I would like to take a vacation somewhere on the Mexican Riviera. I use a scooter and a cane or a walker at home, and I am willing to pretty much stay in the resort when I’m on vacation. Can you give me an idea about how accessible Mexico is? Also, can you recommend a particular place or resort on the Mexican Riviera? I’d prefer something that is all-inclusive, but I just don’t see access mentioned in any of the on-line reviews of the all-inclusive resorts. Do you have any good resources?

I wouldn’t say Mexico is inaccessible, but it certainly lacks the level of access we are used to in the US and Canada. I have known many wheelchair-users who have traveled there, but to be honest, I think they all traveled with someone to help them out if needed. The biggest problems you will encounter are the lack of accessible transportation, old streets with no curb-cuts, and lots of uneven pavement. And even in some resorts that have accessible rooms, you will still encounter steps here and there.

Since you can walk with a cane, you can probably overcome most of those issues. I don’t know how far you can walk without tiring, but you might want to think about taking a manual wheelchair with you, as some of the resorts are pretty big. I say manual wheelchair as opposed to your scooter, because they do have steep curb cuts in places and scooters tend to bottom out on them and get stuck. Cobblestones and uneven pavement are also pretty hard on scooters (and their occupants).

I would probably contact Accessible Mexico, which is based in Puerto Vallarta to ask about their recommendations for accessible (truly accessible) all-inclusive resorts. They would have the best handle on what’s really accessible in their area. Sometimes the resorts are labeled as accessible on hotel review websites, but it’s really not the case; so it’s always better to get first-hand information. The accessible Mexico website is at www.accesiblemexico.com/.

Of course you can always take a Mexican Riviera cruise too. The ships are like floating resorts, and you’ll get to see several cities on one trip.