Cape Verde
Annabel’s Amputee Assessment: 5 star
The Riu Palace Santa Maria was the first hotel I visited as an amputee and it truly was 5 star service. A gorgeous lobby greets you with bars, coffee shops and lounge areas just steps away.
For amputees learning to walk, I’d highly recommend this hotel. All surfaces are perfectly smooth and there’s enough distance from the lobby to the rooms to the pools and the restaurants to make you feel like you’re on a rehab walk – probably a little further than you’d like to go, but the perfect distance to get into your stride and improve.
And for anyone struggling with the distances, the hotel has a range of mobility scooters you can hire for a reasonable price.
The walk to the sea from the beach is long, and anyone with a prosthetic leg will know sand is the hardest surface to walk on, especially when you’re still learning as I was, but it’s worth the effort as the sea is crystal clear and beautifully warm – even in December!
The rooms were large and clean with mini bar and spirits dispensers. The shower was easy to step into on my waterproof prosthetic leg, or crutches, and the restaurants had tables next to the entrance saved specifically for people with mobility issues. It truly was an accessible place that I’d highly recommend.
…and for the daredevil amputees amongst you, the hotel has an amazing waterpark. I’d only had my prosthetic leg for a month, so I went to the small slides, don’t judge.
