Accessible travel in Costa Rica: checking the whole journey before booking

A conversation with Stephanie Sheehy Protti, Co-owner and General Manager of IL VIAGGIO TRAVEL and Founder and Executive Director of the Costa Rican Accessible Tourism Network (RED).

An accessible vehicle or hotel room is only one part of a trip. Stephanie Sheehy Protti explains how her team considers equipment, transfers, rooms, routes, activities and assistance together, and why travelers need specific information before confirming a booking.

Interview by Ken Gardner. Edited from written answers and approved by the contributor.

Editorial note: This interview presents Stephanie's experience and her company's approach. It is not an independent inspection or certification of a vehicle, property or service. Availability and suitability must be confirmed for the individual traveler and itinerary.

1. What should a traveler explain at the outset, without sending private medical records?

We design trips around the individual. Two people using wheelchairs can have very different needs, levels of independence and expectations.

We need practical information about the type and dimensions of mobility equipment, weight, whether the traveler can transfer independently, assistance needed with daily activities, and the experiences they want to enjoy. We also ask about sleeping arrangements, bathroom requirements, mobility limitations, and whether a companion or personal assistant will travel with them.

We do not need private medical records or a diagnosis. We need functional information that helps us plan the journey. Accessibility is a personalized process, not a standardized package.

2. What should be confirmed before booking an adapted vehicle?

A ramp alone does not make a vehicle accessible or safe. Before confirming transportation, we verify the wheelchair's width, length, total weight with the passenger, height, turning space and whether the traveler will remain seated in the wheelchair.

We also evaluate lift capacity, interior dimensions, wheelchair securement points, passenger restraints, luggage requirements and the number of wheelchair users traveling together.

At IL VIAGGIO TRAVEL, we invested in our own adapted vehicles with imported electric lifts and European wheelchair securement systems. We do not rent these vehicles without our own trained driver-guide. Equipment and the knowledge needed to operate it are both part of the service.

Accessible public transport can be inconsistent, and specialized accessible taxis are limited. Travelers should check the actual vehicle and its securement arrangements, rather than treating the presence of a ramp as enough information.

3. How do you check that the room, bathroom and routes work together?

We visit properties, inspect rooms, measure spaces and work directly with hotels to understand what they can offer. We check the entire experience, not just the bedroom.

That includes the route from parking to reception, access to restaurants and common areas, elevators, circulation space in the bedroom, bed height, bathroom dimensions, shower access, toilet positioning and whether equipment such as a patient lift can be used.

An accessible bedroom does not remove barriers elsewhere on the property. A restaurant, pool or pathway may still be inaccessible.

Our equipment includes shower chairs, amphibious wheelchairs, mobility assistance equipment and patient lifts. These can help, but they cannot solve every architectural barrier. We must verify compatibility before confirming a service.

4. Where can your team arrange travel, and what limits vary by destination?

We combine our own transport, specialized equipment and trained personnel with a network of tourism providers we have worked with. Depending on the traveler's needs, we can organize experiences in San José, Arenal, Guanacaste, Manuel Antonio, the Caribbean and other regions. Infrastructure and availability vary significantly.

The greater San José area has a wider concentration of medical facilities, hotels and urban services, but sidewalks, crossings, public spaces and transport remain inconsistent.

Atenas and Grecia may have more limited accessible infrastructure and fewer specialized services. They require individual evaluation.

Liberia and Guanacaste offer opportunities in established resorts and selected beaches, but accessibility varies among properties, attractions and public spaces.

In my view, public infrastructure and implementation remain major challenges. Broken sidewalks, missing curb ramps, inaccessible public bathrooms and poorly designed routes create barriers. Progress among tourism businesses is encouraging, but accessible tourism needs a coordinated national effort as well as private investment.

5. How should equipment, personal assistance and contingency planning fit together?

A specialized operator can coordinate the different elements of a journey. Our equipment includes amphibious wheelchairs, specialized trekking equipment, shower chairs, patient lifts, scooters and other mobility assistance devices. We also coordinate personal assistance when required, defining responsibilities and limits in advance.

A guide, driver, personal assistant and medical caregiver have different roles. Our guides provide tourism services, destination interpretation, logistical coordination and travel assistance within their responsibilities. Personal assistance must be specifically arranged. Medical or nursing services require appropriately qualified professionals.

Mountainous terrain, winding roads, heavy seasonal rainfall and transport delays can affect an itinerary. Distances on a map do not always reflect travel times.

Before arrival, discuss batteries, chargers, essential replacement parts and equipment limitations. Specialized wheelchair components and repair services may be difficult to obtain, especially outside major urban areas.

We plan alternatives and help adjust operations when problems arise. A travel company cannot guarantee immediate specialized repairs, replace medical services or eliminate every environmental barrier.

6. What should travelers have in writing before paying?

Travelers should receive a detailed itinerary explaining what is included, what is excluded and the conditions for each service. This should cover transport, accommodation categories, accessible equipment, activities, guides, contracted personal assistance, meals and any additional services.

Cancellation and modification policies, payment deadlines and procedures for changes after confirmation should also be clear.

Accessible travel can require reserving limited rooms, assigning specialized vehicles and securing equipment that is difficult to replace. Last-minute changes can therefore be particularly challenging.

Confirm who will provide assistance during the journey, how to contact the local operations team and what procedures apply if something unexpected happens.

Price alone does not show whether a service meets the traveler's needs. Specialized vehicles, imported equipment, maintenance, staff training and operational expertise require investment. Accessibility should not mean charging someone more simply because they have a disability; it means providing the infrastructure and services the journey requires.

Closing perspective: what needs to change?

When we began specializing in accessible tourism in 2012, infrastructure and services were very limited. We invested in adapted vehicles, equipment, staff training and relationships with providers willing to improve.

Travelers with disabilities wanted more than an accessible hotel room. They wanted to explore rainforests, see wildlife, visit beaches and experience local culture with family and friends.

More businesses are now investing in accessibility, but private initiatives cannot carry responsibility for an entire country's accessibility. We need stronger institutional leadership, effective implementation, meaningful accessibility verification, better public infrastructure and incentives for tourism businesses to improve.

I believe accessibility should be part of Costa Rica's identity alongside sustainability and biodiversity. The goal is for everyone to have the opportunity to experience the country.

About the contributor

Stephanie Sheehy Protti is a Costa Rican entrepreneur and advocate for accessible and inclusive tourism. She is Co-owner and General Manager of IL VIAGGIO TRAVEL, a Costa Rican destination management company founded in 2004 and specializing in accessible travel since 2012.

She is also Founder and Executive Director of the Costa Rican Accessible Tourism Network (RED), established in 2017 to advance universal accessibility through education, verification and collaborative initiatives. Her work includes initiatives such as DONATAPA, which transforms recovered plastic into solutions that help make beaches more accessible.

Professional links

• IL VIAGGIO TRAVEL
• Accessible travel with IL VIAGGIO TRAVEL
• Costa Rican Accessible Tourism Network (RED)
• Stephanie’s LinkedIn profile

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