Best wheelchair accessible Mayan ruins in Western Caribbean?

[dopey1200]

We will be stopping at Costa Maya, Belize, & Cozumel. My mom is in a wheelchair & I know my parents will want to tour some Mayan ruins. Anybody have suggestions for which site has the best accessibility but is still a good site to visit? Thanks!

[katisdale]

Can your Mom transfer to another vehicle? There is a cart like thing at Tulum that can take you and a collapsible wheelchair (I forget the cost) to the site from the entry area. I was using a rollator then and did OK. There was no shade after we got there and I quickly quit trying to keep up with the guide and just sat in my rollator and waited for the group. It was however wonderful to see and I enjoyed going there.

[dopey1200]

Yes, she can transfer from her wheelchair. So is this like some kind of one-person cart that you're talking about? Sounds like a possibility. Thanks for the info.

[katisdale]

No, more than one person, perhaps five or six people but open air so it felt more like a cart than a vehicle. It had an engine, not pulled by an animal.

[lbrat4]

I traveled with my Mom in a wheelchair last spring, and we leave this Sunday on another cruise. It was a dream of my Mom's to see some ruins, so I did a bunch of research to try and make that happen. I had heard Tulum could be a challenge, but that Altun Ha is overall quite accessible. We booked an accessible tour with the Dawson's at http://www.experiencebelizetours.com/accessibletours.html and had a wonderful day! So wonderful, in fact, that we booked again with them for our stop in Belize City next week. Allen helped my son and I maneuver my Mom's chair over the few tree ruts that were the only real obstacle I recall us encountering. There were shady spots for us to rest in (unlike Tulum) and our tour went early enough that there were hardly any tour groups and no crowds at all. We also toured Belize City and stopped for a yummy lunch. The prices of the tour was very reasonable, especially compared to what I've paid for some of our other accessible tours. On a different topic, make sure you bring bug repellant for Belize. We didn't encounter bugs at the ruins, but got bit up later in the day.

 

I hope whatever you decide to do, you have a great time!

Lori

[dopey1200]

Lori, thanks for the info, but are you sure Altun Ha is accessible? According to Carnival it isn't (see below). Also, maybe you can give me some advice on this problem too. Since Belize is a tender port & Carnival says my mom may not be able to get on the tender if the seas are too rough, do you still book the excursion? Then hopefully get refunded if she can't go to port?

 

 

 

ALTUN HA & BELIZE CITY TOUR

 

 

Journey into the ancient world of the Mayans by visiting the ancient and mysterious trade center of Altun Ha.

 

On this adventure you will explore:

 

The Mayan city located only seven miles from the sea and surrounded by rainforest.

The site that captured world attention when Professor David Pendergast discovered the famous nine and a half pound jade head of the sun god Kinich Ahau.

Two plazas and thirteen structures at the epicenter of this Mayan ceremonial site.

Prepared stone steps that allow visitors to climb atop three of the main temples.

A brief visit to Belize City.

Notes: Transfer time to the site is approximately 1¼ hours. Souvenirs and crafts are available for purchase.

 

Restrooms are available at the site. This excursion is not wheelchair accessible.

 

 

 

 

 

Duration: 4.5 Hours

Level:

Other:

 

Pricing From:

Adult: $49

Child: $41

[lbrat4]

The excursion through Carnival doesn't accommodate a wheelchair (maybe they don't have the vehicles or staff to do so), but Altun Ha is most definitely accessible and very much worth seeing (in my opinion at least). :) We booked privately through experiencebelizetours (if you scroll down to the bottom of their home page there is a link for the disabled friendly tours) because I read a lot of good reports about them on the disabled cruisers forum here on cruise critic. I highly recommend them! We ended up having a private tour for the three of us (mom, son, and myself) for less than the cost of the tour through the ship and it included lunch and more sights than the ship tour. We were back in plenty of time to get back on the ship. Allen Dawson was our guide and he was very likeable, knowledgable, and helpful.

 

As for the tender, we had no issues getting my mom on and off with her manual wheelchair, but weather was excellent. If you can't tender off due to weather, you aren't charged for the excursion, so no worries there. Also, experience belize tours doesn't require payment in advance or a deposit. When I booked our excursion last year, I booked it for four people (two in wheelchairs). On the day of the excursion, my Dad wasn't feeling well, so he stayed aboard. Allen went ahead and discounted the rate since my Dad wasn't able to come along, which was unexpected and really nice considering he had reserved a larger vehicle with a lift for the four of us.

 

Hope this helps and you have a wonderful time! :D

 

Lori

[dopey1200]

Thanks for the information Lori, you've been a big help!