If you're deciding whether to book a paragliding tour in Medellín, the practical booking questions are covered in our best paragliding tours guide. This companion piece is different: it walks through the actual experience from the moment your Uber pulls up to San Félix to the moment you're back on solid ground with GoPro footage on your phone. What the ridge looks like. What the ground briefing covers. How takeoff actually feels. What the pilots do during a flight. What thermals feel like when you hit one for the first time. If you're on the fence about whether paragliding is for you, this is meant to help you decide.
Arriving at the Launch Site
San Félix is a working paragliding ridge in the Bello municipality, and it feels like it. The road up is winding, the parking area is modest, and the launch cliff itself is a grassy slope that ends in a fairly abrupt drop-off into the Aburrá Valley below. There's no showy visitor center or slick check-in desk — you'll usually find the operators' tents pitched near the launch area, wings laid out on the grass, and pilots casually talking through the day's conditions.
Elevation at launch is around 2,300 meters (7,545 ft). If you're arriving from El Poblado (1,470 m / 4,825 ft), you'll feel the altitude — headache is common if you're not acclimatized, and it's worth drinking water on the ride up.
The Ground Briefing
Before you fly, your pilot walks you through the ground briefing. It usually takes 10–15 minutes and covers three things:
Harness fitting. You'll wear a padded harness that clips to the pilot's harness — think two seats stacked with the pilot sitting behind you. Straps go around your legs and torso. It's snug but comfortable.
Takeoff instructions. This is the only physical thing you actually have to do. When the pilot says 'run,' you run — six to ten steps, straight forward, don't stop even when your feet leave the ground. Do not sit down. Do not brake. Just run.
Landing instructions. Similar principle in reverse. When the pilot says 'stand,' you extend your legs and prepare to jog on landing. If conditions are still, it's a gentle jog. If there's headwind, sometimes just a step.
If you don't speak Spanish and the pilot's English is limited, physically practice the takeoff-run motion during the briefing. Miming it clears up any translation gaps.
The Wing and Takeoff
Your pilot lays out the wing behind you on the grass. It's the classic curved crescent of a paraglider — surprisingly small compared to what you'd imagine. When conditions are right, the pilot inflates it by pulling the risers up. The wing rises overhead. Then he'll say 'run' and you'll do exactly what he told you to do.
The transition from ground to flight is less dramatic than you'd expect. You take six to ten running steps, the wing lifts you, and suddenly your feet aren't touching the grass anymore. There's no drop, no sudden acceleration, no weightless-elevator sensation. Just a smooth transition from running to sitting in the air.
Most first-timers report that the takeoff is the least scary part of the whole experience. The anticipation is worse than the actual moment.
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The first minute in the air is disorientation. The valley opens up beneath you, the wind noise is significant, and your brain is trying to catch up with the fact that you're flying. After 60 seconds, most people settle into it and start actually looking around.
The ride varies with conditions. On a smooth morning flight you glide slowly across the valley in near silence, the wing steady above you. On a thermal-rich afternoon you'll hit rising columns of warm air that lift you 100–300 meters at a time — a distinct 'up' sensation that some people find exhilarating and others find nauseating.
The pilot can make small adjustments with the control lines. If you've booked the standard package, you'll mostly cruise. If you've booked aerobatics, the pilot will do spirals and wing-overs on request — bank turns tight enough that you'll feel real Gs and the wing will drop below the horizon for a second or two before returning.
Talk to your pilot early about your comfort level. If aerobatics sound too much, say so before you're airborne — most pilots will happily fly a smooth, scenic flight for the entire session.
The GoPro Footage
The video add-on ($15–30 USD) is worth it if you have any interest in showing people what you did. The pilot mounts a GoPro on his helmet during the pre-flight, and it captures the whole flight from a perspective that includes your face, the wing above you, and the valley below.
Footage is delivered at landing via AirDrop (iPhone), WhatsApp, or microSD card. Some operators offer edited highlight reels for an extra fee; the raw footage is usually more than sufficient for social media.
Landing and What Happens Next
Landings at San Félix use one of a few designated fields depending on wind direction and the specific pilot's preference. As you approach the LZ, the pilot will call out 'stand' — you extend your legs, and when the ground contact comes it's usually a jog or one soft step depending on headwind.
After landing, you unclip, help the pilot pack the wing (or just move out of the way — they're fast), collect your GoPro footage, and tip the pilot (COP 10,000–20,000 is standard for a good flight, more if you had aerobatics).
Transport back to your hotel is on you unless your tour booked round-trip transport. Uber and InDrive both work in Bello, though wait times can be 5–10 min at the ridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does paragliding actually feel like?
Once you're airborne, it feels more like sitting in a swing that's floating than falling. There's no drop sensation. Wind noise is significant. Thermal columns feel like being in an elevator that's slowly rising. Turns feel like leaning into a bank on a bicycle. Most first-timers describe it as less dramatic than they expected and easier to enjoy than they feared.
Can I bring my own camera or phone during the flight?
Only with a wrist strap or lanyard. Losing a phone during a paragliding flight is common and expensive. Almost every operator offers a helmet-mounted GoPro add-on for $15–30 USD that gets better footage than you can capture handheld — worth the extra fee.
How long is the actual flight?
Standard tandem flights are 15 minutes of airtime. Upgraded packages extend to 25–30 minutes. The whole experience (drive time, briefing, wait for conditions, flight, packing) usually takes 3–4 hours total from Poblado round trip.
What if I panic in the air?
Panic is rare but not unheard of. The pilot is trained to talk you through it. Focus on breathing, look at a fixed point on the horizon (not straight down), and speak up — most anxiety attacks resolve within 30–60 seconds once you have someone talking you through them. If you're prone to anxiety, book a morning flight (calmer thermals) and tell the pilot in advance.