"Los Pocillos" an accessible beach in Lanzarote (Canary Islands)

This is one of the most renowned beaches in Tías, having once again been awarded a EU Blue Flag due to its outstanding quality. The beach is 1.230 ms long and 150 ms wide and is conveniently equipped. It is surrounded by an attractive promenade with a cycle-path, ideal for walking, cycling or simply seeing the art sculptures disseminated through the coast of Puerto del Carmen. It also has plenty of quiet and romantic corners. Images of this golden sand coast surrounded by an intense blue sea have been seen all through Europe and attracted thousands of tourists each year.

Close to the Pocillos beach a number of diving schools offer persons with limited mobility the chance to visit the seabed, a unique experience.

Pocillos is an accessible beach…ALL, without exception, can enjoy the beach in a convenient and safe way. The Tías municipality has equipped the beach with all necessary facilities and equipment:

1. Parking area close to the beach, with reserved parking places

These reserved places are signalled with graphic indications on the pavement and in vertical position. They are located in front of Playa de las Naciones. From this area up to the beach there are no barriers.

2. Signposts for accessible route, accessible beach and services are under way now and shall be placed soon

This way all persons shall be informed about access by car to the beach and fully accessible routes for wheelchair-users.

3. Accessible route

The pedestrian route that connects the town centre with the beach is now adapted after physical barriers were removed in public ways and the sea promenade. Pedestrian crossings in the area immediately connected with the accessible entry to the beach are also adapted.

4. Fixed, wood-made walkways

These are about 2,10 ms wide and 51 ms long, complemented with non-fixed, roll-up routes that lead to the seashore. Pocillos beach has a number of these walkways, from Playa de las Naciones up to the wet sand area. Wheelchairs can turn around in the rest area. The size of this area allows for parking of wheelchairs and transfers to and from adapted wheel- and amphibious chairs.

5. Roll-up walkways

These are to be found in the wet sand zone and allow direct access to the sea for persons with limited mobility. They are 1,20 ms wide and 21 ms long.

6. Shaded rest area

The beach is equipped with an adapted platform that allows persons with limited mobility to access rest areas.

7. Toilets and Showers

Adapted toilets and showers can be reached via the accessible route. The beach is equipped with four public adapted WCs and two showers with folding seats, present in Playa de las Naciones and Playa de Los Jameos.

8. Surveillance and first-aid area

This are is next to the accessible beach area and allows assistance to swimmers. Emerlan assists chair users through its staff of lifeguards and its volunteers.

9. Safe bath area

Lifeguards have the resources and aids for persons with limited mobility to access the sea in a proper way, including floating wheelchairs. Lifeguards have in place a system to help bathers leave the water when they have finished their bath and especially for emergency cases.


ADAPTED TOILET

Adapted toilet service in the Pocillos beach.

The Tías municipality has now strengthened the service for toilet access and accompaniment to the sea for persons with limited mobility, and this service shall be extended during the summer season. This services is targeted at elderly persons and persons with mobility problems, with its quality ensured by the team of lifeguards.

This system is available to all residents and tourists wishing to book amphibious chairs. This can be done by directly contacting lifeguards in the beach, without an appointment. This service is currently free of charge, available 365 days a year from 11.00 till 17.00.

Disability aids include aquatic chairs that ensure highly safe access to the sea.

Children and persons with intellectual disabilities should be accompanied by an adult.





Near accomodations:Bungalows Nautilus
More information about accessible Lanzarote: link

Around 600 disabled people enjoy the sea on the accessible beaches at the Balear Islands

About 600 people with disabilities have enjoyed this summer in the Balear Sea the "beach access" available to disabled swimmers offered by "Cruz Roja".

As explained the regional director of Cruz Roja Emergency Relief, Victoria Avella, persons with disabilities receive physical help, for the entrance to the beach, in the use of showers and the locker room and during the bath.

In this sense, the user is helped by the rescuer to access the amphibious wheelchairs or anfibuggys "entitled to the bathroom for people with reduced mobility, and during the time that remains in the sea the person receives a constant help.


For a better security, in the main beaches of Palma (Playa de Palma, Cala Estancia, Can Pere Antoni, and Cala Major Garden City) there are areas defined for these users bath.



A new service also offered by the Red Cross is accompanying blind people.


The service must be requested 24 hours in advance, a lifeguard takes the user through the bus stop, taxi or desired meeting point, accompanies him during his stay at the beach and then to where it tells you .


But the most original service, completely new in the Balear lands, carried out by the Ibiza Town Hall, in collaboration with ONCE, which was implemented on the beach of Talamanca the system known as " audioplaya "


The beach has a point of bathroom accessible for blind and visually impaired, equipped with a voice information system that allows them to be guided in the environment as well as knowing the water depth and the distance you are from shore .


It also has a number of buoys that help the user to deposit their belongings, each marked with a symbol touch.


With this system the Talamanca beach becomes the first of the islands completely accessible for blind and visually impaired.


The system of audioplaya was implemented for the first time on the beaches of Valencia and also runs in Melilla, Malaga and Almeria.

The tourist complex Nautilus Lanzarote has just received the Title of Accessibility and Adaptability in the category of Adapted.

Nautilus turns this way into the first tourist establishment into the Canary Isles that there shows this distinction with which there is guaranteed the practiced of his facilities to persons with problems of limited mobility.

Located in Matagorda, in Lanzarote's south, Bungalows Nautilus it has followed a Plan of Accessibility attending to all the aspects to obtain a tourist polyvalent complex directed all kinds of clients under the concept of tourism for all.

The equipment and Nautilus Lanzarote's direction have done of the accessible tourism his maxim and this way he remains reflected in a few facilities provided with ramps, bathrooms adapted in common zones, swimming pool equipped with hydraulic hoist etc. The complex consists of 70 bungalows of one and two rooms of which 34 have been specially reformed to offer a few ideal conditions of accessibility for persons with disability and to facilitate so this collective enjoyment of an of integration tourism.

34 adapted bungalows possess entry to level zero, doors free space of step of 90 cm, zones space of draft of 150 free cm of obstacles Baths completely equipped with bars of support in water closets, showers to level zero with seat and bars and wash basins without foot between other details. Some of the bungalows possess also kitchens without furniture under the vitrocerámica “kitchen” or the sink to allow the frontal access to users of wheelchair.
The excellence as for accessibility of his facilities turns it into a modal into Lanzarote's island for the group of persons with physical disability and comes to increase this way the tourist accessible offer of quality in the Canary Isles.


The Title of Accessibility and Adaptability has been granted by Equalitas Vitae, consulting specialized in elimination of architectural barriers and accessible tourism for persons with problems of mobility reduced in Spain



http://www.nautilus-lanzarote.com

Cicar - Canary Island Car - removes barriers and launches a fleet of adapted vehicles

In line with one of the main objectives of Cicar from the industry leader in car rental in the Canary Islands continues to innovate. If a year ago Cicar joined the fleet of "Opel Vivaro adapted" for transporting disabled people now they want to go further incorporating a fleet of rental vehicles adapted to driving for people with reduced mobility.

For the launch of this new project, Cicar has relied on the new Opel Astra in the version 1.6, with automatic gearbox. A Orvecame brand sold by another company of the Group Cabrera Medina.

Adaptations installed devices Canary Sapphire Electro Group company, unique in the archipelago and a specialist in the adaptation of such vehicles, covering about 80 percent of disabilities, so people with reduced mobility can rent at any island a vehicle adapted to their needs.

The equipment has a knob on the steering wheel, rev the accelerator, hand brake lever and approved electronic accelerator ring, to move with any of the possible adaptations. The rental price is the same as a vehicle without adaptation of the same group.

Mamerto Cabrera, CEO of Cicar, believes that "this initiative is another step forward to improve service to our customers." "We want to provide barrier-free service on all islands, so we have created a fleet perfectly adapted to cover 80 percent of physical disabilities."

"The history of the company and commitment to our customers and Canary us to improve every day by offering more services and taking our slogan to the maximum exponent. We intend to be faithful to this concern we have delivered for more than 40 years and therefore We extend our services to as many customers as possible, "Cabrera added.


Agreement with Sixt

Moreover, Sixt and Cicar became collaborators since last August 1 in the Canary Islands and more than 100 countries in Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, Oceania and South America.

Cicar (Canary Island Car) was founded in 1967 with a fleet of only five cars, but now offers a fleet of more than 7,900 vehicles and employs through group Cabrera Medina Lanzarote, more than 950 people . Now, through Cicar, Sixt now offers its customers an excellent coverage anywhere in the Canaries.

Sixt rent a car S.L.U. It is present in our country since 2005 directly and since then has grown steadily. Sixt employs over 150 people in Spain, 30 of which deal with the central services of the German subsidiary in Palma de Mallorca. A fleet of 8,000 new vehicles are distributed throughout the 18 establishments that Sixt has scattered airports and TGV stations in the center of some Spanish cities.

SIXT rent a car S.L.U. It is a subsidiary of the German company SIXT AG, founded in Munich in 1912 Martin Sixt. It operates in over 100 countries and generates a turnover of 1,600 million euros per year, employing about 3,000 people worldwide.

Estanislao Pérez Mata, managing director of SIXT rent a car Spain has said that "with this agreement we have an excellent partner in the Canary Islands." And, now, customers of this company can make reservations for any of the islands. It seeks to "provide greater coverage" to customers, "in another corner of the Spanish territory," said Mara. In addition, customers Cicar, added, "will feature Sixt services in over 100 countries around the world."

http://www.cicar.com



Source of the information in Spanish: http://www.lavozdelanzarote.com/article42791.html

Casa Arroal in the land of Salamanca at the Natural Park of Batuecas.

In the land of Salamanca one of the beautiful places in Spain, the well Known Natural Park of Batuecas. One of the towns that conform this natural park is Sotoserrano where Casa Arroal is located.

This natural enclave in a mountanious zone, filled with vegetation with pretty forests and hidden valleys, all surounded by numerousus rivers.

Casa Arroal is accessible on whellchair and has an adapted room with adapted bathroom.


http://www.arroal.com
arroal@arroal.com
923422005 / 610648359

Proposed trip to Aran Valley in the Pyrenees.

Surrounded by mountains of more than 3.000 meters and a caracteristic Atlantic climate, the Valle de Arán is one of the most beautiful resorts in the Pirinees.

Cultural peculiarities such as language and cuisine makes a visit in the valley any time of the year very interesting and offers a wide selection of activities bonding with nature.

Ample open air activities such as ski, rafting, cannoeing, paragliding, horse riding, hunting, fishing are available, as well as cultural excursions to monuments and churches representative of Aránese Romanesque art..




The Aparthotel El Refugi d'Aran is situated in Viella, in the heart of the Arán Valley, on the banks of the River Garona and 100 mts. from the sports center 'Palacio de Hielo" ('Palace of Ice', which includes an ice-skating rink) and 12 Km from Baquiera Beret . With a select interior decoration foliowing the traditional architecture "Aránes", the hotel consists of 48 spacious and comfortable apartments, fully equipped with double bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom, television and central heating.

The Aparthotel is wheelchair accessible.

Restaurant, cafeteria, meeting room are located on the ground floor with accessible routes.
Parking is outside the building and there are two reserved places (2.40 x 5.00) for people with reduced mobility.


http://www.elrefugiodearan.com/

Ibiza, Universally Accessible City and Tourism

For years Ibiza-Eivissa Town Council has been working on being a municipality universally accessible to all people, a city in which its citizens and visitors can get around the entire city safely and without difficulties.

With the aim of improving the quality of life of disabled people, all the rehabilitation work that is carried out is to improve the pavements and the levels of accessibility in streets throughout the city, removing architectural barriers in the streets, beaches and public buildings.

For people with limited vision, we are adapting traffic lights with audible signals. Furthermore we offer an accessible website, and with the collaboration of the ONCE (Spanish National Organisation for the Blind) we have prepared a tourist guide to the city and the menus of the restaurants in Braille.

A city without barriers: improving the quality of life of all the citizens and offering accessible, safe tourism to our visitors is a priority for the city of Eivissa.

At the Touristic Informaction Ofice, you can ask for the Tourist Guide Ibiza World Heritage for visual deficiency people. These guide is available in Catalan, Spanish, English and German.


In Talamanca Beach and ses Figueretes
Life-saving Service
Amphibian Wheelchair Chair Service
From 11.00 to 19.00 h
+ info: +34 971 399 232


Attachments:
http://www.eivissa.es/portal/attachments/355_eivissa-guia-accessibilitat.pdf
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http://www.eivissa.es
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