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Guide · Safety
Paragliding Accident on Tenerife: Fly Safely
Anyone Who Thinks of a Paragliding Accident on Tenerife Wants to Know Above All How to Avoid One. Here You Can Read Which Rules Apply, How to Recognize a Careful Provider, and What You Can Contribute Yourself.
Editor paraglidingteneriffa.deUpdated on 5 October 2026Reading time: 6 min.3 sources
In short
- 01Rules
- Spanish Aviation Law Does Not Require a Pilot's License for Paragliders; Depending on the Region and Association, Proof May Be Required.1
- 02Insurance
- Activity Tourism Providers in the Canary Islands Need Accident or Assistance Insurance.2
- 03Small Group
- For the Flights on This Page, a Maximum of 4 Guests Travel Together to the Takeoff.
- 04Guides
- Guests Give the Guides of This Offer 5 out of 5 Points.
- 05Limits
- Children Under 6, Pregnant Women, Persons Over 70 Years of Age, and Persons Over 110 kg May Not Fly.
How Safe Is a Tandem Flight on Tenerife?
The honest answer first: A paragliding flight is a sport in nature, and no pilot can completely rule out a residual risk. What you can influence, however, is the choice of provider, your own preparation, and your behavior at takeoff and landing. That is exactly what this page is about, not headlines.
Flying tandem behind you is a professional who steers the glider, assesses the weather, and decides whether to take off at all on that day. You do not need to steer anything or master any technique. All that is asked of you is to run strongly at takeoff, sit calmly in the harness, and extend your legs forward at landing, just as explained to you during the briefing.
A good sign of care are the partial scores in the reviews. For this site's flights, guests rate the guides 5 out of 5 points based on a total of 1,169 reviews. Such a number says nothing about individual days, but it shows that a very large number of people felt well taken care of by this team.
How it works
The safe way from your hotel into the air
-
Pickup
Small Group
At most 4 guests go to the launch together.
-
Briefing
Understanding the process
The pilot explains takeoff, flight, and landing in your language.
-
Equipment
Helmet and harness
You receive a helmet and safety equipment and are attached in.
-
Check
Ground check
The pilot checks the wing, harness, and the connection to you.
-
Start
Running along
On command you run until the wing carries you both.
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Landing
Legs forward
Just before the ground you stand up and run out.
Which rules apply in Spain and the Canary Islands
Many travelers are surprised by how paragliding is regulated in Spain. The Spanish aviation authority AESA states that there is no air law regulation requiring a flight license or documents for paragliders.1 Depending on the autonomous region and sports association, however, a document may be required.1
For commercial providers in the Canary Islands there is a separate obligation. Anyone offering activities in adventure tourism must, according to the Government of the Canary Islands, have an assistance or accident insurance, regulated in Decree 67/2015.2 For you this means: A reputable provider can tell you how you are insured and has no problem with that.
These rules do not replace your own judgment. Feel free to ask when booking how long your pilot has been flying tandem and how the team deals with poor wind. A provider who answers such questions openly takes safety seriously. A provider who evades or pressures you to hurry is not the right one for your first flight. A good feeling at first contact is worth more in a flight experience than a small price advantage.
Sub-scores
How guests rate this site's flight
Limits
Who can fly along on this site's flight
| Group | Fly along | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Children under 6 years | no | Offer limit |
| Children from 6 years | yes | Clarify weight and height beforehand |
| Pregnant women | no | Offer limit |
| Over 70 years | no | Age limit of the offer |
| Over 110 kg | no | State your weight honestly |
Limits according to this site's offer; other providers may state different limits.
Decision helper
Which flight fits your sense of safety?
Honest answers to the questions guests have before their first flight.
Say so at the briefing; without turns and loops the flight is smooth and steady.
German is among the languages spoken by the pilots on this offer.
Acrobatic tandem flights are available from $162, better only from the second flight.
This leaves time for a reschedule if the wind does not cooperate.
There is no aviation regulation that requires registration documents or a pilot license for these aircraft. Depending on the autonomous community and the relevant sports federation, a document may be required.
Wind and weather: why flights are postponed
The most important safety decision is made before takeoff, and it lies with the pilot. If the wind is too strong, comes from the wrong direction, or clouds roll over the launch site, they will wait or cancel. That is not bad service, but exactly the behavior you should wish for. A flight postponed by a few hours is a good sign. Take it easy, have a coffee nearby, and keep your phone handy so the team can reach you as soon as the wind is right again.
In the Canary Islands, the trade winds determine much of the weather. According to the Government of the Canary Islands, they come from the northeast and blow mainly in summer.3 But for the pilots it is not the statistic that counts, it is the wind at the launch site in this hour, which they often observe the evening before and again in the morning.
Therefore, plan your flight early in your vacation so that enough days remain for a replacement date. With this site's flights you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours beforehand, and you can book now and pay later. This creates no pressure to definitely want to fly in uncertain weather.
Checklist
Your checklist for a safe flight
Before booking
- Check many good reviews
- Clarify age and weight of all passengers
- Check your own paragliding insurance
- Choose the date early in your holiday
On the day of the flight
- Sporty clothing and closed-toe shoes
- Sunglasses with a secure fit
- Drink enough, eat a light breakfast
At the launch site
- Listen carefully to the briefing and ask questions
- Keep running at launch, do not brake
- Tell your instructor right away if you feel unwell
Video
How dangerous is paragliding really?
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Who is not allowed to fly
The limits for tandem flights are no harassment, they protect you and your pilot. With this site's flights, children under 6 years do not fly, nor do pregnant women, persons over 70 years, and persons over 110 kilograms. You should state these limits honestly, because the pilot chooses the glider and harness suited to your weight.
Health questions also belong before the flight. Anyone with problems with their back, knees, or heart should best clarify with their doctor beforehand whether takeoff and landing are okay for them. At takeoff you walk a few steps downhill, and at landing you must stand on your feet briefly. That is easy for most people, but not for everyone.
If you are unsure, raise the topic before booking. A good team will rather tell you upfront that a flight is not suitable for you than have to improvise at the launch site. More about weight, age, and clothing you will find on the prerequisites page.
What a careful provider does before takeoff
A safe flight does not begin at the launch site but at the pickup. With this site's flights, a small group of at most 4 guests sets off together; according to the offer, the destination is Costa Adeje. The helmet and safety equipment are included in the price; so you do not need to bring anything yourself except appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes.
Pay attention during the briefing that someone explains the procedure in a language you truly understand. For this offer, German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Czech are among the languages of the pilots. Ask if something is unclear, for example when you should start running, when you may sit down, and how you hold your legs at landing.
Before takeoff, the pilot checks the harness, the connection between you both, and the glider on the ground. This check takes only a moment, but it is the reason why you can sit relaxed in the air. If you see that it is done carefully, you can look forward to the flight.
What You Can Contribute
Your most important contribution is surprisingly simple: listen, run, do not brake. Many takeoffs fail on the first attempt only because guests stop short of the edge. Keep running, even if the ground already feels lighter, until your pilot tells you that you may sit down. Then the glider carries you, and the rest is enjoyment.
Dress as the provider requires: sporty clothing and closed shoes, no sandals and nothing that flutters. Loose items such as hats or phones without a strap go into a bag. Sunglasses with a secure fit protect your eyes, because over the coast of Teneriffa the light is often bright.
If you feel queasy in the air, say so immediately. A pilot can fly more calmly, skip turns, or begin landing earlier. Nobody expects you to enjoy acrobatics, and nobody will hold it against you if you prefer to glide. A calm flight is not a worse flight. Especially the first time you get more out of it if you can look around in peace: at the coast, the hotels, the ravines below you, and the neighboring island on the horizon.
If something does go wrong
Even with the best preparation, a takeoff can be aborted or a landing can be rough. Most of the time it is about a stumble on the ground, not drama in the air. That is exactly why you wear a helmet and a padded harness, and that is exactly why the pilot explains to you beforehand how to behave at landing.
For emergencies it is good to know that providers of adventure tourism in the Canary Islands are required to have insurance.2 Also check your own travel and accident insurance to see if flight sports are excluded. Some policies exclude risk sports, and that is something you should know before your vacation, not after.
In the end, the most important rule remains: Choose a provider with many good reviews, be honest about how you feel, and trust the pilot's decision when they postpone a flight. Anyone who proceeds this way has done what they can and can enjoy the view over the island in peace.
Book flight
There is still room for you above the coast of Adeje.
Reserve your spot and pay later, and cancel for free up to 24 hours before if you do not fly.
You ask,we answer.
Is paragliding on Teneriffa dangerous?
A residual risk remains. With an experienced tandem pilot, a good briefing, and a flight only in suitable wind, it drops significantly; the decision about takeoff is always made by the pilot.
Does a pilot in Spain need a license?
Not under aviation law. According to AESA, Spanish aviation law requires no license; depending on the region and association, a document may be necessary.1
Are the providers insured?
They must be. Providers of adventure tourism in the Canary Islands need an assistance or accident insurance according to Decree 67/2015.2
What happens in too much wind?
The flight will be rescheduled. If the wind is unsuitable, the team waits or cancels; thanks to free cancellation up to 24 hours beforehand you lose no money.
Who may not fly with?
Children under 6 and a few more. With this site's flights also pregnant women, persons over 70 years, and persons over 110 kilograms.
Do I get equipment?
Yes, included in the price. The provider of this site supplies the helmet and safety equipment; you bring sporty clothing and closed shoes.
Do I need to be able to do anything at the launch?
Just run along. You take a few steps on command, sit down in the harness after takeoff, and bring your legs forward for landing.
Sources
Where the information comes from
- 1AESA-Agency for Aerial Safety - MTMSAla delta, parapente y paramotor↩
- 2Gobierno de CanariasTurismo Activo↩
- 3Gobierno de CanariasFactores del clima en las Islas Canarias - CanariWiki↩
