Inclusive Tourism in Maipú: A Bicycle to Try Again

Inclusive tourism in Maipú can also begin with a question.

“Do you have an adapted bicycle?”

About three years ago, a couple from England was traveling through Mendoza and staying at Hostel Windmill.

Darío and Julieta, the owners, knew about the project Cristian and I had been developing at Maipu Bikes and knew that we had an adapted bicycle.

So they told the couple about us.

The couple became excited and came directly to Maipu Bikes.

That is how this story began.

“Do you have an adapted bicycle?”

The question seemed simple.

But when we met the couple, we understood that there was much more behind it.

She had suffered an accident and had used a wheelchair ever since.

More than eight years had passed since she had last been able to enjoy a bicycle experience.

We already had the adapted bicycle. The idea was there too.

For some time, Cristian and I had been thinking about how to develop an inclusive tourism experience in Maipú. But we were still exploring.

We did not have a finished product or an experience specifically designed for this purpose. And precisely because of that, we wanted to do it right.

We did not want to fail.

We prepared the bicycle, talked with them, and Cristian decided to accompany them for part of the route.

Not as a guide: they would experience the route independently, just like our other visitors.

We simply wanted to stay close during that first attempt and make sure everything worked as it should.

And they set off.

A day on the Wine Route

They traveled along the roads of Maipú, passed through vineyards, and visited two wineries as part of an experience along the Wine Route of Maipú by bicycle.

It was a day of travel, discovery, and sharing. However, for us, it was also something more.

As they moved along the route, an idea we had been thinking about for so long was finally beginning to become a real experience.

What she told us when they returned

When they returned to Maipu Bikes, we talked about the journey.

However, that couple showed us something that no plan could have taught us in quite the same way:

feeling the wind on her face while moving on a bicycle.

It may seem like a small thing.

But we knew we were not talking only about the wind.

We were talking about everything that had to happen for her to experience that moment again.

A bicycle, a couple who had traveled from England through South America, a road, the Wine Route, and two wineries.

An experience that, for a long time, had been beyond her reach.

And perhaps the most moving part was realizing that we had been able to be part of it.

That experience made us look further

For some time, Cristian and I had already been interested in developing an inclusive tourism project.

However, that experience made us look much deeper into the subject. We began researching similar experiences and, along the way, discovered the work of Empujando Límites, which became an important source of inspiration.

We also had the opportunity to take part with them in different cycling events and activities. Through those experiences, we learned that cycling can be much more than a sport or a way of getting around. It can also be a way to share experiences and open up new possibilities.

An inclusive tourism project that is still growing

Since then, we have continued working on this idea of inclusive tourism in Maipú.

And we prefer to be honest about it: the inclusive tourism project at Maipu Bikes is still under development.

There is still much for us to learn, develop, and improve.

However, that couple showed us something that no plan could have taught us in quite the same way:
that it is worth trying.

That work also received a very special recognition.

In 2025, provincial legislator Cintia Gómez presented a proposal before the Mendoza Provincial Chamber of Deputies to declare the work developed by Maipu Bikes with adapted bicycles to be of cultural and social interest.

The proposal also recognized its contribution to tourism and culture in Mendoza.

For us, it was recognition of the journey we had taken and, at the same time, an encouragement to keep moving forward.

A bicycle to try again

Sometimes a story begins long before we know where it will take us.

This one began with an idea, with a bicycle that was already there, and with Cristian and me asking ourselves how that bicycle could help more people enjoy Maipú.

And then that couple appeared.

The story brought together a couple who had come from England, a hostel that became the bridge, a simple question, and an opportunity.

We did not have everything prepared.

But we decided to try.

Years later, when we think back to that day, there is one thing we know for sure:

We do not know exactly how far our inclusive tourism project will go.

We are still building it.

But we know it is worth continuing.

Because that couple reminded us that, sometimes, a bicycle can be much more than a bicycle.

It can be a way to share a road again. A way to discover a place again.

And for someone who had not been able to do so for eight years, it can mean something that goes far beyond a ride.

That is why we keep thinking about the question that started it all:

What if we try again?

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