16 Jan What is it like to paraglide?

It is the question almost everyone asks us before flying, and the short answer is that it feels far less frightening than you imagine, and far calmer than you expect.

The long answer is this article, written from what our passengers tell us after landing on Martiánez beach.

Before take-off: the worry

Almost everyone arrives with the same idea in their head: that they are about to throw themselves into the void.

That is not how it works. In tandem paragliding there is no jump. You do not launch yourself off anything. The wing (the paraglider) is already spread out on the ground before you move, and the take-off happens so gradually that you barely notice the exact moment your feet leave the ground.

If you arrive nervous, that is normal. It happens to almost everyone. And it usually lasts until the moment you start walking.

Take-off: walking, not running

This is the biggest misunderstanding about paragliding.

You do not have to run down the slope. On most of our take-offs you simply walk, or walk briskly, alongside your pilot. The more headwind we have, the less effort it takes. In good conditions, a few steps are enough.

At some point during those steps you notice you are no longer resting on the ground. There is no drop, no lift-shaft feeling in your stomach. The wing pulls upwards and you go with it.

And that is where the worry turns into something else.

The first minutes: the peak of excitement

The first five to twenty minutes are the most intense.

You are in the air, seeing the north of Tenerife from a perspective you have never had before, and your head is still processing that this is actually happening. It is the biggest adrenaline moment of the flight. Some passengers laugh out loud, others go quiet for a long while, and some cry with emotion.

Afterwards: the calm nobody expects

And then something happens that almost nobody sees coming.

The excitement settles and a feeling of calm appears that is very hard to put into words. You settle into the seat, you stop holding on, and you simply start to look. The sea on one side, the mountain on the other, the sound of the wind and little else.

It is the part of the flight our passengers remember most. Not the take-off, but that stretch afterwards, once you already feel comfortable up there.

Landing: the second peak

The other moment of excitement comes at the end, and almost always for the same reason: nobody knows how you land a paraglider.

You land gently. We come in, you follow your pilot’s instructions, and it ends with you standing on the sand. No impact, no jolt.

The most common reaction on touching down is wanting to do it again. You can see that for yourself in our Google reviews.

How long does a paragliding flight last?

Between 20 and 30 minutes in the air, depending on the flying site and the conditions of the day.

Can I fly? Requirements

• Weight: between 35 and 100 kilos.
• Age: no limit. Passengers under 18 need express authorisation from their parents or legal guardians.
• Experience: none. You fly in tandem with a professional pilot who takes care of everything.
• Fitness: for a standard flight, being able to walk a few steps at take-off is enough.

What if I have a disability or reduced mobility?

You can fly too.

Together with Vuelo Semilla we offer adaptive paragliding: flights designed for people with disabilities or reduced mobility, using specific equipment and our own procedure.

It works somewhat differently from a standard flight. We need to be more precise with the weather forecast and prepare everything more carefully, so it is arranged separately and has its own pricing.

If this is your case, visit Adaptive Paragliding or simply write to us and we will work it out with you.

What about the video?

Included. You take the whole flight recorded, at no extra cost.

Where do we fly?

In the north of Tenerife. It is the area with the best conditions on the island for tandem flying, and we land at different sites depending on the flight chosen that day.

The only way to know what it feels like

However much we describe it, this does not fully come across in words. What we can tell you is that the vast majority of people who arrive frightened land wanting to go straight back up.

Book your flight and find out for yourself. When you decide which day you want to fly, you write to us, we check the forecast and we organise it. You have 6 months to use it.