Paragliding at the Chicamocha Canyon is 1 of, if not the, best experience in the San Gil area of Colombia. This guide covers everything you need to know.
San Gil is Colombia’s adventure capital and what better way to explore the area than by soaring above the skies paragliding at the Chicamocha Canyon.
With a maximum depth of 2,000 m and 227 km long, the canyon is the second largest in the world, which is impressive enough.
But seeing it from a bird’s-eye view is a whole other experience as you gaze over the surrounding Santander countryside for kilometres and kilometres.
In this guide I cover all the information you need to organise a paragliding flight at Chicamocha Canyon.
Overview of paragliding at Chicamocha Canyon
- Prices start at around 200,000 COP ($50 US) for a tandem flight without transport and 220,000 COP ($55 US) with transport between San Gil and the paragliding site
- Video recordings and photos cost extra, around 50,000 COP ($12 US) each
- You’re either picked up from your accommodation or meet at the agency between 800-9:00. You get back to San Gil around 5 h later.
- It takes 1 h to drive from San Gil to the flight zone. You can also travel to the flight location independently by bus
- Flights last between 15-25 min
- You reach a maximum altitude of roughly 3,000 m
- Multiple agencies are dotted around San Gil, with some in the central plaza
- Book your flight during the dry season to avoid postponements or cancellations
- Wear long layers to stay warm and avoid equipment chafing
My experience paragliding at Chicamocha Canyon
This was the best thing I did in San Gil and, along with sailing to Cartagena via the San Blas Island (Panama), 1 of my top 2 favourite experiences in all of Colombia.
Swooping around above such an amazing natural landmark was extremely fun but slow enough to take in the experience and the views.
I booked with Paravolar Colombia paying 190,000 COP ($47 US) for the flight and 50,000 COP ($12 US) for it to be recorded on video.
I got a discount of around 30,000 COP ($8 US) for booking in person at the San Gil office there and then upon inquiring.
My flight lasted around 40 min, but the normal flight time is 15-25 min – which I’ll explain more later on. I got sick in the air too and vomited. However, this is common and it wasn’t anywhere near bad enough to spoil the experience.
My tandem instructor was a relaxed guy and it was a pleasure to do the experience with him, although I can’t remember his name…
The cost of paragliding at Chicamocha Canyon
Prices for a tandem paragliding flight at Chicamoya Canyon start at around $220,000 COP ($55 US). Photos and videos of the experience cost more, around 50,000 COP ($12 US) each. Transport between San Gil and the canyon is normally included along with insurance.
Paragliding agencies in San Gil
At the time of writing this guide, all the paragliding agencies in San Gil have solid Google ratings between 4.7-5. Therefore, the only thing differentiating them in my view is the price.
- Viator – tandem flights from 240,000 COP ($60 US).
- Paravolar Colombia – tandem flights from 250,000 COP ($62 US). I recommend these guys because they made me a deal and don’t charge more for acrobatic movements (spins and flips) during your flight like some of the other agencies.
- Parapente San Gil – tandem flights from 220,000 COP ($55 US). I believe this agency and Paravolar Colombia are the same.
- Parapente Chicamoya – tandem flights from 250,000 COP ($63 US).
- Deportes Extremos en San Gil (Aventura Total) – tandem flights from 230,000 COP ($58 US).
- Parapente San Gil – tandem flights from 220,000 COP ($55 US). I believe this agency is also part of Paravolar Colombia.
- San Gil Extremo – tandem flights from 199,900 ($50 US) transport not included.
- Colombia Rafting Expediciones – tandem flights from 220,000 COP ($55 US).
Getting to the flight location on your own
This is the flight location Paravolar Colombia uses, which I believe is shared by multiple agencies as there were lots of people here on the day.
You can pay less for your flight with transport included and make your own way here. Although, this works out only slightly cheaper than paying for transport with the agency.
However, if you’re coming from Bucaramanga, then it makes sense to pay the cheaper price and take a bus to the flight location.
You can take any bus between San Gil and Bucaramanga to get here for 15,000 COP ($4 US). The bus journey from San Gil takes roughly 1 h 30 min and from Bucaramanga around 2 h.
In San Gil you get the bus from Terminal de Tranporte San Gil and in Bucaramanga at Terminal de Transporte de Bucaramanga. Get off at Chiflas Restaurant and walk roughly 900 m to the flight location.
The take-off spot sits on a bend of the Chicamoya Canyon and you can see all the way to the base. There’s a small shop onsite selling snacks and drinks.
Chicamocha paragliding flight information
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect during your flight.
Take off
You’re strapped to your instructor via a harness and you both need to run as fast as you can towards the edge of the canyon. This is so you take off with enough speed to gain elevation. The weight of the parachute means you have to drive your legs hard.
If there are lots of people on the day then you’ll have to wait for your slot to fly. They usually start with the heaviest person and work towards the lightest. I waited around 1 h between being kitted up and taking off.
Duration
The flight lasts between 15-25 min with the exact time depending on the conditions. For the flight to last to the full duration, there must be enough hot air for the paraglide to gain enough elevation.
The idea is to take off and land at the same spot. However, on the day I flew there wasn’t enough hot air and we couldn’t regain enough altitude at the end of the flight to return to land where we took off.
Therefore, we descended to the bottom of the Chicamocha Canyon extending my flight by around 30 min. While I didn’t get to fly as high as I could’ve, having a longer flight was a much better trade off.
If you end up landing at the bottom of the canyon, you’ll have to wait a while for the agency to send a van down to pick you up.
Altitude
You reach a maximum altitude of around 3,000 m which is well above the canyon and there are amazing panoramic views. Being in an open vehicle at this altitude feeling the wind blowing gets the adrenaline going.
Spins and tricks
You can ask your pilot to do acrobatic tricks like 360s and flips during the flight. Some agencies charge extra for this while others include it in the price.
Sickness
There’s quite a bit of side-to-side motion when paragliding and this can make you feel sick. It happened to me and I threw up in a bag the instructor gave me. If you throw up, you must do it into the bag so it doesn’t fly back into your of the instructor’s face.
After being sick I felt a bit nauseous for the rest of the flight but it wasn’t enough to spoil my day. I still had a great time but decided not to do any acrobatics.
Cover your back
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Important information for paragliding at Chicamocha Canyon
There are a few things to consider before taking your flight.
The weather
Paragliding is weather dependent and your flight won’t go ahead if it’s raining heavily or there’s not enough wind.
For this season I only recommend doing it at Chicamocha Canyon during the dry season. In Colombia this typically runs from December to March and then there’s another, shorter dry season throughout June and July.
Clothing
Wear trousers and long-sleeved tops. Although you’re given a jumpsuit by the agency, it can be cold in the air and being fully covered will help protect against equipment chafing.
Don’t eat too much beforehand
You don’t know if you’re going to feel sick until you’re mid-flight so having a stomach full of food isn’t a good idea. I recommend having a light breakfast before.
Where to stay in San Gil
- La Casona de Don Juan: from $8 US/night. A nice budget hostel in the city centre with breakfast included.
- Casa de Las Flores: from $25 US/night. A centrally-located budget hotel with kitchen access.
- Apto 501 E Alto del Fonce: from $72 US/night. A holiday rental apartment complete with all amenities and a jacuzzi.
Don’t skip paragliding at Chicamocha Canyon
This is the cherry on top of any trip to San Gil and you’d be missing out big time if you didn’t do it. And for the affordable price, paragliding above the impressive canyon is more than a good deal.
Close to San Gil is the charming town of Barichara which is definitely worth a visit from the adventure-capital city. Finally, you’ll find all of my Colombia travel guides here.
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