Torre del Mar’s wide promenade and adjacent seafront gardens
Who doesn’t love to head down to the beach to feel the warm sand between their toes, or to take a dip in the water? I know I do!
Clearly this is harder to achieve if your mobility is impaired, and is especially difficult for wheelchair users.
The seaside town of Torre del Mar which sits midway along the coast of the Axarquía region is leading the way in the provision of adapted beach access for residents and visitors with reduced mobility.
Not only does Torre del Mar have a beautiful wide promenade and attractive, accessible seaside gardens, the local council has put considerable effort into upgrading their adapted beach access.
Around 200 metres west of the Sailing Club and known as “Playa Adaptada 1.0”, the scheme provides a denominated circular concrete parking area and ramp access to concrete pathways – one of which extends to the water’s edge.
There is also a large wooden structure providing a shaded picnic area with tables and benches, changing facilities and wheelchair storage, toilets, lowered signage (also written in braille), seated showers and drinking fountain, special wheelchairs and floatation equipment for use in the water, as well as support staff during the bathing season.
Various other adapted access points can be found along the length of the promenade at Torre del Mar, all with concrete paths and showers, and all of which extend as far as the Sendero Litoral (a hard, compacted sand pathway used by walkers and runners, but which would also be usable by wheelchair users), thus giving access to pretty much the full length of the town’s beach.
Adapted access point
Other towns to the east of Málaga with adapted beach access (though not necessarily with all the facilities described above) include: Nerja, Torrox Costa, Caleta de Vélez, Benejarafe, Rincón de la Victoria, Cala del Moral. You can see a PDF (in Spanish) from the Town Hall here, showing all the facilities (with photos).
That’s great news for residents and visitors to La Axarquía (as well as families with pushchairs)!
What’s the adapted beach access like where YOU live?
Related articles:
49 COOL reasons to visit the Axarquía this winter
The King and I on the Balcón de Europa, Nerja
East of Málaga 
Yay!! I do like those “paseos marítimos” for taking my sons and their scooters – that way the hubby and I get a nice long walk and the boys can do more kilometres without getting tired/whingey. Everyone’s happy. Win-win! There are a ton down Murcia/Alicante way too. Bookmarking this post for when I’m next “daan saaf”. Gracias, guapa! (PS: – I definitely don’t want to start an argument -these walkways are great in touristy areas that have already been built up- but on the other side of things, I waaay prefer the “natural” coastal areas that haven’t been destroyed by poor planning, commercial greed and the short-sighted tourist industry. Do you have a post on unspoilt beaches in your region? x
Very well done to Axarquia, everyone should be able to access the beach!
Totally agree, Gilly 🙂
Great idea. Hope other places see and copy.
Congratulations to the region’s Council for such vision and forward thinking. Schemes like this really need to be commended and shared. 👍👍👍
Thanks Fatima – I’ll pass on your wishes next time I’m passing. I think they will be pleased to hear 🙂
I haven’t seen that. Be a great idea if we could see it everywhere! I know baby buggies aren’t the same but there were soooooo many beaches I couldn’t go to when the babies were so tiny they needed to go in buggies. Not strollers, but the lying down buggies, which are big.
Totally agree! And YES to pushchairs for families, too 🙂
This is amazing and setting the bar. A lot of other countries should learn and copy.
P.S.: Note name change from comrade to sober Roy, although been a sober Roy for over 26 years 🙂
Hello again Roy 🙂 Yes, this is a great initiative and you’re right – other countries should learn and copy.
How good of the Authorities to have taken disabled visitors into account in such a big way instead of just providing disabled parking bays.
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
I agree, David – I’m so impressed and proud. Thought I’d get the word out to encourage other councils and authorities to do the same (especially in the UK). Thanks for sharing this 🙂