14 Sep When is the best time to go paragliding in Tenerife?
You can fly all year round. And that is not a figure of speech.
Across the different take-off sites on Tenerife, flights go out on nearly 325 days a year. The altitude and the stability of the Canarian climate make almost any date a good one, so the question is not so much which month to pick, but rather which particular day suits.
There is no bad month, just the odd week
In most destinations whole seasons are written off. It does not work like that here.
Over the course of the year there is the occasional stormy week, and little else. The rest of the time conditions allow flying as normal, in winter just as in spring.
That is why the forecast is checked day by day, not month by month.
September to June, the steadiest conditions
If one period has to be singled out, this is it. These are months of clean air, good visibility and calm conditions with fair regularity.
That does not mean summer is a bad time. July and August are busy months with spectacular days. It is just that in summer one particular phenomenon is worth knowing about.
The calima, the one thing that changes plans
The calima is dust carried over from the Sahara. It clouds the air and cuts visibility, sometimes for several days in a row.
When there is calima, nobody flies. And the reason is not only technical.
Anyone heading up to Teide, or to any of the other launch sites, wants to see the whole island underfoot, the sea beyond and the other islands on the horizon. With calima all of that disappears. Flying would be possible, but there would be nothing to see, and that is not an experience worth having.
So on those days the date changes. You get a message, another clear day is found, and that is that.
Mount Teide works in your favour
There is a reason so many flying days are possible, and it has to do with height.
The Izaña launch site sits at 2,200 metres, above the sea of clouds that often covers the north of the island. What looks like a grey day from below is usually sunshine and clear sky up there.
It is common to drive up with the valley under cloud and take off with the Teide standing out above a white blanket.
So when should I book?
Whenever suits you.
You buy the flight first and choose the day later. You have 6 months to use it, so there is no rush to get the date right at the moment of booking.
Once you know which day you fancy flying, get in touch. The forecast is checked, the site that works best that day is chosen, and everything is arranged. If that day does not cooperate, another one is found.