I’m looking for feedback on where in Portugal a person who has mobility issues should go. I know Porto is hilly as is Lisbon. I thought the Algarve might be easier. I’m not interested in resorts. I’m thinking of 2 to 3 weeks . February/March. Traveling from Canada so clearly looking to escape from some of the winter.
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Mobility challenge Portugal
- Thread starter KarenK
- Start date
Ian Sutton
1000+ Posts
Tavira (in the Algarve) certainly felt like it would be reasonably accessible, albeit key would be finding suitable accommodation.
It may also be useful to clarify the mobility needs e.g. wheelchair accessible, or avoiding lots of steps, or somewhere compact and flat to fit a lot in without walking too far.
It may also be useful to clarify the mobility needs e.g. wheelchair accessible, or avoiding lots of steps, or somewhere compact and flat to fit a lot in without walking too far.
wco81
100+ Posts
The Algarve coastline has a lot of limestone cliffs. Makes for very scenic views, looking down over the Mediterranean from an elevated vantage point over the cliffs which are reddish and orange.
So while not as hilly as Lisbon or Porto, some of the coastal towns have beaches which are at sea level and they're surrounded by cliffs.
Some of the places have nice walks overlooking the ocean. This one has a boardwalk which isn't completely flat but has some shallow inclines and declines and some spots with stairs if you want to descend and get closer to the water
www.algarve-tourist.com
One thing though, I don't know what buses are like but you almost need a car to get from the airport to the towns or between towns. There are ground transport services but they're pretty pricey.
So while not as hilly as Lisbon or Porto, some of the coastal towns have beaches which are at sea level and they're surrounded by cliffs.
Some of the places have nice walks overlooking the ocean. This one has a boardwalk which isn't completely flat but has some shallow inclines and declines and some spots with stairs if you want to descend and get closer to the water
Carvoeiro Boardwalk Walk - Algar Seco and Boneca Cave Guide
Explore Carvoeiro's stunning boardwalk to Algar Seco and the famous Boneca Cave. Complete walking guide with directions, best viewpoints, and cliff formations.
www.algarve-tourist.com
One thing though, I don't know what buses are like but you almost need a car to get from the airport to the towns or between towns. There are ground transport services but they're pretty pricey.
Thanks for your reply. As I said I'm open to travelling to other regions of Portugal as long as they aren't hilly. Regarding the Algarve where would you suggest would be a good base? I would want to find accommodation that has a kitchen as one of our favourite things to do is going to markets
wco81
100+ Posts
I believe the biggest towns are Lagos, Portimao, Albufuera and Faro.
I've only stayed in Carvoeiro, near the cliffs. So while I could get out with a short walk to the cliffs, it was a longer walk to restaurants and shops/supermarkets. Some of those were downhill so that meant returning uphill.
Many of these towns, the closer you get to the water, the more uphill, because like I said, the coast has cliffs. I see on the maps that some of these towns are larger or spread out, with parts which are maybe 1-2 kilometers from the coast. It's possible that those parts are flat.
But obviously, people go to the Algarve to see the coast, go to the beaches, go on boat tours to caves or watch dolphins,
So unless you stay at a place completely inland, walking towards the coast would involve walking uphill or up stairs.
There doesn't seem to be taxis either, at least in the smaller towns. Faro itself is bigger with a port as well as an airport nearby. So you wouldn't see the beautiful cliffs there, though I haven't visited it.
This might be a better question on TripAdvisor, which has an Algarve forum.
Other parts of Portugal which is flat, the one place I've stayed that's like that is Cascais, which is mostly near the water. It's nice but there are far more scenic places nearby and elsewhere.
For instance, Sintra is a big tourist attraction but it's not flat and to get to the Pena Palace or the Moorish Castle, you have to go uphill.
There are a lot of coach tours which will take you to Sintra and the Pena Palace/Moorish Castle but they pick you up in Lisbon, not Cascais, even though Cascais is closer to Sintra.
For Lisbon, the most popular neighborhoods for tourists are closer to the water. But whenever I've visited Lisbon, you'd go through all these neighborhoods north of these popular parts of Lisbon, towards the airport and as far as I could see, they were all flat.
So you can stay away from the water where the terrain is flat but you are again further away from the parts that are interesting.
Possibly you could stay in these areas and take the metro or even Uber or taxis down to Baixa and Chiado. Right along the water it's flat because there's a port down there. But the scenic parts are set about 1-2 kilometers from the water and that's because it's uphill and there are a lot of miradors or lookouts with views of the water and the city.
There may be private tour guides who would drive you to some of the miradors where you get out of the car and it's flat and you can see the view and get back in the car without really going up or downhill a lot. But these would be expensive.
Or maybe a regular coach tour would take you around to these scenic places but you could tell the guide that you only want to get out of the coach if it's flat and if it's hilly, you will stay in the coach while waiting for the other people to return. Typically these tours have stops which are like 10-15 minutes.
I've only stayed in Carvoeiro, near the cliffs. So while I could get out with a short walk to the cliffs, it was a longer walk to restaurants and shops/supermarkets. Some of those were downhill so that meant returning uphill.
Many of these towns, the closer you get to the water, the more uphill, because like I said, the coast has cliffs. I see on the maps that some of these towns are larger or spread out, with parts which are maybe 1-2 kilometers from the coast. It's possible that those parts are flat.
But obviously, people go to the Algarve to see the coast, go to the beaches, go on boat tours to caves or watch dolphins,
So unless you stay at a place completely inland, walking towards the coast would involve walking uphill or up stairs.
There doesn't seem to be taxis either, at least in the smaller towns. Faro itself is bigger with a port as well as an airport nearby. So you wouldn't see the beautiful cliffs there, though I haven't visited it.
This might be a better question on TripAdvisor, which has an Algarve forum.
Other parts of Portugal which is flat, the one place I've stayed that's like that is Cascais, which is mostly near the water. It's nice but there are far more scenic places nearby and elsewhere.
For instance, Sintra is a big tourist attraction but it's not flat and to get to the Pena Palace or the Moorish Castle, you have to go uphill.
There are a lot of coach tours which will take you to Sintra and the Pena Palace/Moorish Castle but they pick you up in Lisbon, not Cascais, even though Cascais is closer to Sintra.
For Lisbon, the most popular neighborhoods for tourists are closer to the water. But whenever I've visited Lisbon, you'd go through all these neighborhoods north of these popular parts of Lisbon, towards the airport and as far as I could see, they were all flat.
So you can stay away from the water where the terrain is flat but you are again further away from the parts that are interesting.
Possibly you could stay in these areas and take the metro or even Uber or taxis down to Baixa and Chiado. Right along the water it's flat because there's a port down there. But the scenic parts are set about 1-2 kilometers from the water and that's because it's uphill and there are a lot of miradors or lookouts with views of the water and the city.
There may be private tour guides who would drive you to some of the miradors where you get out of the car and it's flat and you can see the view and get back in the car without really going up or downhill a lot. But these would be expensive.
Or maybe a regular coach tour would take you around to these scenic places but you could tell the guide that you only want to get out of the coach if it's flat and if it's hilly, you will stay in the coach while waiting for the other people to return. Typically these tours have stops which are like 10-15 minutes.