Adrenaline rush is a big part of any adventure trip and knowing which are the best activities and destinations to get your blood pumping is exactly what you need on your extreme travels. Paragliding is a good mix of adventure and control for those less courageous or, well, crazy, of us! The adventurous traveler gets to experience the ride up the top of a mountain or hill, they then gets all suited up and ready to take the plunge, then jumps from up high and while rapidly descending, they experience wildly beautiful sceneries, along with the unique feeling of slowly gliding through the air currents.
The most experienced paragliding practitioners will always jump by themselves, choosing their own route and enjoying the silence. But the less experienced ones of us will always have the option of tandem paragliding , leaving all the hard work to a well versed pro that will take them safely, more or less, to their destination!
Here are some of the best travel destinations for paragliding lovers, handpicked from across the globe:
Oludeniz, Turkey
Oludeniz is the perfect Mediterranean Sea to mix a relaxed beach vacation with adventure traveling. A jeep ride will take the eager adrenaline seekers up the winding mountain road up Babadag mountain and depending on the weather you can jump from over 1800 meters high. After about 30 minutes in the jeep, you will enjoy 20 blissful minutes of seashore and beach hotels over the Oludeniz bay, to then safely land on the beach.
Colonia Tovar, Venezuela
Colonia Tovar, a small town built by German settlers near Caracas, is a paragliding heaven, with scenic jumps from 1500 meters above sea level. The launch site is called Placivel and enables a healthy adrenaline fix, complemented by the scenic landscape offered by the narrow valley below. The flights is a bit shorter than in Oludeniz, taking about 20 minutes to climb up and complete the jump. If that’s not enough, try flying a few times to get your fix!
Utah, USA
Utah is a well known destination for avid paragliders. Stop by in Salt Lake City, and when you’re done with your tour of the city, drive to Point of the Mountain, the starting point for longer or shorter flights, depending on the weather and the flyers’ experience. Point of the Mountain does not offer impressive heights, but it’s a great place to learn to paraglide on your own and it is the best spot for scenic sunset flights.
Tasmania
The island state near Australia is the perfect destination for both low and high (over 1500 meters) altitude flights. It mixes the fun of paragliding with pristine, pollution-free landscapes that delight the adventure loving visitors. If the high-altitude experiences are what you came for, head for the Central Highlands region. Jews Hill, near the town of Brighton and Mount Faulkner are also popular destinations for flights varying in length and difficulty.
Kamshet, India
Proclaimed by some as the paragliding paradise of India, Kamshet is truly a unique destination for adventure travelers, far from popular tourist attractions, pristine and pollution-free. There have been significant investments made here to develop the infrastructure and promote Kamshet as a paragliding and adventure travel destination, but the effort paid off. The location, the Western Ghats, provides the hilly landscape adorned with refreshing lakes, a needed ingredient for scenic flights.
Lima, Peru
Lima is a paragliding hotspot, featuring several departure point, both in and around the capital city of Peru. With politicians using paragliding as campaign reinforcement, this adventure activity is bound to become the national sport sometime in the future. The beaches of Costa Verde, the urban landscape of Lima, the coastal district of Minaflores, the Ghandi Park or Pasamoyo are some of the main paragliding destinations in the region.
Whether you choose a destination for the unique scenery or for the high-altitude departure point, these top paragliding destinations are the best you can travel to. When you eventually get there, let us know how it all went, send us a photo or two and let us know what your personal top of adrenaline pumping paragliding locations is.
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By Amey MyersAmey, an intrepid traveler and avid blogger, roams the world, absorbing diverse cultures, flavors, and experiences. Her writing captures the essence of her adventures, inspiring others to explore. Amey's infectious passion for travel and storytelling epitomizes a life filled with exploration and adventure.
