Parasailing in Fuengirola

The more people go, the cheaper it is each: the cost is the boat and the equipment, not the passenger. With a group of six or more it comes down noticeably.

• You do not need to swim: you take off and land on the boat.
• It depends on the wind: in a strong easterly nobody flies.

What is a parasailing flight in Fuengirola like, from start to finish?

A parasailing flight in Fuengirola means about twelve minutes in the air, between thirty and fifty metres up, taking off and landing on the boat's platform without touching the water unless you want to. You need no skill and no effort to fly: the harness is clipped to the parachute and the skipper handles everything.

The boat leaves Fuengirola marina, heads away from the shore to the flying area and, once there, the winch lets out the line and the parachute rises on its own as the boat moves. Coming down is the same in reverse: the winch reels in the line and you land sitting on the platform. Whoever is waiting for their turn rides on board and watches the others fly from the stern.

Do you get wet or not?

Only if you want to. The flight is dry from start to finish: you take off from the boat's platform and land back on it, and the parachute does not go near the water at any point.

What you can ask for is the dip. If the group wants it, the boat slows and lets your feet skim the water for a moment before lifting again. It is agreed before you leave, and if one of a pair wants it and the other does not, the flight stays dry.

Is there a weight or age limit?

Yes to both, and it is the flying equipment itself that sets them. There is a minimum and a maximum weight per parachute, which is why people sometimes go up in twos or threes rather than alone: it balances the load.

With children it works the same way: they can fly with an adult as long as those margins are met. Because they change with the equipment and the conditions on the day, it is confirmed when you book, with the approximate weight of whoever is going up. It is not red tape, it is what decides how the flight is arranged.

What can you see from up there?

The whole coastline in one look: the beaches either way, the marina below, and the Sierra de Mijas closing the view behind. From that height the coast makes sense all at once, which never happens from the sand.

And there is something almost nobody expects: the quiet. Up there you cannot hear the boat's engine, only the wind. It is what most people mention on the way down, more than the view.

How long does the whole activity take?

The flight is around twelve minutes, but the whole activity takes considerably longer. You have to count getting to the boarding point, the life jacket and harness, the run out to the flying area, and waiting your turn if there are others in the same boat.

In practice it is worth allowing a good hour for the whole process. That matters when parasailing is one stop in a day with other plans: it is not a fifteen-minute activity, even if the flight is.

Can you take a phone or a camera up?

A loose phone, no. At forty metres up, in wind and wearing a harness, a phone that slips out of your hand is not coming back, and it can also land on the boat or on somebody.

With a camera strapped to your body or harness it is a different matter, as long as it is properly secured and you say so before going up. What most groups do is simpler: whoever stays in the boat films from below, which is the better shot anyway.

Can you fly at sunset?

The activity is done in daylight, and the last hours of the afternoon are the most sought after for the light: the coast looks its best with the sun low and photographs from up there come out far better than at midday, when everything goes flat.

What decides it is the wind, not the hour. On this coast the breeze usually freshens in the afternoon, so a late flight can be called off on conditions even after a perfect day. If the date is fixed, better to book in the morning and keep the afternoon as a margin.

Can you fly more than once?

Yes, and a fair number of people go again the same day. The first flight goes on taking in the climb and looking at everything wide-eyed; the second is enjoyed differently, with time to take in the coast.

If the group is large, the boat runs flights back to back without returning to the marina, so going again barely lengthens the trip. Say so before boarding so the turns can be organised and nobody spends longer than necessary waiting on deck.

Alone, in pairs or three at a time?

The parachute needs a total weight within certain limits to fly well, which is why people fly alone, in pairs or three at a time depending on what each person weighs. Flying in pairs is the most common choice: you share the ride, take photos of each other and enjoy the flight more calmly.

Flying three at a time is the family option, because the child goes between two adults and the total stays within the weight limits. It is also cheaper per person, since what costs money is the boat and the equipment, not the passenger. Anyone who wants to fly alone can do so as long as their weight is within what the parachute needs that day.