Paragliding is like the most beautiful dream

“We’re now at about 2,000 meters altitude,” the instructor said, and I, looking around me, was daydreaming while fully awake. Ever since I moved to Tenerife, I had the desire to go skydiving. And what better occasion for that than celebrating my birthday? Luckily for us, the day we chose turned out to be perfect for flying. From the warm south, a transfer takes you up to the slightly cooler Adeje mountain. On the way there, we stop at La Caleta beach, where the instructors from the previous flight are picked up. After that, there’s a 20-minute drive to the mountain launch site.

In our case, there were three instructors and three flyers. The instructors were happy that we were finally going to fly because, after trying it ourselves, we’d be even better at selling their excursion. I was paired with the owner of the company, who has 30 years of flying experience and holds the title of the best paraglider in Spain. If the weather allows, he and his colleagues fly every day. That’s their full-time job, just like someone else sits in an office and types on a computer.

In just a few minutes, the instructor prepares both himself and you for the flight. When everything was ready, he told me: “When I say run, you run and don’t look back.” One second you’re running on the ground, and the next you’ve lost the ground beneath your feet and find yourself in the air, at the mercy of the parachute. The feeling is beautiful—so relaxing. Many customers, before buying the paragliding experience from me, told me they were very scared, but when they came back, they said it was amazing and that they screamed from excitement and the sudden adrenaline rush.

When I lost the ground under my feet, I felt a sense of peace, like I’d always belonged in the air. What etched itself most vividly into my memory was the beginning of the flight, when we passed by a large, prominent rock, surrounded by lush greenery. I felt like I was flying through landscapes from “The Lord of the Rings.” The instructors skillfully maneuvered the parachutes so the two of us could meet mid-air. Somewhere around a thousand meters up, you could hear a birthday song being sung. A few minutes later, everything looked so tiny and distant—but I didn’t mind.

Without me even asking, the instructor explained his actions: “We’re currently at 2,000 meters. It’s a reward for the hard-working salespeople who aren’t afraid of heights.” Suddenly, it got much colder and my nose started running, but if it were up to me, I’d visit that same altitude at least once a month. I’d use that flight as a kind of therapy.

Soon, we started descending toward the sea. Paragliding in Tenerife gets bonus points for the scenery. You jump off a green mountain and land on a sandy beach. As you approach the ocean, the instructor asks: “Do you like adrenaline?” If your answer is yes, you’ll get a ride full of mid-air acrobatics and fast spins during the descent. But honestly, I preferred just sitting and chilling at 1,000 meters rather than doing tricks in the air.

The final part of the paragliding experience is landing, which is simple—you just need to land on your feet. And even if you fall on your butt, the instructor will skillfully get you back up in a flash. I regret not bringing a swimsuit so I could jump into the ocean after the flight. That would have been the cherry on top of the paragliding cake. But now I know for next time—because paragliding is something you have to do again and again in life.

Advice for you, dear clients: don’t be afraid of heights. Just relax and surrender to the wonderful feeling of flying—like a bird, free—while your problems remain far below, looking tiny and insignificant from that height.

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