Madeira has become a destination for paragliding and hanggliding since the beginning of the nineties when a few portuguese pilots started to work out the possibilities.

Lying just at the border of a major trade wind zone, Madeira receives a lot less wind than the Canary Islands and that is good for our sport whose safety also depends on the windlevel.

Despite  its climatic advantages,the dramatic landscape of Madeira nevertheless requires either the skilled pilot, or, a reliable introduction for the guest pilot which is offered by professionals.

Oliver flying over the city of Funchal - in tandem

Unfortuantely, in the beginning there were not easy to find terrains of golf course quality for take offs, such as  the type found in the Alps or in England. But with a little help some places got developed and are well prepared for this type of sport. Now there are about 10 different launch sites all around the island.

The landing zone near "Costa Verde" in the civil parrish of Arco da Calheta where Hartmut runs his paragliding centre