Paragliding in Türkiye: Tandem Flights from Antalya, Side and Alanya Explained

Paragliding is the quietest way to see the Turkish coast from above: no engine, just a fabric wing, the wind and a pilot who knows how to read it. On a tandem flight you fly with that pilot, strapped in beside them, so you need no experience at all — only a few running steps at take-off and the willingness to follow instructions.

If you are searching for paragliding in Antalya, one fact shapes everything else: every paragliding flight currently listed on Maxtoria takes off from the hills above Alanya and lands on Alanya’s Cleopatra Beach — including the tours sold from Antalya, Belek and Side, which drive you there. Alanya is part of Antalya province, but it is not Antalya city. This guide explains how a tandem flight works, where it really happens, how weather and wind decide the day, who can fly and what to wear.

At a glance

• Where you fly: from a launch in the Taurus Mountains above Alanya, usually about 700 m up, down to Cleopatra Beach

• Experience: none — the pilot steers from take-off to landing

• Time in the air: usually about 15 to 25 minutes, depending on wind and thermals, and never guaranteed

• Age and weight: the minimum age is 6, 7 or 10 depending on the tour, and most tours set a weight range

• Photos and videos: filmed during the flight and sold separately on every tour

• Cancellation: free up to 24 hours before the start on every paragliding tour listed on Maxtoria

What is paragliding?

A paraglider is a light, unpowered aircraft that you launch on foot. The wing — also called the canopy — is made of fabric sewn into cells that fill with air as you move forward, giving it the shape it needs to fly. Hanging below it in a harness, the pilot steers with brake lines, one for each side of the wing.

A paraglider is always slowly gliding down through the air around it. It stays up, or even climbs, when that air is rising: warm air lifting off sun-heated ground (thermals), or wind pushed upwards where it meets a slope. Reading that rising air is the pilot’s skill, and it is why the length of every flight depends on the day.

What is tandem paragliding?

A tandem paraglider is a larger wing built to carry two people: the pilot sits behind, the passenger in front, each in their own harness, connected to each other and to the wing. The pilot handles the launch, the navigation and the landing. Your job as a passenger is to listen to the briefing, run when told, sit back once you are airborne and prepare your legs for landing. All six paragliding tours on Maxtoria are tandem flights.

Is paragliding suitable for beginners?

Yes — tandem flights exist precisely so that people with no flying background can take part. Every paragliding tour on Maxtoria is open to first-timers and asks for no special fitness beyond a short run at take-off.

There is an important difference between flying as a tandem passenger and flying a paraglider yourself:

• Tandem passenger: you fly once, with a pilot who controls the wing. The preparation is a briefing of a few minutes.

• Solo pilot: you control the wing on your own. That takes a proper training course with ground practice, supervised flights and a series of pilot certificates.

A tandem flight is a way to experience paragliding, not a lesson that qualifies you to fly alone.

How a tandem flight works, step by step

Details vary by tour, but the paragliding tours on Maxtoria follow the same basic pattern:

1. Hotel pickup — you are collected before the listed start time; your exact pickup time is confirmed after booking.

2. Check-in at the flying base in Alanya — the crew takes names and, on several tours, weighs each passenger to match them with a pilot and a wing suited to their weight.

3. Drive up to the launch — a vehicle climbs the mountain road to the take-off area, usually Yassı Tepe, at about 700 m. On a windy day the team may choose a different launch point.

4. Briefing and harness — your pilot explains how to stand, when to run, how to sit back once airborne and how to hold your legs for landing, then fits your harness and helmet and clips you in.

5. Waiting for the right wind — pairs take off one after another when conditions allow, so at busy times you may wait a little.

6. Take-off — a few brisk steps down the slope together with your pilot until the wing lifts you.

7. The flight — about 15 to 25 minutes over Alanya Castle, the harbour and the bay, with the Taurus Mountains behind you.

8. Landing on Cleopatra Beach — the pilot brings you down onto the sand, and the ground team helps you out of the harness.

9. Photos and videos — you can look through the footage filmed during your flight and buy it if you like.

10. Return transfer — back to your hotel; the arrival time depends on traffic and distance.

What does take-off feel like?

Take-off is shorter than most people expect. On the slope, the pilot spreads the wing out behind you and waits for a suitable breeze. On their signal you walk or run forward together; the wing rises overhead and the lines tighten; you keep moving your legs until you feel them go light, and within a few steps the ground is simply no longer under you. The most important thing is to keep running until the pilot tells you to stop — sitting down too early is the classic beginner mistake. Launch techniques vary with the wind and the site, so follow what your pilot explains on the day.

What does landing feel like?

As you approach the beach, the pilot lines up the landing and tells you what to do — usually to sit up, bring your legs forward and be ready to take a few steps as you touch down. Some landings end with a few gentle steps on the sand, others with a soft slide on your harness; it depends on the wind and the pilot’s approach. Follow the call, and do not stand up or move suddenly unless you are told to. Closed shoes with good grip help here as much as at take-off.

Where to go paragliding near Antalya

Antalya is both a city and a province, and the difference matters for paragliding. The province stretches along the Mediterranean from Kaş in the west to Gazipaşa in the east, and includes Kemer, Belek, Side, Manavgat and Alanya. Paragliding needs a high launch close to a safe landing area, and the flying site that Maxtoria’s tours use is in Alanya.

Alanya: where the flights take place

Alanya lies on the eastern side of Antalya province, where the Taurus Mountains come close to the sea. The tours launch from the slopes above the town, typically Yassı Tepe at about 700 m, and glide over the castle on its rocky peninsula and the harbour before landing on Cleopatra Beach. If you are staying in Alanya or its resort towns, transfers are short and the whole activity takes about two to two and a half hours. See all paragliding tours in Alanya, and for the rest of your stay, the best places to visit in Alanya.

Paragliding from Antalya and Belek

There is no paragliding over Antalya city on Maxtoria: the “Antalya paragliding” tours are transfers to Alanya. The Alanya paragliding tour from Antalya collects guests from hotels in Antalya centre, Konyaaltı, Lara, Kundu and Belek; the drive to Alanya takes around two hours each way, and with sessions at 09:00 or 13:00 the outing lasts roughly seven hours. The Antalya tandem flight to Cleopatra Beach also picks up from Antalya hotels and warns that the long transfer takes most of the day. Compare them on the Antalya paragliding page.

Paragliding from Side and Manavgat

Side and Manavgat have no flying site of their own on Maxtoria either. The Side paragliding tour collects you from your hotel in Side or the Manavgat area and drives east along the coast to the flying base in Alanya; the activity runs from 09:00 to 11:30, with the transfers before and after. See the Side paragliding page for current options.

Antalya, Alanya or Fethiye?

Fethiye’s Ölüdeniz, where pilots launch from Babadağ mountain above the lagoon, is Türkiye’s best-known paragliding destination internationally — but it is in Muğla province, several hours’ drive west of Antalya, and it is a different trip altogether. Türkiye has other flying sites too, including Kaş in the far west of Antalya province; Maxtoria does not currently list flights there.

Weather, wind and flight time

Paragliding depends on the weather more than almost any other holiday activity. Wind strength and direction, thermals, visibility, cloud and rain all decide whether a flight can go ahead — and pilots decide on the day, sometimes at the launch itself.

A booking is not a guarantee that you will fly at that exact time. Flights may be delayed while the crew waits for suitable wind, moved to another time or day, or cancelled when conditions are unsafe. What happens next is set by each tour: the listings on Maxtoria offer a new date, a refund or free cancellation when the weather does not allow flying, so check the tour page for its exact terms.

Flight time is approximate. The tours give about 15 to 20 or 15 to 25 minutes in the air, and one notes that very strong or very weak wind can make the flight shorter. The pilot may also shorten a flight for safety. If you would like a calmer flight, say so; if you would like a few sharper turns, you can ask — but the pilot alone decides whether conditions allow them.

Is paragliding safe?

Paragliding is an adventure activity with real, inherent risks; no honest operator can promise it is risk-free. How safe a flight is depends on the pilot’s training and judgement, the condition of the equipment, the weather and the site, the operator’s procedures and how well the passenger follows instructions.

Regulation. In Türkiye, only pilots holding a tandem certificate may fly passengers, and paid tandem flights require a commercial tandem pilot certificate, issued within the Turkish Aeronautical Association’s certification system. An occupational standard for tandem paragliding pilots was published in Türkiye’s Official Gazette on 29 November 2017. Five of the six paragliding tours on Maxtoria describe their pilots as licensed, and the sixth as professional; it is always reasonable to ask a pilot about their qualifications.

What you can do:

• Listen to the briefing and follow the pilot’s instructions exactly, especially at take-off and landing.

• Wear closed sports shoes and clothes you can run in.

• Tell the team honestly about your weight and any health condition before you fly.

• Keep loose items off your body: hand them to the ground crew.

• Accept the pilot’s decision if they delay, shorten or cancel a flight, and never press anyone to fly in conditions they are unhappy with.

Insurance is included on five of the six tours; check the tour page, and make sure your own travel insurance covers adventure activities.

Age, weight and health requirements

Every tour sets its own rules, and the pilot has the final say on the day.

• Minimum age: 6 on the tours from Antalya and Belek and from Side, 7 on two of the Alanya tours and 10 on another; one tour states no minimum age. On at least one tour, guests under 18 need a parent’s consent.

• Weight: most tours set a range — 25 to 105 kg, 20 to 105 kg or 25 to 110 kg — and on the others the pilot decides according to weight and wind.

• Pregnancy: five of the six tours state that paragliding is not possible during pregnancy.

• Health: several tours list heart problems, high blood pressure, epilepsy, serious breathing conditions, and back or spinal problems; one tour is not suitable for travellers with mobility impairments.

Think about anything that could affect a short run, landing on your feet, sitting in a harness, height or physical effort. If you are unsure whether paragliding is right for you, ask a doctor or another healthcare professional before you book, and tell the team about your condition. This guide is not medical advice.

Nervous about heights?

Many people who book a tandem flight are nervous, and that is normal. It helps to know that you are not responsible for flying: the pilot controls the wing the whole time, and flying a paraglider feels very different from standing at the edge of a cliff — there is no drop and no freefall, just a slow glide. The briefing tells you exactly what will happen, and you can tell your pilot how you feel, ask them to fly gently and ask questions at any point. You should never feel pressured into flying: it is fine to change your mind.

Photos, videos and your phone

On every paragliding tour listed on Maxtoria, the pilot or crew films the flight, and you can look through the photos and videos after landing and buy them only if you want them — they are not included in the price. Personal phones and cameras are a different matter: at least one tour does not allow them in the air, another asks you to leave cameras with the team, and loose items are handed to the ground crew. Plan to keep your phone on the ground, and bring sunglasses with a strap.

What’s included — and what isn’t

Each tour page lists its own inclusions. Across the paragliding tours on Maxtoria, the pattern is:

Included on every tour

• The tandem flight with a pilot

• A pre-flight safety briefing

• Flight equipment and harness — most tours list a helmet too

• Return hotel transfer within the tour’s pickup area

Included on most tours

• Insurance, on five of the six

• The ride up to the launch area, listed explicitly on some

Extra

• Photos and videos of your flight

• Food and drinks

• Personal expenses and tips

• The female pilot option, where offered

The launch-area entrance fee varies. Two tours include it, one says it may have to be paid on site, and the others do not mention it — check before you go.

Paragliding, parasailing, skydiving or a balloon?

None of these is better than the others — they are simply different experiences. On Maxtoria, parasailing is listed among the water sports and paragliding among the activities.

Combining paragliding with other activities

Because the flights take off in Alanya and the activity itself takes a few hours, a paragliding day combines easily with a slower one. Around Antalya you can also explore the Taurus foothills on a jeep safari, spend a day at sea on one of the boat tours, try a first dive with a scuba diving trip or go horse riding through forest and along the coast. Avoid scheduling a dive on the same day as your flight, and leave some flexibility in case the weather moves your flight.

Flying responsibly

• Follow your pilot’s and the ground crew’s instructions at the launch and on the beach.

• Keep clear of the take-off and landing zones when others are flying.

• Take all your litter back down the mountain with you.

• Respect local people, beach users and the natural surroundings.

• Choose tours with properly certified pilots and approved equipment.

• Never pressure a pilot to fly in conditions they judge unsuitable.

How to book

Choose a tour from the list on this page, pick a date and a session and add your group. Sessions differ: from Antalya and Belek there are start times at 09:00 and 13:00, from Side at 09:00, and the Alanya tours run sessions on the hour between 10:00 and 16:00. The time you book is when the activity starts, not your pickup time, which is confirmed after booking. Paragliding tours on Maxtoria can be booked up to five hours before the start; you can pay online by card, and on most tours also on the day if you are signed in to your account. Every one of them can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before the start. Before you book, check the tour’s pickup area, its age and weight limits and what it includes, and ask Maxtoria support if anything is unclear.