Paragliding
paragliding gran canaria

Extreme Sports Cafe's newest paragliding school is located on Gran Canaria, The Canary Island, Spain. Come and learn to paraglide or simply experience paragliding with us here..Come and fly in Gran Canaria, with Extreme Sports Café, from kids to beginners to experienced pilots, from Cross-Country to Acro, beginners to experts, come and enjoy the great flying weather that Gran Canaria offers with over 300 flyable days a year. Paragliding Gran Canaria!

The Canary Islands are the ultimate year round paradise for paraglider pilots and budding pilots alike. Extreme Sports Café has teamed up with a Paragliding centre on Gran Canaria so you can experience free flight in a beautiful location. Paragliding at the beach, with beautiful sea cliffs views, sunny weather all year long, lovely people, great food, cheap cerveza/beer, etc. Life just couldn’t get any better.
The Paragliding Centre on Gran Canaria know all the best and safest paragliding sites around, depending on the weather conditions, to guaranteed you get the best possible Paragliding holiday or experience.
Gran Canaria has great take off’s that allow you launch in most wind conditions and then it's up to you as to what you do and how long you stay in flight for. A long soaring flight or climbing up to practice some manoeuvres, cross-country flights along the coast offer amazing views as do inland flying in the right conditions.

The Canary Islands are an archipelago of seven larger islands and a few smaller ones in the Atlantic Ocean belonging to Spain. The seven larger islands are Gran Canaria, La Palma, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Gomera and Hierro. Gran Canaria is the third largest island of The Canary Islands and the International airport on Gran Cararia is the largest airport in The Canary Islands, located on the East of Gran Canaria at the Bay of Gando. (Bahía de Gando).
Gran Canaria is 1,250 kilometres south of mainland Spain (roughly four hours flying time from London) and only 210 km from the northwest coast of Africa. The island enjoys an ideal year round climate with average temperatures ranging from 18C in the winter to 24C in the summer.

Discover the sensation of what its like to fly like a bird with a Tandem Paraglider Flight, or try the 1-Day Paragliding Course. For those who know they want to soar like birds, start with our Beginner Pilot Course.

The climate on Gran Canaria is considered to be subtropical. The Canary Islands climates vary with the proximity of each island to Africa, the closer the hotter more or less. The north tends to be cooler and where most of the flying is done, while the south is warmer and sunny. The east coast of the island is flat and dotted with beaches while the western coast is rockier and mountainous. It stretches just 40 kilometres from north to south but offers dramatic volcanic mountains, tropical forests, desert areas and golden beaches. The south is famous for its desert sand dunes where camel trekking is always a firm favourite with holidaymakers. In the centre you'll find the snow-covered mountain peaks of Pozo de las Nieves and Los Pechos, both rising to nearly 2,000 meters. Well away from all the tourist trappings of the south, there's the village of San Bartolome de Tirajana, hidden inside a volcanic crater and only accessed by narrow mountain streets.

Paragliding is a weather dependent sport therefore Paragliding Flights will/can only be done if the weather conditions are right for paragliding. (Wind direction, intensity)
Lessons always take place on the island and depending on the weather conditions can run at Los Gilles, Coloradas or at the beach.

Paragliding Tandem flights can be done at Extreme Sports Café’s partner Gran Canaria Paragliding School all year round. Come and experience some amazing bird’s eye views of Gran Canaria with a Tandem paragliding Flight. People doing a Tandem don’t need anything but comfortable shoes. (Boots with ankle support are recommended) Tandems are fully covered (insurance) and the flights typically last from 30 to 60 minutes depending on weather conditions. (Which are 99% of the time perfect)

It is the easiest and safest way to feel the thrill of soaring like a bird you have an experienced instructor with you for the whole flight.. No experience needed. A simple safety briefing, a few steps and you’re airborne, flying in a Paraglider.

Group bookings welcome.

Tandem Paragliding Flight - £37.00 per person.

Not sure if Paragliding is the sport for you? Would you like to know a little bit more about Paragliding?
Experience paragliding flight in a simple and safe way by learning basic Paragliding techniques and Paragliding safety.
In this 1-Day Paragliding Course you will be shown what a paraglider is, how it works, how to inflate and control it and cover basic safety aspects of Paragliding. Before the day ends, you will be ready to move on to your first solo flight, and after that you will be ready to decide what your next step should be.

Price includes insurance and use of all Paragliding equipment needed.

Paragliding Course Cost - £100 per person.

If you want to become a certified pilot then this is the course for you.
In this 5-Day Beginner Paragliding Pilot Course you will learn about Paragliding flight equipment and the best way to care and use it including: what a paraglider is, how it flies, how to control it both in the air and on the ground and more. More importantly you will learn how to take off and land safely. You will also be introduced to meteorology, principles of flight, rules of the air and air law .At the end of the course you will have to pass the exam, which will leave you ready to move on to the next stage of Paragliding.

After successful completion of this course, you will be able to complete short flights under supervision of an instructor.

Price includes insurance and use of all Paragliding equipment needed.
Using your own equipment £375

EP Paragliding Course Cost - £450 per person.

In this course also know as The Progression Course and you will spend more time in the air practicing skills and until you are able to make your own flying decisions. You will learn about basic emergency situations and also rapid descent techniques will be practiced. Progress in meteorology, principles of flight, rules of the air and air law will be taught.
After successful completion of this 5-Day Paragliding Course you will be able to fly on your own with out instructor supervision being required.
You will be issued with a pilot’s license, which is valid worldwide including insurance for one year in Spain.

Price includes insurance and use of all Paragliding equipment needed.
Using your own equipment £375

CP Paragliding Course Cost - £450 per person.

*Transport to and from your hotel can be arranged if needed, otherwise it isincluded if you are staying in the FIC flat*

Instructors and courses are certified by the RFAE (La Real Federación Aeronáutica Española), which is the equivalent of the BHPA. (British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association)
They ensure pilot, instructor and judges training standards and provide technical support such as airworthiness standards, run coaching courses forpilots... and a host of other services and including all other aerial sports within the Spanish territories.

Paragliding is a weather dependent sport therefore Paragliding Flights will/can only be done if the weather conditions are right for paragliding. (Wind direction, intensity)
Gran Canaria is a mountainous island where the trade winds prevail all year. This island deserves the nickname 'continent in miniature', as it holds a wide variety of microclimates that go from the subtropical to the continental climates. Weather conditions change dramatically with distance.
Lessons always take place on the island at Los Gilles, Coloradas or at the beach depending on the weather conditions.

North: By far this is the most favoured side for pilots and where most of the flying is done, there are several launches and it's usually flyable. Long dynamic flights are common and it is also suitable for acro. (Not everywhere) For cross-country you will need specific conditions and local tricks.
West: This part of the island is stunning, and when the wind blows in the right direction, you will experience some unforgettable flights.
East: This side of the island is normally full of windsurfers. Even though there is an East take off that could be very good, please take extra caution and follow this piece of local advise. If you see sheep swimming (white stuff over the sea), stay grounded.
South: On this side of the Island there is a start place pointing south, and it's also very beautiful.

Coves and beaches, impressive cliffs, hidden corners, magnificent mountains, stunning craters and amazing ravines with their lush, subtropical vegetation and natural reserves are only some of the many natural delights, which make Gran Canaria… a very diversified and unique holiday location!

The FIC flat is just what a pilot needs. Basic accommodation in a fully equipped flat, with full kitchen, 2 toilets, big living room with many useful flying related things: A PC for downloading your pictures, big unfolded maps and loads of site's info including big pictures hanging on the wall, battery chargers (AA, AAA, Nokia phones and Kenwood radios), material for fixing minor paraglider damage, harness hanger, DVDs (paragliding and movies), music, paragliding books, software books, surfboards, a skate board, a mountain bike and many more things.
The FIC Flat is down town (Las Palmas) and only 2 blocs away from the Cathedral, loads of restaurants, pubs (even an Irish one) and the main shopping street.
The closest beach is 5 mins by taxi (€5) or Las Canteras is 7 min away (€7) or you can walk there along the main boulevard only 15 mins.

There are also lots of hotels to choose frm on Gran canaria and the ones we use are all at the beach or only 1 bloc away.

Please contact us for more info...

Bringing your own Paragliding equipment to fly with us, is the quickest and safest way to get in the air and paraglide in Gran Canaria
Pilots with years of experience will take you to some of the nicest spots with the best conditions, whatever you need, thermal, soaring or Acro flight, we have it all, and even better, all year round.
For soaring and Acro best months are from October till August.
For Cross-Country best months are from September till May.

All pilots should have their own insurance. If you are insured you can be issued with a flying permit by the centre.
All packages on offer come with the hassle free FIC pack.
FIC Packs Include:
• Site maps
• Island map
• Sites Info (Important do's and don’ts)
• Radio Support
• Emergency Numbers
• Safety Briefing
• Meteo intro
• Water Info
• After flight cold cerveza
• Packed lunch (in case you are starving after landing but we will normally eat in nice local restaurants)
• CD - With loads of videos and pictures of your trip
• DVD - Edited with your own music about your experience with us

3-Day Basic Paragliding Package
• 3-days of flying
• Transport to the sites
• Pick up from landing places (or closest accessible place)
• FIC Pack
Group of 3 people - £140 per person
Group of 2 people - £150 per person
1 person £170

3-Days FIC Flat Paragliding Package (2 nights, 3 days)
• 3-days of flying
• Accommodation in the FIC flat
• Transport to the sites
• Pick up from landing places (or closest accessible place)
• FIC Pack
Group of 3 people - £185 per person
Group of 2 people - £195 per person
1 person - £210
Bigger groups contact us for rates. (Maximum 8 people)

3-Star Hotel Paragliding Package (2 nights, 3 days)
• 3-days of flying
• Accommodation in 3 stars hotel
• Transport to the sites
• Pick up from landing places (or closest accessible place)
• FIC Pack
• Breakfast
Group of 3 people - £236 per person
Group of 2 people - £250 per person
1 person - £265
Bigger groups please contact us for rates

4-Star Hotel Paragliding Package (2 nights, 3 days)
• 3-days of flying
• Accommodation in 4 stars hotel
• Transport to the sites
• Pick up from landing places (or closest accessible place)
• FIC Pack
• Breakfast
Group of 3 people - £272 per person
Group of 2 people - £286 per person
1 person - £300
If you would like an ocean view £15 (per room)
Bigger groups please contact us for rates.

5-Star Hotel Paragliding Package (2 nights, 3 days)
• 3-days of flying
• Accommodation in 5 stars hotel
• Transport to the sites
• Pick up from landing places (or closest accessible place)
• FIC Pack
Group of 3 people - £310 per person
Group of 2 people - £330 per person
1 person - £350
If you would like an ocean view £20 (per room)
Bigger groups please contact us for rates.

Apartment Paragliding Package (2 nights, 3 days)
• 3-days of flying
• Accommodation in an apartment at the beach
• Transport to the sites
• Pick up from landing places (or closest accessible place)
• FIC Pack
Group of 3 people - £200 per person
Group of 2 people - £215 per person
1 person - £229
If you would like an ocean view £10 (per room)
Bigger groups please contact us for rates.

Health for Paragliding..

In any case, if you suffer from heart problems or epilepsy or any other medical condition, which may cause difficulty you should certainly consult your doctor first.

Expect to be asked about health matters before you sign on at our paragliding training school. Piloting and drugs do not mix. Your instructor will not let you fly if you have consumed alcohol that day, or if they suspect that you have taken drugs.

All of our Paragliding Courses can be booked online.