especially touch and smell. For this reason, it is a must–see attraction for anyone who has a visual impairment.

Hotels: today Rio offers a wide choice of hotels that are acessible and, in addition to having the appropriate infrastructure, also offer exclusive transportation for tours around the city.

Socorro (SP)

For those who enjoy adventure and lots of adrenaline, the city of Socorro, in São Paulo’s Circuito das Águas (Water Circuit), 115 km from Campinas, is a great choice for the brave.

Known as Adventure City, it offers to its visitors more than 20 radical activities on land, in the air and in the water, such as rafting, tree climbing, “boia cross“, and zip line, among others. The adventure tourism parks are great choices for spending the day doing activities in a single place. They offer the entire security infrastructure and trained guides, in addition to restaurants, changing rooms, showers and parking. In the parks, tourists can spend the day having fun or just relaxing, sunbathing by the river or the swimming pools.

One of the largest zip lines in Brazil – more than 1 km long – and the only one crossing two States, São Paulo and Minas Gerais, is located in Sorocorro. In the “Flying Zipline”, unlike traditional ziplines, the visitor makes the crossing lying face down.

The city also offers accessible adventure tourism, providing moments of leisure for persons with physical disabilities or reduced mobility. Among the more than 20 adventure activities offered today, ten have already been adapted, including the tree climbing, rafting and abseiling circuits.

Accessibility:

Hearing, physical or motor, and visual impairments and reduced mobility.

Hotels: rooms adapted for wheelchair users.

Restaurants: adapted for persons with physical and visual impairments.

Adventure tourism (such as rafting, horseback riding, rappelling, tree climbing, zip line, “boia cross“, acquaride and tracking) accessible to persons with reduced mobility and wheelchair users.

Adapted transportation 

The tourist attractions of the historic center are connected by a tactile floor, and the traffic lights have sound resources.

Pay phones are adapted for persons with hearing disabilities.
Restrooms and ramps around the city.

It received the Queen Sofia Accessibility Award in 2014.

Source: Portal VisitBrasil