San Juan walking tour wheelchair doable?

[sunpsyche]

For those of you who've done a self walking tour of San Juan; how feasible is it to do in a wheelchair? I know there are cobblestone streets, it's fairly hilly and there are some steps. Anyone with any firsthand knowledge?

 

My sister and I will be traveling with our elderly mother. She is mobile and would be able to walk for brief periods. We willl have a non-motorized wheelchair. I know they have a trolley which I thought we could utilize when it gets too arduous.

 

Input anyone?

[LuLaLuvlee]

Old San Juan will be difficult with the items you already mentioned and you left out narrow sidewalks..there really isn't a lot of space. You can always get in the street but then you need to be very mindful of the traffic plus the bumpety bump of the streets. Perhaps you may want to rent a car or hire a taxi for a look around tour and then go back to places you want to visit for longer. A good bit of El Morro will be accessible but that hill getting up there is a doozy and there are areas where she will not be able to go but it's a cool place and I think enjoyable even with the limitations.

[daju22]

Hi Sunpsyche,

We were in San Juan in October. We travel with a scooter (Pride Go Go) and a wheelchair. My husband is partially mobile also. He can walk for short distances. We got off the ship and walked around. He used his scooter. At times he had to get up and I had to lift the scooter off or onto curbs as there are not many curbcuts. Also it is very hilly and I'm glad I didn't have to push him in the wheelchair!!! We wandered around and shopped. There are some vendors set up along the seafront to the left as you exit the dock. That's an easy walk. Then we went up the hill and stopped in a shop for souveniers. I was determined to see the San Christobal Fort. We had quite a time getting up the HUGE hill into the fort. He walked very slowly with lots of resting and I steered the scooter up the hill. I don't think it would have had enough power to get up to the fort and take him around and back to the ship. We made it! The fort was worth seeing and there is an elevator to take you up to the top level. Disabled people are free. I'm sure it would have been much easier to grab a cab, but we enjoy being out on our own. Some fellows working on the landscaping helped us cross the busy street.

Here is a link to a good map of San Juan. http://www.travelmaps.com/OldSanJuan.html

 

Also a picture I took of the fort. You can see it from the ship. This doesn't show how steep it was.

Hope you can push the wheelchair easily.

If you have any more question, I'll be glad to help if I can.

You'll have a wonderful cruise.

[sunpsyche]

Thank you both for your input and the excellent map! I like the idea of just wandering about and exploring. The two forts are intriquing, but not essential. It does look pretty steep from your picture even though you indicate it doesn't do it justice. I'll have to assess Mom's strength the closer we get. Perhaps we will begin on foot (and chair) and see about getting a cab along the way.

 

Was there an elevator at El Morro as well?

[daju22]

I don't know about and elevator at El Morro, but I think there would be one there since it is a United States National Park. Here's the site for the forts.:

 

http://www.nps.gov/saju/

 

Hope it helps.

[daju22]

I don't know about and elevator at El Morro, but I think there would be one there since it is a United States National Park. Here's the site for the forts.:

 

http://www.nps.gov/saju/

 

Hope it helps.

[daveco58]

The elevator must be new. It may be a National Park, but it is 500 years old, and like most buildings is Old San Juan, exempt from ADA.

Seriously consider a chair or better yet a scooter, if you want to get to El Morro and San Cristobal.

The cobblestones are a little bumpy, and the curbcuts are steep, so pushing isn't all that easy, but walking is worse. I push my brother everywhere, and we do okay in OSJ, but even I have to take a break up the hill to the Fort, or from the lower gate to the Cathedral.

On the plus side, every time I have encountered an obstruction, some of the locals have been there to lend a hand, and help lift the chair.

 

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