Paragliding in Medellín: San Félix, How the Flight Works and the Weather
5 min read
Short answer: book the tandem flight early in your stay, choose a tour that includes photos and transport, and expect the weather to decide the day.
Where it happens
Tandem flights over Medellín launch from the San Félix lookout in Bello, one of the best-known places for paragliding in the valley according to El Colombiano, about 40 minutes from the centre of Medellín according to one travel source. Several listings are marked as starting in Bello rather than Medellín, so look at the meeting point on the booking page before you plan your morning.
Weather decides everything
Paragliding depends on wind. Press coverage of flying in Colombia advises against taking off when the wind is more than 45 degrees off the launch direction or from behind, and local reporting has described pilots who had to land in Bello because of rain and wind. A pilot who says no for safety reasons is the operator doing their job, not a scam.
Read the cancellation and rescheduling terms on the booking page and keep a spare day. One operator’s booking page says flying is best in the morning, between 9 a.m. and 12 noon, and that you can reschedule if the weather is against you. For the best months, ask your operator.
Five tours compared
| Tour | From | Rating | What the listing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paragliding tour with GoPro photos and videos (4 hours) | €107.26 | 4.9 (1,522) | Soar over Medellín, Bello and the mountains, photos and videos afterwards |
| Flight over the Andes | €88.16 | 4.8 (227) | Tandem flight, certified pilots |
| Paragliding in San Félix, GoPro and transport options | €77.66 | 4.9 (226) | Certified pilots, mountains, waterfalls and the city |
| Tandem flight with photos and videos | €62.93 | 5.0 (35) | Choose a relaxing flight or acrobatic manoeuvres |
| Skip-the-line flight with an experienced pilot | €97.25 | 5.0 (7) | Pilot with USHPA/FAI certification, calm or acrobatic, transport and breakfast |
The last two have few reviews, so their ratings tell you little yet.
How to choose
Calm or acrobatic. Four of the five listings let you decide: two offer a choice between a relaxing flight and acrobatic manoeuvres, and two more fly tricks only if you ask for them. If you have a nervous stomach, say so when you book and choose calm.
Photos. Only the GoPro tour lists photos and videos as included. On the flight over the Andes they are an optional add-on, and the San Félix tour charges extra for them on site. The tandem flight with photos and videos names them in its title; ask the operator what else the price covers.
Transport and flight time. The GoPro tour and the skip-the-line flight include hotel pickup, the latter with breakfast; the flight over the Andes meets at Parque Lleras in El Poblado. The San Félix tour sells a private round-trip transfer as an extra, COP 130,000 for one to four people, and the tandem flight with photos meets at the San Félix aeroclub itself, at kilometre 6 of the road to San Pedro de los Milagros. However long the outing, the flight itself lasts 15 minutes on the GoPro tour and the skip-the-line flight, and 15 or 20 minutes depending on the option on the San Félix tour.
Age, weight and health limits are on the booking pages. The flight over the Andes is not suitable for children under 12, the GoPro tour not for pregnant women, and the skip-the-line flight not for people over 130 kg or with heart problems or altitude sickness. The tandem flight with photos says only that medical restrictions apply. Read them before you pay.
Our recommendation
For most people: the paragliding tour with GoPro photos and videos. It has 1,522 reviews and a rating of 4.9, it costs €107.26, and it is the one with the track record.
