During our honeymoon trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, Stevie and I took a day trip to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, a former Portuguese settlement and one of the oldest towns in Uruguay. Colonia's city center, known for its 17th century architecture and cobblestone streets, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stevie and I intended to join a guided walking tour of the historic town center but, while waiting for the tour to depart, we ventured over to the Thrifty Rental Car desk at the Colonia Ferry Terminal and found something unexpected.
On the list of vehicles available for rent, we saw a vespa, multiple electric vehicles and a wheelchair accessible golf cart. After we confirmed that the accessible golf cart was indeed available, we abandoned our earlier plans and decided to rent it.
The Lvtong brand electric golf cart had been modified with a wheelchair ramp, four securement straps and a barrier to prevent wheelchair users from rolling out of the vehicle. The rental was offered at a rate of $28 an hour, $79 for the day or $90 for 24 hours. We needed it only for the day and paid the $79 rate. Within five minutes, we had the keys to our accessible ride.
Stevie drove the golf cart and I rode in the back, with my wheelchair secured using the provided straps. Golf carts are welcome on the roads in Colonia, with the exception of the highway, and we saw many other tourists exploring in rented carts. We used our golf cart to travel to a popular Colonia attraction that would be too far to roll to in a wheelchair, the Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos.
Built in 1908, the Moorish-style bullring first opened in 1908 and hosted eight major bullfights, before the Uruguayan government banned the sport in 1912. It recently underwent an extensive renovation and is now a venue for events. The Plaza de Toros welcomes visitors daily
Towards the end of our adventure, our golf cart began running out of power, and we were not able to drive it back to the cruise port. After we got in touch with Thrifty, they sent someone out to collect the golf cart and we walked back to the port — the distance was about half a mile. The staff apologized and refunded our rental fee. They assured me the cart would be serviced.
When I asked how often the wheelchair accessible golf cart is rented, I was told "not often." I believe the golf cart sits idle because wheelchair users do not know it exists — this is the first wheelchair accessible golf cart that I have found available to rent anywhere in the world, and I only discovered it because I approached a car rental counter out of curiosity. If Thrifty has invested anything into marketing this rental vehicle, that marketing has not reached me — but, since I discovered the accessible golf cart and am sharing it here, I hope that others will find it too!
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Have you seen a wheelchair accessible golf cart available for rent in another city? If so, please share it in the comments below! This is a simple yet incredible innovation that could improve mobility and accessibility for wheelchair users in so many tourist destinations around the world — including within the United States! Cheers to Thrifty in Colonia for making this golf cart available in Colonia del Sacramento!
