{"id":8687,"date":"2024-01-16T12:14:22","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T12:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enminubeparapente.com\/?p=8687"},"modified":"2026-09-03T09:20:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T09:20:12","slug":"what-is-it-like-to-paraglide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enminubeparapente.com\/en\/paragliding\/what-is-it-like-to-paraglide\/","title":{"rendered":"What is it like to paraglide?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

The long answer is this article, written from what our passengers tell us after landing on Marti\u00e1nez beach.<\/p>\n

Before take-off: the worry<\/h2>\n

Almost everyone arrives with the same idea in their head: that they are about to throw themselves into the void.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

If you arrive nervous, that is normal. It happens to almost everyone. And it usually lasts until the moment you start walking.<\/p>\n

Take-off: walking, not running<\/h2>\n

This is the biggest misunderstanding about paragliding.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

And that is where the worry turns into something else.<\/p>\n

The first minutes: the peak of excitement<\/h2>\n

The first five to twenty minutes are the most intense.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Afterwards: the calm nobody expects<\/h2>\n

And then something happens that almost nobody sees coming.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Landing: the second peak<\/h2>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n

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

How long does a paragliding flight last?<\/h2>\n

Between 20 and 30 minutes in the air, depending on the flying site and the conditions of the day.<\/p>\n

Can I fly? Requirements<\/h2>\n