Los Christianos, Tenerife
Conducted by Judith Bellingham
The Airline and the Airport
The airline, Thomson (TUI) didn't mention any disabled priority when boarding, although they may have made other discreet arrangements or not had any disabled passengers flying. On arrival at the destination airport, Tenerife South-Reina Sofia Airport (TFS), there was a bridge / walkway that is lined along with barriers and railings which would help the disabled.
At the Hotel
At the Villa Mandi Golf Resort, there are ramps around the area. The main Reception area is easy to get around with a lift, large enough to fit a wheelchair and a person in. There were a lot of golf carts going around the site so this indicated easy access for moderate sized vehicles / wheelchairs.
One downside was, to get to the restaurant, there was only one ramp going down from the poolside and this led through the games room and then back outside past the bar before entering the restaurant.
The bedroom was very spread out and there was room either side of the bed where a wheelchair could fit.
Getting Around
The seafront and tourist areas have mostly wide pavements, particularly along the seafront at Torviscas Beach which is a short cab ride away. They have ramps going down to the seafront toilets and also leading from the shops and cafés to the beach.
Roadsides are also very wide in terms of pavements, however some of the more traditional streets, especially in the Los Christianos centre are quite old and cobbled so may not be appropriate for the visually impaired, however we did see people in wheelchairs around the area so it was ok for them. Also visited was Los Americas which is a very open strip of nightlife, lit with a lot of bright lights and bar and shops 'til late at night. The shopping area of Los Americas is very nice and access friendly.
There is also a very clubbing intense area; however they definitely do not consider the disabled in that area. Everything is very compact inside the bars and clubs in Los Americas and there are no disabled toilets in almost all the places - weirdly the places that did seem to have toilets were in areas that needed steps to access them.
In general, walking is the better option as the pavements are so wide and it was nice and warm. When we did take taxis they were generally just small five seater cars. I don't recall seeing any taxis any larger than standard sized cars so unless the wheelchair can fold down into the boot and the user transfer to the car then I don't think the taxis are wheelchair friendly.
Attractions
The only attraction visited was a crazy golf course at Torviscas Beach front which had ramps going down all the way along. There were ramps all the way down to the beach and to the public toilets at the beach front too. We were only there for three days so the rest of the time was spent by the pool.
Eating Out
At La Fortuna, there is a ramp leading into the restaurant but it is quite compact inside, we sat outside and there were wheelchair users on the tables either side of us in the outside seating area. The lighting is quite dim inside, outside is mainly street lighting but nothing amazingly helpful for the visually impaired.
At Villa Mandi, the wheelchair access involves going down a ramp to the side of the pool and then through the games room exiting there and entering the restaurant either outside and past the bar, or through the back of the restaurant. I don't think there were any large print menus available; they just had standard menus on the tables.
We mainly sat outside as we ate during the daytime. Inside, it was not too bright which wouldn't help when choosing which food there was at the buffet and also the food on display was not labelled therefore we generally asked what was in front of us. This is not the most ideal place to eat if you have any problems with diet, low lighting or asking the chef's for descriptions of the food.
In terms of lighting in restaurants, a lot of the places in Los Christianos particularly have quite a dimly lit ambience which may not help the visually impaired - this seemed to be a trait in these restaurants.
Bars and Nightlife
Along the beachfront at Los Christianos, the bars and pubs are mainly up stairs and on terraces so they are not necessarily easy access. There are some along a road running parallel to the beach which has an easier access. However, the bars themselves are not very spacious and there are probably a lot of trip hazards.
Along Torviscas, there are more options of using ramps and escalators, but bars are still mainly up high and not very accessible. There are a lot of restaurants on the beach level where the ramps and access friendly paths are and they stay open fairly late with entertainers and karaoke types of entertainment. There are quite a few ramps at Torviscas, and pavements generally didn't have steps along the Christianos beachfront unless you needed to access the bars higher up.
Disabled Toilets
There didn't seem to be any disabled toilets at the hotel we stayed in and access to the inside toilets was available via the lift, but then there were steps just in front of the toilets. I believe there was a ramp going up towards the poolside toilets; however, there was not a disabled option, just male or female.
Along the Torviscas beach front there were public toilets that were well sign posted. They cost 50 cents to use but were very spacious. I believe there were disabled toilets, however if not, the toilets themselves were large if that compensates in any way.
Any Other Comments
In general, getting around in Los Christianos or Torviscas beach front is quite wheelchair and walking friendly, large spaces and smooth paths. A lot of places don't consider ways other than steps when it comes to bars or nightlife apart from Los Americas where the whole strip is mainly on street level.