Portugal sits on the Iberian Peninsula. Although a small European nation, the country is a tourist paradise due to its delicious gastronomy, idyllic climate, rich cultural history, and affordable cost of living.
We traveled to quite a few places in 2022 and we wanted to wrap up the year with a week-long trip to Portugal. Portugal is a beautiful country on the Iberian Peninsula which has an old-world charm with Idyllic weather. As we have a wheelchair user in our family we try to do road trips. Makes it easy to visit places and at the same time enables us to cover a lot more.
A small country like Portugal can be easily covered in a week.
We tried to cover Lisbon, Sintra, and the heartland of Portugal which are the cities of Coimbra, Nazare, the castle city of Obidos, and the birthplace of Port wine, Porto. Lisbon is a very old city that has significant wheelchair accessibility challenges. Cobbled streets and steeply sloped roads are not very friendly to wheelchairs.
Lisbon
Lisbon is the lively capital city of Portugal. This city is a blend of Old city charm with colorful buildings modern cafes, stunning cathedrals, open plazas, and warm weather. Lisbon nightlife is fascinating with the hustle and bustle in the plazas and live Fado, the music of Portugal. And then there is this signature yellow tram no. 28 that takes you all around the city of Lisbon. The main places to visit in Lisbon are Alfama, Baixa and Bairo Alto, and Belem
Wheelchair accessibility ♿️
Overall wheelchair accessibility ♿️ in this place is very challenging. The cobbled streets are very uneven and have steep slopes making it very hard for the wheelchair to roll. The public parking also has a steep ramp with no elevators to come out. The streets have some accessible parking but most of them are reserved for the people living there.
Alfama
Alfama is the oldest and most characterful district of Lisbon with a maze of winding steep cobbled streets and unlimited stairs going to the Sao Jorge castle. This place is very good for its beautiful hilltop view. This place has a lot of Portuguese restaurants with Live Fado performances. You can just stroll and enjoy the old-world charm along the steep and winding roads.
Wheelchair accessibility ♿️ ♿️
The wheelchair can go to some places but most of the places are very steep. To go to the terrace for the view there is a little ramp for wheelchairs. There is also accessible parking on the street right next to the terrace. You can also park in the other parking right opposite the terrace but at peak hrs, these are all taken by tuk-tuks.
Baixa
Baixa is a waterfront area that is the main marketplace and historic downtown. It’s the flat valley between two hills. Baixa’s pedestrian streets, inviting cafes, elegant old charm storefronts, the squares and the people watching gives it a special feel.
Wheelchair accessibility ♿️ ♿️
Baixa squares are completely wheelchair accessible. Most of the storefronts are not wheelchair accessible and the streets are very uneven. Praca the commercio is the main waterfront area which is also the historic area. Don’t forget to click a picture with Portugal’s Arc the Triomphe as the background.
Bairro Alto
Bairo Alto is just above Baixa. There are many ways to rise from Baixa to Bairro Alto. By funicular, walking, or by Santa Justa Elevator. Bairro Alto has some dramatic view Points. The tree-topped viewpoint in Graca is very lively and you can enjoy the view which stretches from the twin towers to the castle.
Wheelchair accessibility ♿️
Wheelchair accessibility is very challenging here because of the steep cobbled streets. The Graca viewpoint terrace is wheelchair accessible. There is accessible parking right in front of the terrace.
Belem
Belem is the place in Lisbon where most of the tourist attractions are. Historically this was the place for shipyards and docks. This place is filled with parks, tree-lined streets, and plazas and is much calmer than central Lisbon. The main attractions here are
Belem tower
This is a little fort-like white tower with Moorish architecture and stylized stone carvings on the banks of the Tejo estuary. This was the last and first sight sailors saw when they left their homeland or returned home. You can take a picture with this as a background. The tower is not wheelchair accessible.♿️
Monument of Discoveries
This monument stands high above the banks of the Tejo estuary and celebrates the seafaring history of Portugal. It consists of beautiful detailing of figures and looks stunning with the river in the background. This place is completely wheelchair accessible and you can park the car in the docks parking.
Pastéis de Belém
200-year-old pastry shop and the birthplace of custard tarts. Try to visit that place early in the morning as this place becomes very crowded in the late afternoon. This place is completely wheelchair accessible. There is a paid accessible parking opposite the pastry shop.
The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos – This is a huge white limestone church on the Belem waterfront that took 100 years to complete. This is a completely wheelchair-accessible site and there is accessible parking just opposite the pastry shop.
Sintra
Sintra is a town famous for its fairy tale castle. For a wheelchair user, it’s advisable to do a road trip by car. You can visit the town of Sintra Cabo do Roca and the beautiful coastal city of Cascais in the same loop.
Sintra is a mix of natural and man-made beauty. There are fairytale castles in the lush green valley and beautiful hilltops overlooking the ocean. The two castles in Sintra are Penna palace and Moorish castle. Keep following the signs for Penna palace. Try to reach the place very early morning to avoid the crowds. It’s advisable to buy the tickets beforehand and keep ample time before your ticket timings. The castle is high up the hill and it takes time to reach there.
Wheelchair Accessibility ♿️ ♿️ ♿️
This place is almost fully wheelchair accessible. You have to plan beforehand and make the necessary bookings.
As the road to the palace is very steep you will be needing a special wheelchair. Do write to the administration beforehand that you will be needing the special wheelchair with Swiss traction. You can take your car to the entrance of the palace. There are a couple of accessible parking spots there. The crew out there is very helpful. If you reach out to them they will arrange the wheelchair for you at the entrance. It takes almost half an hr to climb to the palace. If you have passed your entry time just let the crew know. They will help you.
Be very careful as the road is very steep and crowded.
Cabo do Roca
Cabo da Roca is a stop between Sintra and Cascais which marks the westernmost point of mainland Europe. There are beautiful cliffs and a lighthouse with the vast Atlantic Ocean in the background. You can drive to the lighthouse and there is a parking lot there. People can walk on the trails and click pictures at the endpoint.
Wheelchair ♿️ accessibility to the cliffs is not that good as there are many potholes along the way.There are few accessible parking spaces in the parking lot from where you get a better shot.
Cascais
Cascais is a fantastic city on the coastline with many restaurants and cafes. You can start your road trip from Lisbon to Sintra and then return to Lisbon via Cabo do Roca and Cascais. Have a quaint dinner in the town of Cascais. There are a few parking lots on N6 which has some accessible parking spots. You can park your car and enjoy the view.
