Last month, Co-founder Martyn Sibley was taken out to Tenerife by accessible travel company Limitless Travel to discover what benefits disabled-friendly group holidays have. Read on to find out what he discovered, what Tenerife is like for accessibility and how you can get £100 off a holiday with Limitless Travel in Tenerife.
I’ve written a few times about Tenerife, but this is a very different article! Not only was I working with Limitless Travel, I saw new parts of the island – and nailed my favourite karaoke tune!
Let’s go back to the start…
I’ve been travelling and blogging about my adventures since August 2009. I love seeing new places, meeting new people, and sharing accessibility (both good and bad). So when Angus (founder of Limitless) asked me to go and experience one of its tours, it was a no brainer!
Group holidays for disabled people in Mar y Sol, Tenerife
I have to say, I’ve always been unsure about group trips for disabled people. As I always strive for inclusion, having only disabled people (and their family/friends) together seemed, well, a bit exclusive. To be honest, even general group trips made me think: “Who might you get stuck with for a week.”
I’m really glad I pushed through these concerns. Our group was so much fun. We often ate and had a drink together. Learning about each others’ stories and swapping travel experiences.
Equally, we all had our own pace and chose the parts of the itinerary that suited us, sometimes taking it easy by the pool or beach solo. It was a perfect balance.
Read our previous article from Limitless Travel on why disabled-friendly group holidays could be perfect for you.
Accessible attractions in Tenerife
I understand that some of the other Limitless tours are more set. For example, bus trips have very particular timings, with transport and attractions fixed.
With this holiday in Tenerife, as mentioned above, we had more flexibility. Nonetheless, I wanted to try out a few of the options.
Monkey Park
On my first full day, accompanied by my PA Melody, our tour manager Lucy, as well as a few other tour members, we headed to the nearby Monkey Park.
As you’d expect, there were a lot of monkeys! We were even given food to feed them, as they swung around in enclosed areas. There was also an enormous amount of other animals. From crocodiles to birds, to guinea pigs. We had a whale of a time 🙂
Accessible pool, beach and refreshments
We had a couple of days to chill and sit around the accessible hotel pool at our Los Cristianos resort, which has a hoist. We also took a stroll down to the accessible beach, where there are wooden slates, which meant wheelchairs could get nearer to the sea.
As all good holidays should have, there was an abundance of food and drink! There was a wide variety of choice in the Mar y Sol, where we stayed. Plus, there were accessible and fun bars/restaurants along the front.
As mentioned at the beginning, I even got on the mic for karaoke. Like all good last nights, a few of us hit the shots hard and we really let our hair down! For the record, I sang The Kooks’ ‘she moves in her own way’.
Care support
For me, it was preferable to travel with one of my PAs from home. But Limitless does cater for all needs and eventualities. The tour manager Lucy was accompanied by two care PAs. They were available to support anyone that wanted it.
I’ve never known of this service before and it worked like a dream. Some people had lower confidence, so just knowing that support was there made all the difference. Others needed more support at certain times of the day, which was also accommodated for.
Tenerife accessible tour
Before that rowdy last night, a bigger bus took a group of us from our hotel on a tour of the island. It was really nice getting a chance to chat with other disabled people from different countries.
We drove from our resort in the south to the west to take in a sea view from a cafe. We then headed to the north for lunch, and finally back down the east side for ice cream, and finally back to our hotel.
You can see my video from this trip on my below. You can also visit my Facebook page to see the rest of my daily vlogs from that week.
I really enjoyed learning about the history, politics, topography, and culture of Tenerife. This is an island that I’ve been to many times, but not truly explored until now!
Booking with Limitless Travel
The Canary islands are and will always be one of my favourite travel destinations. The good weather, the access and the rejuvenation it gives me every time is amazing.
It was nice to experience how Limitless Travel supports disabled people in many ways when travelling, as well as giving me a chance to experience Tenerife in a new and unique way.
If you’re interested in going on a Tenerife tour and you have (or know someone with) a disability, visit the Limitless Travel website for more. Remember to mention ‘MARTYN100’ and you’ll get £100 off your first booking!
By Martyn Sibley with Limitless Travel
More on Disability Horizons…
