Imagine stepping into thin air from a slope 750 metres above sea level, and your feet not touching the ground again for a full twenty minutes. Let us say this up front: the slope used for paragliding in Cyprus is a known one. Take-off is on top of the Kyrenia Mountains (Beşparmak), on the western slope of St. Hilarion Castle. Landing is on the Kyrenia seafront. Time in the air varies between 20 and 30 minutes, and the exact duration is set by that day's wind, because the whole programme, from take-off time to the landing field, depends on the window the wind opens. The flight itself is short. The real work is done before take-off, since everything from the weight and age requirements to the season and the price is settled when you book. The only decision left is made at the edge of the launch.
Take-off on the Western Slope of St. Hilarion
The Kyrenia range stretches like a wall south of Kyrenia, and the take-off point sits on top of this wall, on the castle's western slope, meaning you launch from the very top of the face that looks over the town. Because the ridge line runs parallel to the coast, this height is enough to take in the whole range at a glance, and two separate launch points in the 2,500 to 2,600 ft band are used in the same area. The wind direction decides which is chosen. What do you see from up there? The bare crags of the range on one side and the Kyrenia coastline on the other, in the same frame. A pre-designated field is used for the descent to the coast, and the landing is soft and controlled. For those looking for a lower, gliding flight, there is a separate option over the sand dunes in the Karpaz Peninsula. According to the sources we compiled, though, that route passes low over the dunes and offers nothing like the panorama here.
How a Tandem Flight Works
No prior experience or training is required, because you fly attached to the pilot for the entire flight, in "tandem", and the pilot gives a safety briefing before take-off and before landing that shows you step by step how to position yourself at each moment. The pilot flies the wing. Your only job is to follow their instructions, and the briefing is kept this short not as a matter of preference but because the tandem set-up itself leaves the participant a narrow task, one that comes down to the take-off run and the moment of landing. Arrival at the launch point, strapping into the harness and the briefing follow one after another. Then the run begins in the first window the wind opens, meaning that once you reach the top, the only thing you wait for is the weather itself. Once your feet leave the ground you sit in the harness, and the pilot sets the direction.
Insurance is set by a written rule. All tandem pilots and participants fly under additional health insurance in line with TRNC aviation regulations. Equipment and the pilot's guidance are also included in the package. Souvenir items such as photos, video and T-shirts, on the other hand, are generally charged separately as an extra service. Our advice is to ask exactly what the package includes when you book. That is all the preparation asked of a participant for paragliding in Cyprus; the rest is the pilot's and the weather's job.
Weight, Age and the Weather's Final Word
Operators do not publish a clear weight or age limit on their own pages. Because the limit varies from company to company and with the type of wing used, rather than trusting the figures floating around, it is safer to state your weight and age when booking and get confirmation. In the air, the wind has the final word. Flights are cancelled or rescheduled according to the weather, which is why operators say not to leave the flight to the last day of your holiday: a cancelled flight can only be made up if you still have another day in hand. This warning is not a polite formality. The chance of cancellation is very real, and the same flexibility is needed within the day, because the time you are given can shift with the weather.
Which Months, Which Time of Day
With the conditions clear, the next step is the calendar. June to September is considered the most favourable period, because the wind behaves more predictably in these months. Flying does not shut down completely in the other months. Flights go ahead all year as long as the weather allows, but since the variability of the wind disrupts the schedule more often, the chance of postponement rises outside summer. The summer months run more regularly, with companies flying every day the weather is suitable. When we looked into online sources, we found the calendar is still not fixed. Because the day and time come from that morning's readings rather than a printed schedule, advance booking is required, which in practice means you pick the date but the weather picks the time. If you are staying in Kyrenia for a few days, it pays not to pin your paragliding plan in Cyprus to a single day.
Price and Getting There from Kyrenia
As of September 2026, you can expect a band of roughly 90-100 euros per person for a tandem flight including transfer, and since the package bundles the flight, equipment, pilot and transfer to the launch point, no separate transport cost is added on top of this band. The figure can still vary by company and season. You are picked up from a central point in Kyrenia, usually your hotel or the office, driven up to the summit, and dropped back at the same place when the flight is over. If, on the other hand, you are thinking of driving up yourself, there is a small trap to watch out for here. The launch point is above the mountain road and the parking arrangement is set according to that day's flight plan, so you need to discuss this with the operator in advance.
As far as we can see, there is more than one business in the area; at least two active operators are working. One of them, Highline Paragliding, appears in some sources as Highline Air Tours. You can find the company's office in Kyrenia at the Old Harbour, at 20 Temmuz Kordonboyu Caddesi No 114. If you also plan to see the castle itself, one more rule comes into play: part of the road up to St. Hilarion passes through a military zone, where stopping your vehicle and taking photos or video are both prohibited.
The time you need to set aside for paragliding in Cyprus, from leaving central Kyrenia to returning there, does not exceed two hours. Where in the day that time falls, however, is not up to you. What time of day do flights go? The morning and late-afternoon hours, when the wind settles, are preferred, though this is not a fixed rule either. It is less risky to line up the rest of your plans for that day in Kyrenia once the flight time is confirmed, because a programme built without knowing when you go up the mountain usually has to be rewritten from scratch.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Activity | Tandem paragliding |
| Take-off point | Western slope of St. Hilarion Castle, Kyrenia Mountains (Beşparmak) |
| Take-off altitude | About 750 m (2,500 ft) |
| Landing point | Designated landing area on the Kyrenia seafront |
| Flight time | 20-30 minutes, depending on the weather |
| Total time | Up to 2 hours including transfer and preparation |
| Experience required | None, tandem flight strapped to a pilot |
| Insurance | Additional health insurance under TRNC aviation regulations |
| Best period | June-September, year-round subject to weather |
| Booking | Required in advance, time set according to the weather |
| Transfer | From Kyrenia town centre to the take-off point, included in the price |
| Age and weight limits | Not published, confirm when booking |
| Number of operators | At least two active businesses |
| Price | About 90-100 euros per person as of September 2026, subject to change |
We cover the castle right beside the launch point in our St. Hilarion Castle article and, for those who want to explore the same range on foot, in our Kyrenia mountains hiking guide; for the rest of the day after your flight, see the Kyrenia travel guide.
