Summary
As this tour progresses along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica visiting the sites of Caldera, Jaco, Dominical and Rivas, we hope you're flying does too. The pacific coast in Costa Rica provides us with beautiful gentle breezes, smooth tropical thermals and the perfect location for pilots of all levels to improve their flying technique. Flying in Costa Rica starts early compared to temperate climates. You can expect to arrive at the launch for 9am where we have time for the daily site briefing, questions and then get set-up so we're all ready to launch when the day switches on, normally at 10am. Once in the air, feel the smooth soaring conditions at Caldera, and Jaco on strong wind days. At the other flying sites of Dominical and Rivas, and on mellow wind days in Jaco, you will find gentle thermals of no more than 4m/s thanks to the tropical humidity. With patience and skill many pilots make it up to cloud base and if you're struggling to find the lift, our friends the birds are always out to show us where it is.
The Destination
The Experience
Paraglide across the best flying sites of Costa Rica under the guidance of our qualified instructors. Each flying day of the tour starts with a site briefing, observing the conditions together and answering questions. As we make our way along the coastal flying sites, we hope your flying advances as the sites allow for you to discover new paragliding skills.
YOU WILL NEED: USHPA P2 paragliding certification or equivalent Your own paragliding equipment including: Certified EN B paraglider or above Harness Reserve parachute Helmet Dual-band VHF radio - we recommend the Yaesu FT-270 Ability to confidently take off and land on your own Insurance covering paragliding with emergency medical, repatriation and third party coverage.
TOUR DESCRIPTION
Starting in San Jose, the group will be picked up in our fleet of Toyota Land Cruisers where we will ride in style to our first flying site, Caldera. This soaring site has a nice south-west breeze, easy beach landings and is the perfect place to get acclimatised to flying in Costa Rica.
From Calderra the tour moves on to the exciting town of Jaco, just a short 1-hour drive away. Here, the flying is dynamic, with both thermals and soaring depending on the daily conditions. Jaco provides for the first opportunity for a 1-to-1 session with one of our instructors where you will get the chance to discuss any goals you would like to work towards on your trip.
Dominical is the next town and flying site we will visit and is a firm favourite with locals and foreign pilots. With second-to-none views of the turquoise ocean and jungle covered mountains you will never want to land. This is the best place in Costa Rica to advance your thermalling technique and practise staying up in low cycles. Our time in Dominical also gives you a chance to explore some of Costa Rica’s nature, with free time for optional waterfall tours, surfing lessons or simply a wonder through this sleepy beach town.
As you start to feel more confident in your flying we head up to Rivas in the Central Valley, this site offers pilots a great introduction to mountain flying with its smooth tropical thermals and here we offer an awesome day of learning in our XC clinic for those that wish to join.
The final leg of the tour makes it way back along the coast, stopping for the last day of flying in Dominical and then back to San Jose and where the fun started.
YOUR GUIDES
Get to know the fun and qualified crew that will be guiding you in the air and on the ground as you tour along the beautiful South Pacific coast of Costa Rica
ZION
BIO
Zion has been flying since the age of 15, giving him a total of 9 years flying, over 6000 flying hours and has flown with more than 2000 passengers in tandem. As a certified USHPA instructor and a Costa Rican, you are in the best hands when it comes to local flying knowledge combined with expertise for teaching and in air guidance. Outside of teaching and flying tandems, Zion enjoys XC paragliding, competition paragliding and hike and fly missions - what can we say except the guy loves to fly and that’s why he’s the record holder for the longest distance and biggest triangle in Central America.
ABOUT Owner and founder of paragliding company USHPA Instructor and Tandem Pilot Number 1 ranked pilot in Costa Rica First Aider Bilingual in Spanish and English Second to none local knowledge of flying sites and weather
WILLIAM
USHPA Instructor, Competition Pilot, All Round Adventurer
BIO Will, a dual national of the USA and Philippines, learned to fly in 2015 and has been hooked ever since. In just 5 years will has racked up over 2000 flying hours and gone from a novice, to tandem instructor, competition pilot and is now a serious hike and fly pilot, hoping to make it into the X-Alps one day. Will has been working with Zion since 2018 and has extensive knowledge of flying in Costa Rica. Will’s precision in flying and his calm, laid back demeanour translate to you in the sky for a relaxed flight when under his guidance.
ABOUT USHPA Instructor and Tandem Pilot World Cup Competitor Advanced understanding of meteorology Number 1 ranked pilot in the Philippines First Aider Bilingual in English and Filipino
TRANSPORT
Travel in style and comfort in our fleet of Toyota Land Cruiser Prados as we travel through Costa Rica and up to the take-off in these stylish all-terrain vehicles.
Accommodation
Costa Rica
More about Paragliding in Costa Rica
Your Host: Zion
Zion is your host for this experience and will provide you with all the information needed.