The Seven Lakes, Argentina
Photo by: Leonardo Chamorro (Stock Exchange)
Welcome back to Disabled Travelers!
A few weeks back we looked at CNBC’s list of best places to retire outside the U.S., and ever since, I’ve been itching to do an access guide on the top ten picks.
Although there are some European destinations, there are also areas throughout Central and South America, not usually known for the best in disability friendly accommodations.
But we’ve made so many discoveries in my time at Disabled Travelers I figured it couldn’t hurt to do some research …
So, we’re beginning our tour with beautiful Argentina!
The capital of Argentina is Buenos Aires, a truly international city that’s been compared to Paris. For accessible tour operators running to this wonderful metropolis, you can’t beat Accessible Journeys. Their Wheelchair Accessible Argentina tour includes hand-picked disabled hotels, reserved, accessible transportation with private drivers, English-speaking guides, airport transfers, and prepaid meals. Definitely a good way to see the city; and your travel companions are invited as well.
Always take Yahoo Answers with a grain of salt and look for a dedicated “travel” forum if you want solid answers, but it’s worth looking at these recent disabled access tips for Buenos Aires and the local area. Public transportation definitely isn’t recommended, but there are some basic features like curb cuts and discounted travel for the disabled. If you want to choose a guide that focuses exclusively on the region, Korke provides Argentina and Chile travel with customized itineraries to help you maximize your trip.
Disabled Travelers’ Guide to the World, one of our favorite sites, has some Argentina information. Of course, you can also go straight to the source and look at the local tourism board, whose site also includes a breakdown of amenities for disabled travelers in Argentina. This provides some hotel advice and news on wheelchair friendly tourist attractions throughout the country. JustArgentina, a privately owned travel guide covering the country, also has a listing of companies and resources that can help.
Global Access News has a brief mention of Argentina in its October 2005 disabled travel newsletter, which comes complete with some recommendations for Argentina, Canada, Las Vegas, France, New York, and the Caribbean. TravelIntelligence.com’s Wheelchair Accessible Hotels in Argentina is a good place for more on accommodations.
It might also interest you to know that Argentina’s wheelchair basketball team, which is supported by the Argentine Wheelchair Sport Federation (link in Spanish only) is an internationally ranked team.
Our verdict on Argentina? While there’s a strong English-speaking community there, centered around Buenos Aires, the outlook on accessibility isn’t spectacular. That said, people are aware of the problem and progress is being made. Buenos Aires is one of the most enchanting cities in the area, and I would definitely recommend a guided tour — don’t pass up the chance to see it. As for the best places to retire, our journey continues next week. Thanks for visiting Disabled Travelers, and see you then!
Si
