BestParagliding

Launch sites from the Alps to the Himalaya, the Andes and the Rift Valley — mountains, sea cliffs and desert escarpments where the air works often enough to plan a trip around. Most fly on a season: an Alpine site is a summer site, a Colombian or Moroccan one is a European-winter site, and the biggest names in each country are usually the ones with a lift or a road to the launch rather than a two-hour walk.

Bald Hill lookout above Stanwell Park and the Sea Cliff Bridge, New South Wales
Bald Hill, Stanwell Park
Illawarra, New South Wales
Coastal Ridge SoaringOne Hour From Sydney
Details & links
A grassy headland above the Sea Cliff Bridge where the escarpment meets the ocean, generating steady sea-breeze lift along a wall of coastal cliff. It is the closest full-scale flying site to Sydney and runs tandem flights most days the wind is onshore.
Wikipedia Map
The granite escarpment of Mount Buffalo above the Ovens Valley, Victoria
Mystic Hill
Bright, Victoria
Ovens Valley Cross-CountryBright Open
Details & links
A low launch hill above the Ovens Valley with the granite wall of Mount Buffalo across the flats. The valley funnels reliable summer thermals and hosts the Bright Open competition each January.
Wikipedia Map
Tandem paraglider launching from the Schmittenhöhe above Zell am See
Schmittenhöhe
Zell am See, Salzburg
Lake LandingCable-Car Launch
Details & links
A cable-car-served summit above Zell am See with a landing field on the lakeshore, giving a descent of roughly 1,000 metres over water and town. Winter flights launch from the same ridge on skis.
Wikipedia Map
The Unterberghorn above Kössen in the Tyrolean Kaisergebirge
Unterberghorn
Kössen, Tyrol
World Cup Venue
Details & links
A Tyrolean flying mountain in the Kaisergebirge foothills that has hosted Paragliding World Cup rounds and the long-running Kössen fly-in. Its consistent valley-wind cycle makes it a common site for acro and cross-country training.
Wikipedia Map
Launch ramp at Pedra Bonita above São Conrado, Rio de Janeiro
Pedra Bonita
Rio de Janeiro
Beach LandingManaged Launch Ramp
Details & links
A launch ramp in Tijuca National Park above São Conrado, with flights landing on the beach below and Pedra da Gávea filling the view to the east. The ramp is managed with the Brazilian Free Flight Association and is used for supervised instructional flights.
Wikipedia Map
The Pico da Ibituruna rising above the plain at Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais
Pico do Ibituruna
Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais
World Record SiteDry-Season Thermals
Details & links
A 1,100-metre inselberg above the Rio Doce whose dry-season thermals reach cloudbase early and hold late. Several free-flight world distance records have been set on the flatland routes that lead north from it.
Wikipedia Map
Paraglider above the Columbia Valley at Mount 7, Golden, British Columbia
Mount 7
Golden, British Columbia
Rocky Mountain TrenchCross-Country Classic
Details & links
A logging-road-accessed launch above the Columbia Valley, flying the western wall of the Rocky Mountain Trench. The valley's alignment lets pilots run long distances on a single ridge line, and the site hosts the Willi Muller XC Camp each summer.
Wikipedia Map
Cerro Dragón dune and the city of Iquique on the Pacific coast of Chile
Alto Hospicio
Iquique, Tarapacá
Flies Nearly Every DayDesert Dune Landing
Details & links
A desert escarpment 600 metres above the Pacific behind Iquique, where the cliff and the sea breeze combine into lift that runs almost every day of the year. Landings are on the beach or on the sand dune at Playa Brava.
Wikipedia Map
Street in Roldanillo with the western wall of the Cauca Valley behind
Roldanillo
Valle del Cauca
Winter World Cup Venue
Details & links
A small town on the western wall of the Cauca Valley whose January and February conditions are reliable enough that the European race season effectively relocates there. The valley runs north–south for well over a hundred kilometres of flyable ridge.
Wikipedia Map
Paraglider launching from the Col de la Forclaz above Lake Annecy
Col de la Forclaz
Annecy, Haute-Savoie
Lake Landing at DoussardBusiest Site in Europe
Details & links
A launch on the Montmin road above Lake Annecy, with the Doussard landing field at the lake's southern tip and the Dents de Lanfon opposite. It is among the highest-traffic flying sites in Europe, with tandem operations running through the whole season.
Wikipedia Annecy guide Map
The Chamonix valley seen from the Planpraz station on the Brévent
Planpraz
Chamonix, Haute-Savoie
Mont Blanc MassifLift-Served
Details & links
A gondola-served launch on the Brévent side of the Chamonix valley, flying directly opposite the Mont Blanc massif and the Bossons glacier. Flights land in the valley floor at Chamonix or Les Praz.
Wikipedia Map
The Saint-Hilaire-du-Touvet funicular climbing the Chartreuse escarpment above the Grésivaudan
Saint-Hilaire-du-Touvet
Isère
Coupe Icare HostFunicular Access
Details & links
A balcony launch on the Chartreuse escarpment above the Grésivaudan valley, reached by a century-old funicular from Montfort. Every September it hosts the Coupe Icare, the largest free-flight festival in the world.
Wikipedia Map
Tandem paraglider flying above the snow of Gudauri in the Greater Caucasus
Gudauri
Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Caucasus RidgeWinter Flying
Details & links
A ski resort on the Georgian Military Highway at around 2,200 metres, flying the open snowfields of the Greater Caucasus. Its winter season is the unusual part: the slopes are treeless and the launches work on skis.
Wikipedia Map
Paraglider above the Tegelberg at Schwangau, Bavaria
Tegelberg
Schwangau, Bavaria
Neuschwanstein ViewCable-Car Launch
Details & links
An Ammergau Alps summit reached by cable car from Schwangau, with Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles directly below the flight path. The Forggensee and the Bavarian plain open out to the north.
Wikipedia Map
Paraglider launching from Billing above the Dhauladhar range, Himachal Pradesh
Billing
Bir, Himachal Pradesh
2015 Paragliding World CupDhauladhar Range
Details & links
A launch meadow at about 2,400 metres on the Dhauladhar range, with the landing field beside the Tibetan colony at Bir 14 kilometres below. It hosted the Paragliding World Cup in 2015 and is the centre of Indian free flight.
Wikipedia Map
Paragliders soaring the sea cliff at Timbis on Bali's Bukit peninsula
Timbis
Bukit Peninsula, Bali
Sea-Cliff SoaringNo Thermals Needed
Details & links
A limestone sea cliff on Bali's southern peninsula where the trade wind hits the wall and produces continuous ridge lift along several kilometres of coast. Flights run low over the reef and the cliff-edge temples.
Wikipedia Bali guide Map
The Alpe di Siusi plateau below the Sassolungo in the Dolomites
Alpe di Siusi
Val Gardena, South Tyrol
DolomitesEurope's Largest High Alp
Details & links
A high meadow plateau below the Sciliar with the Sassolungo and the Sella group across the valley. Cable cars from Ortisei and Siusi put pilots on the plateau without a walk.
Wikipedia Map
Paragliders in the air above Monte Grappa during a competition
Monte Grappa
Bassano del Grappa, Veneto
Road-Accessed LaunchesYear-Round Site
Details & links
A massif north of Bassano with several road-served launches at different heights and orientations, so something works in most conditions. The Valsugana and the Venetian plain give long, easy cross-country lines.
Wikipedia Map
The Kerio Valley seen from the Elgeyo escarpment, Kenya
Kerio Valley
Elgeyo-Marakwet
Rift Valley EscarpmentKerio Valley Cup
Details & links
An escarpment dropping roughly 1,000 metres into the Kerio Valley on the western wall of the Great Rift, with strong equatorial thermals and long ridge lines. The annual Kerio Valley Paragliding Cup is East Africa's main free-flight event.
Wikipedia Map
Lake Avándaro at Valle de Bravo, State of Mexico
Valle de Bravo
State of Mexico
Winter Thermal SeasonEl Peñón Launch
Details & links
A lake town two hours west of Mexico City whose dry winter season gives strong, predictable thermals from December to March. The El Peñón launch sits above the lake and is the base for most cross-country flying in the region.
Wikipedia Map
Phewa Lake and Pokhara seen from the Sarangkot ridge
Sarangkot
Pokhara, Gandaki
Annapurna PanoramaPhewa Lake Landing
Details & links
A ridge above Pokhara at about 1,600 metres, launching toward Phewa Lake with Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna wall on the skyline. Autumn brings the most stable air and the clearest mountain views of the year.
Wikipedia Pokhara guide Map
Coronet Peak ski field above the Wakatipu basin, Otago
Coronet Peak
Queenstown, Otago
Lake Wakatipu Views
Details & links
A ski-field launch above the Wakatipu basin looking down on Queenstown, the Remarkables and Lake Wakatipu. Flying is weather- and access-dependent, with the high ridge offering a broad view across the basin.
Wikipedia Queenstown guide Map
Treble Cone above Lake Wanaka in the Southern Alps
Treble Cone
Wanaka, Otago
Southern AlpsLake Wanaka Landing
Details & links
A launch on the Treble Cone access road above Lake Wanaka, facing the Matukituki valley and the peaks of Mount Aspiring National Park. Landings are on the lake flats near Glendhu Bay.
Wikipedia Map
Rooftops of Kruševo, the highest town in North Macedonia
Krushevo
Pelagonia
Highest Town in the CountryWorld Cup Venue
Details & links
The highest town in North Macedonia at about 1,350 metres, with launches on the ridge above it and a landing field on the Pelagonia plain. It has hosted Paragliding World Cup and European Championship rounds.
Wikipedia Map
Stranda on the Storfjord, Møre og Romsdal
Stranda
Møre og Romsdal
Storfjord FlyingMidnight-Sun Season
Details & links
A launch above the Storfjord near Geiranger, flying between snow-capped ridges and the fjord water directly below. The northern latitude gives usable evening air well past normal flying hours in midsummer.
Wikipedia Map
Paraglider pilots preparing to launch at the Bavallen flying site above Voss
Voss
Vestland
Extreme Sports WeekFjord Landing
Details & links
A fjord-and-lake valley between Bergen and the Sognefjord with launches on Hangurs and the surrounding ridges. Voss hosts Ekstremsportveko each June, which is the largest combined extreme-sports festival in Europe.
Wikipedia Map
The Costa Verde cliffs below Miraflores, Lima
Costa Verde
Miraflores, Lima
City-Centre CliffFlies Most Afternoons
Details & links
A soaring site on the Miraflores clifftop where the Pacific breeze rises off the Costa Verde, flown directly over the parks and apartment blocks of central Lima. It is one of the few dependable urban flying sites in the world.
Wikipedia Lima guide Map
Paraglider above the terraced slopes at Arco da Calheta, Madeira
Arco da Calheta
Madeira
Atlantic Ridge LiftWinter Season
Details & links
A launch on Madeira's sunnier south coast above terraced banana slopes, with the Atlantic below and the island's central massif behind. The trade wind gives ridge lift through the European winter.
Wikipedia Madeira guide Map
The Soča valley at Tolmin below the southern Julian Alps
Kobala
Tolmin, Soča Valley
Julian AlpsWorld Championship Venue
Details & links
A launch above the confluence of the Soča and Tolminka rivers, flying the southern Julian Alps with the turquoise Soča below. Tolmin hosted the Paragliding World Championship and remains a summer cross-country base.
Wikipedia Map
The Dasklip Pass road above the Swartland plain near Porterville
Porterville
Western Cape
Long Cross-Country SeasonDasklip Pass Launch
Details & links
A launch on the Dasklip Pass above the Swartland wheat plain, two hours north of Cape Town. The summer season combines high cloudbase with flat, landable farmland for hundreds of kilometres inland.
Wikipedia Map
Cape Town city bowl and Devil's Peak seen from Signal Hill
Signal Hill
Cape Town, Western Cape
Table Mountain ViewSea Point Landing
Details & links
A low hill between the city bowl and the Atlantic seaboard, launching under Lion's Head and landing on the Sea Point promenade. Table Mountain fills the view behind for the whole flight.
Wikipedia Cape Town guide Map
The village of Organyà in the Segre valley, Catalonia
Organyà
Alt Urgell, Catalonia
Pre-PyreneesWinter Ridge Days
Details & links
A Segre valley village in the pre-Pyrenees with a launch on the Serra de Turp, flying the long limestone ridges toward Àger and Ainsa. It stays flyable through much of the winter when the Alps are shut down.
Wikipedia Map
Tandem paraglider landing on the coast at Costa Adeje, Tenerife
Taucho
Adeje, Tenerife
1,000 m LaunchBeach Landing at La Caleta
Details & links
A launch at roughly 1,000 metres above the Adeje escarpment on Tenerife's south-west coast, landing at the beach in La Caleta. The Canary trade wind and the island's dry southern slope make it a year-round site.
Wikipedia Tenerife guide Map
Àger below the Montsec range in Catalonia
Àger
Noguera, Catalonia
Montsec RangeRace-to-Goal Base
Details & links
A valley under the Montsec range whose south-facing wall works from mid-morning and connects onto the pre-Pyrenean chain. The Àger airfield below is a standard goal field for competition tasks.
Wikipedia Map
The Great Aletsch Glacier below the Fiescheralp, Valais
Fiesch
Valais
Aletsch Glacier2,200 m Cable Car
Details & links
A cable car from Fiesch to the Fiescheralp and Eggishorn puts pilots above the Aletsch, the largest glacier in the Alps. The Rhône valley below runs east–west and gives one of the longest cross-country corridors in Switzerland.
Wikipedia Map
The Interlaken valley between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, seen from the Schynige Platte
Interlaken
Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
Eiger, Mönch and JungfrauHöhematte Landing
Details & links
Launches on the Beatenberg terrace above Lake Thun face the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and tandem flights commonly land in the Höhematte meadow in the middle of town.
Wikipedia Map
The Mont Fort massif above Verbier in the Valais
Verbier
Val de Bagnes, Valais
Mont Fort LaunchAlpine Cross-Country
Details & links
A Valais resort with lift-served launches at La Chaux and Croix-de-Cœur, flying the Combins massif and the Bagnes valley. The high launches make it a summer base for long alpine cross-country routes.
Wikipedia Map
Paragliders above the Blue Lagoon at Ölüdeniz after launching from Babadağ
Babadağ
Ölüdeniz, Muğla
Blue Lagoon LandingLaunches to 1,965 m
Details & links
A mountain rising almost 2,000 metres straight out of the Mediterranean above the Ölüdeniz lagoon, with graded launch platforms at 1,200, 1,700 and 1,965 metres served by a gondola. Flights land on the beach beside the lagoon.
Wikipedia Map
The white travertine terraces of Pamukkale below Hierapolis
Pamukkale
Denizli
UNESCO World Heritage SiteTravertine Terraces
Details & links
A launch on the ridge above the Pamukkale travertines, flying over the white calcite terraces and the ruins of Hierapolis. The landing is on the plain below the escarpment.
Wikipedia Map
Bald Mountain above Ketchum in the Wood River valley, Idaho
Bald Mountain
Sun Valley, Idaho
Wood River ValleyHigh-Altitude Thermals
Details & links
A ski-mountain launch above Ketchum flying the Wood River valley and the Pioneer and Boulder ranges. High desert heating gives strong afternoon thermals and cloudbase well above the summits.
Wikipedia Map
The Traverse Mountains ridge at Draper, Utah, known to pilots as Point of the Mountain
Point of the Mountain
Draper, Utah
Morning and Evening SidesTraining Hill
Details & links
A gravel ridge south of Salt Lake City with launches on both its north and south faces, so one side commonly works in the morning and the other in the evening. Its accessible slopes and consistent ridge lift make it a long-used training site.
Wikipedia Map
The Torrey Pines Gliderport on the sandstone bluffs above Black's Beach, La Jolla
Torrey Pines Gliderport
La Jolla, California
Flying Since the 1930sOcean Cliff Soaring
Details & links
A clifftop site above Black's Beach that has been in continuous soaring use since the 1930s, when Charles Lindbergh flew sailplanes here. The onshore breeze produces smooth ridge lift along the sandstone bluffs most afternoons.
Wikipedia La Jolla guide Map