Summertime in the Northern Hemisphere means hot afternoons, long days, fun in the sun, and quality time at the best beaches in Canada, the United States, Europe, and beyond.
While many travelers can explore the shore whenever and however they wish, disabled adventurers often have to think strategically about the way they approach their beach day. Some may need accommodations such as mobility equipment, swimming ropes, beach wheelchairs, or sand mats. Others may need to seek out quieter stretches of coastline with fewer crowds and more manageable sensory inputs. For deaf travelers, accessible communication and emergency alert systems can be as important as physical infrastructure.
To find beaches that are doing accessibility right, we asked travelers and advocates with lived experience across a range of disabilities to share their favorite shores around the world—and explain what makes them so welcoming. These recommendations highlight the many forms accessibility can take, from communication and navigation to sensory considerations and physical access. Together, they’re a reminder that accessibility isn’t one size fits all, but thoughtful design can help more people experience more joy during a day at the beach.
Beaches for deaf travelers
Lily Yu, a deaf traveler, accessibility advocate, and creator of Deaf Journey, looks beyond ramps and beach wheelchairs to the communication systems that ensure coastal destinations are safer and more welcoming.
Torrance Beach, California
Torrance Beach is home to BEELS (Beach Emergency Evacuation Lights System), the first beach evacuation warning system in the world built specifically for deaf and hard-of-hearing beachgoers. During an emergency, white LED strobe lights mounted on lifeguard towers, the permanent lifeguard building, and the restroom building flash in different patterns depending on the type of evacuation.
Slow flashes signal a water-only evacuation, while rapid flashes signal a full beach evacuation. The system pairs these visual alerts with bilingual audio announcements in English and Spanish, creating a safer experience for everyone.
Developed in collaboration with the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, BEELS is a powerful example of inclusive safety infrastructure. Its lights are visible from more than a quarter mile away, proof that accessibility was built into its design from the beginning.
Juno Beach, Florida
At Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, deaf accessibility extends beyond accommodations. The center offers dedicated ASL programs led by a deaf staff biologist, including guided tours, sunrise sea turtle nest excavations, and nighttime turtle walks conducted entirely in sign language.
It also operates a Deaf Internship Program that recruits students from Gallaudet University, creating meaningful opportunities for the next generation of deaf conservation professionals. Combined with nearby barrier-free beach access and amphibious wheelchairs, Juno Beach is a standout example of a coastal destination that has made deaf accessibility a lasting part of its mission instead of a one-time initiative.
Beaches for blind and low-vision travelers
At Conwy Beach in Wales, easy access between the parking area and shoreline creates a more welcoming experience for disabled visitors.
Photo by sosn-a/Shutterstock
Sassy Wyatt, the blind traveler behind Blind Girl Adventures, says beaches offer something she rarely finds elsewhere: the freedom to stop navigating obstacles and simply enjoy the journey.
Poole, England
The thing I love most about beaches isn’t just the sea, it’s the space. As a blind traveler, so much of my everyday life is spent navigating obstacles: bollards, pavement furniture, and the constant calculations of what lies ahead. In Poole, accessible parking and boardwalks create a seamless route to the sand, but the real magic begins when I leave the path.
With my long white cane folded away, I can simply walk. The waves become my compass, the shoreline my guide. There are no curbs to find, no barriers to negotiate, just open space stretching ahead. Most people go to the beach to escape. I go because it’s one of the few places where I can stop navigating and simply wander.
Conwy, Wales
At Conwy, the beach meets the car park almost seamlessly, removing the usual barriers between arrival and the shoreline. What I remember most is not a feature or facility; it’s a feeling. The sound of my retired guide dog Ida’s collar bells as she races across the sand, no longer working, just enjoying the freedom of the beach. Her bells jingle as she gallops ahead like a horse, while the waves crash beside me. I cannot see her running, but I can hear her happiness.
Freedom has a soundtrack: the sea rolling onto the shore and my dog’s bells disappearing into the distance. For me, the most accessible places are the ones that allow me to forget I need accessibility. They give me the rare gift of moving through the world without barriers.
Beaches for neurodiverse families
Matt Villano recommends Chesterman Beach for neurodiverse families thanks to its wide, flat shoreline and room to spread out, play, and enjoy nature in a low-stress environment.
Photo by EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock
Matt Villano, an award-winning travel journalist and father in a neurodiverse family, says the best beaches aren’t necessarily the ones with the most amenities—they’re the ones that help every member of the family feel comfortable and engaged.
Pinnacle Gulch, California
Ours is a neurodiverse family, so the best beaches are often those that can satisfy different neurotypes at the same time. One beach we love: Pinnacle Gulch, on the Sonoma County coastline just south of Bodega Bay. Low tide on this remote stretch reveals rocky outcrops that are teeming with marine life: sea anemones, sea stars, chitons, hermit crabs, mussels, and more. My three daughters and I often turn spying for certain species into a game—the first person to spot a sculpin wins a point. Focusing on puddles of seawater, everyone’s brains are wonderfully calm.
Chesterman Beach, British Columbia
Chesterman Beach, in Tofino, British Columbia, is accessible in many ways. For starters, there are multiple trails that wind to the sand, including one near the iconic Wickaninnish Inn. Second, the 2.7-mile-long beach is remarkably flat, and at low tide it provides a vast expanse of wet sand. Finally, visitors can take advantage of this swath of sand to do anything: walking, Frisbee-tossing, kite-flying, running, or throwing footballs. When I bring my neurodiverse family, we play Kadima, a paddleball game. Without the stress of waves crashing meters away, my anxious kids can relax and focus on nature around them.
Beaches for wheelchair users
Las Vistas Beach in Tenerife pairs accessible pathways, a spacious boardwalk, adaptive amenities, and beach access that lets wheelchair users spend less time planning and more time enjoying the coast.
Photo by trabantos/Shutterstock
Carrie-Ann Lightley, an accessible travel writer, disability advocate, and wheelchair user, values beaches that make it possible to experience the shoreline with greater independence and less planning.
St. Andrews, Scotland
West Sands was one of the happiest parts of my trip to St. Andrews. I hired a beach wheelchair from St. Andrews Beach Wheelchairs, which is free to book online, although donations are encouraged. I’d hoped to try one of their all-terrain powerchair options, but it was already booked. So my advice is to reserve early if you have a specific chair in mind. Instead, I used a manual beach wheelchair with huge wheels for stability, and my friends pushed me across the sand. There’s accessible parking nearby and a Changing Places toilet at Bruce Embankment, which makes planning a beach day feel much easier.
The thing I’ll remember most is being with my friends at the water’s edge, windswept and happy, rather than watching from the path.
Tenerife, Spain
Las Vistas Beach is one of the most accessible beaches I’ve visited. Getting to the beach was an easy journey along the flat promenade, with clear signage to the accessible section. A gently winding ramp leads down to a large wooden platform, with space for disabled visitors, friends, and family to sit together. There are dedicated sun loungers for hire, options for sun or shade, accessible toilets, and a lowered outdoor shower nearby. What struck me most was the scale.
I’m used to seeing small accessible sections with only a handful of loungers. Here, the accessible area felt generous, relaxed, and part of the beach experience. At Las Vistas, I could properly switch off. The sea air, the sound of the waves, and being able to enjoy the beach without constantly planning every movement felt so special.
