Paragliding in Turkey: Ölüdeniz, Pamukkale, Kaş and Alanya

On a clear summer morning above Ölüdeniz, dozens of colored wings hang in the air at once. Below them, the Blue Lagoon lies behind its white spit, and the wings slowly turn down toward the beach. That scene made the name of paragliding in Turkey. Yet the same sky opens above Pamukkale, the harbor of Kaş and the castle hill of Alanya. You need no experience for any of them, because a licensed pilot flies the wing and you enjoy the view.

Where to Go Paragliding in Turkey

The best places for paragliding in Turkey share one gift: a high slope close to open ground. On the coast, that means a mountain above a beach. Inland, it means a ridge above a valley or a lake. Four places stand out for a first flight. Ölüdeniz has the highest launch and the most famous view. Pamukkale adds a white cliff and a Roman city. Kaş flies over a small harbor, and Alanya over a long town beach.

Ölüdeniz and Babadağ

Babadağ rises almost 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) behind Ölüdeniz. Its summit stands less than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the shore. That steep drop made it the classic launch for paragliding in Turkey. Pilots use several launch sites at different heights, so they can fly in different winds. In winter, when snow covers the higher slopes, flights move to a lower launch.

Up the mountain

Most flights go up by road, through forests of Lebanon cedar. The slopes also hold an endemic maple, Acer undulatum, that grows almost nowhere else. The ancients called this range Anticragus. Today a cable car runs up from its lower station at 226 meters (741 feet) on the Ölüdeniz road. At Station 1700, paragliders take off from the slope beside the viewing terrace.

The flight and the beach

You run a few steps down the slope, the wing fills with air and the ground is suddenly gone. For about half an hour, you float over the forest and the sea. The lagoon turns from a small turquoise drop into a long bay. At the end, you come down over the 3-kilometer beach and land on the sand among the swimmers. In 2023, the Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye even ended a stage on the road up Babadağ.

Paragliding Over Pamukkale

At Pamukkale, the wings take off from the hills behind the village and drift out over the travertines. From above, the white cliff looks like a frozen waterfall. Shallow pools hold the sky along its edge. On the ridge, the theater of Hierapolis and its long road of tombs lie open below you. After you land, walk the terraces barefoot, or swim in the Antique Pool among fallen Roman columns.

A short drive west, the springs of Karahayıt run red instead of white. There, the water reaches 58 °C (136 °F) at the source. It paints a small travertine in red, green and white.

Kaş From Above

In Kaş, the wings launch from Asas Hill above the town. Below, white houses and bougainvillea ring a small harbor, and the Greek island of Kastellorizo lies just across the water. Look for the theater of Antiphellos, with its 26 rows of seats facing the sea. Above the town, Lycian rock tombs imitate wooden houses in the cliff face.

After the flight, climb Uzun Çarşı (a market street or bazaar), the steep lane of shops. At its top stands the Lion Tomb, a Lycian sarcophagus from the 4th century BC. Its eight-line inscription has never been deciphered. Kaş is also a diving center, so you can pair a morning in the air with a day under the water.

Paragliding in Turkey Above Alanya

In Alanya, tandem flights take off from Yassıtepe, in the hill neighborhood of Dinek above the town. You glide out over the rooftops toward the sea and land on Cleopatra Beach. Its long curve of fine sand runs for about 2 kilometers west of the castle hill. From the air, the walls of Alanya Castle climb the peninsula. On its southwest side, the Lovers’ Cave opens about 34 meters (112 feet) above the sea.

Back on the sand, Damlataş Cave opens at the start of the beach. A short walk away, the Alanya Museum keeps a bronze Heracles of the 2nd century AD.

Lakes and Black Sea Hills

Paragliding in Turkey is not only a summer sport of the coast. In Bolu, wings take off from the Çepni plateau above Lake Abant. The lake lies about 1,328 meters (4,357 feet) high in a ring of pine, fir and beech. In autumn its reeds turn gold, and in winter the whole lake freezes over.

On the Black Sea, Boztepe rises above Ordu. A cable car climbs 2,372 meters (1.5 miles) from the seafront park to the top. In 2022, the city enlarged its take-off pad. Before you ride up, stop at the Paşaoğlu Mansion of 1896 in Selimiye, now an ethnography museum.

What a Tandem Flight Is Like

A tandem flight is the usual way to try paragliding in Turkey, and it needs no training. Your pilot explains the flight, checks the wind and straps you into the harness. Wear closed shoes, because you run a few steps at take-off. Bring a light jacket too, since the mountain is several degrees cooler than the beach. The morning light on the water is usually the best for photos.

Paragliding in Turkey With Us

Our Ölüdeniz paragliding tour flies you from Babadağ to the beach. Then you swim in the lagoon and spend the afternoon in the ghost village of Kayaköy. To stay on the ground, ride up at sunset on our Babadağ cable car tour and watch the last flights land.

For the white terraces, our Pamukkale tour from Fethiye and the Karahayıt thermal day leave room for a flight.

In the south, our Kaş and Kalkan tour and the Alanya city and castle tour can add one too.

On the Black Sea, the Ordu and Boztepe tour rides up to the launch. Our outdoor adventures page lists the rest. Would you like to fly on your trip? Tell us where and when you will travel, and we book the pilot and plan the drive to the launch.