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Beautiful wheelchair-accessible beach in the Basque Country
https://tourism.euskadi.eus/en/beaches-reservoirs-rivers/isuntza-beach/aa30-12375/en/
Isuntza beach is in Lekeitio, a seaside town about an hour's drive from Bilbao. We went there because I had found somewhere on the internet that the beach was accessible, but I can't remember how I did that now so here's some information from me!
It took us a while to find parking near the beach, but I can now tell you that there are some blue badge spaces roughly opposite Hotel Silken on the road Santa Elena Etorbidea. The other parking spaces there are reserved for the hotel, but the blue badge spaces are free for all.
To get to the beach from the car park, go down the hill a bit and turn right after Hotel Silken. When you see the entrance to the beach on the right, you'll also see the beach wheelchair station, which has sand wheelchairs and amphibious wheelchairs (the sort where someone can push you right into the sea). There's a boardwalk running all along the back of the beach at the bottom of the promenade wall, and I was able to comfortably travel the length of the boardwalk on my little scooter. There are also beach showers accessible from the boardwalk.
Above the beach is a promenade/terrace with plenty of shade, where I saw several wheelchair users (including me) relaxing and enjoying the view of the beach, the little old houses and restaurants to one side and the island reached by a causeway. The causeway isn't wheelchair-accessible, and if you are able to walk along it, be aware that it's tidal, so disappears completely at high tide.
I decided not to use the amphibious wheelchairs this time because we weren't actually staying in Lekeitio and I like to be able to go straight back to my hotel to wash and change after going in the sea (see my review of Poniente beach in Gijon). Another time, though, I would seriously consider going back to Lekeitio and staying in the Hotel Silken overlooking the beach, because the place was so beautiful and the access was good.
If you go to Lekeitio, be aware that the town is quite hilly, even right by the beach, so you'll need to have good batteries on your powered wheelchair or scooter, or someone to give you a hand with your manual wheelchair. I was pleased with the ramps and dropped kerbs, though, and encouraged by the number of fellow wheelchair-users I saw. It was so beautiful, too - really worth a visit.
https://tourism.euskadi.eus/en/beaches-reservoirs-rivers/isuntza-beach/aa30-12375/en/
Isuntza beach is in Lekeitio, a seaside town about an hour's drive from Bilbao. We went there because I had found somewhere on the internet that the beach was accessible, but I can't remember how I did that now so here's some information from me!
It took us a while to find parking near the beach, but I can now tell you that there are some blue badge spaces roughly opposite Hotel Silken on the road Santa Elena Etorbidea. The other parking spaces there are reserved for the hotel, but the blue badge spaces are free for all.
To get to the beach from the car park, go down the hill a bit and turn right after Hotel Silken. When you see the entrance to the beach on the right, you'll also see the beach wheelchair station, which has sand wheelchairs and amphibious wheelchairs (the sort where someone can push you right into the sea). There's a boardwalk running all along the back of the beach at the bottom of the promenade wall, and I was able to comfortably travel the length of the boardwalk on my little scooter. There are also beach showers accessible from the boardwalk.
Above the beach is a promenade/terrace with plenty of shade, where I saw several wheelchair users (including me) relaxing and enjoying the view of the beach, the little old houses and restaurants to one side and the island reached by a causeway. The causeway isn't wheelchair-accessible, and if you are able to walk along it, be aware that it's tidal, so disappears completely at high tide.
I decided not to use the amphibious wheelchairs this time because we weren't actually staying in Lekeitio and I like to be able to go straight back to my hotel to wash and change after going in the sea (see my review of Poniente beach in Gijon). Another time, though, I would seriously consider going back to Lekeitio and staying in the Hotel Silken overlooking the beach, because the place was so beautiful and the access was good.
If you go to Lekeitio, be aware that the town is quite hilly, even right by the beach, so you'll need to have good batteries on your powered wheelchair or scooter, or someone to give you a hand with your manual wheelchair. I was pleased with the ramps and dropped kerbs, though, and encouraged by the number of fellow wheelchair-users I saw. It was so beautiful, too - really worth a visit.
