Paragliding Olympos Tour

There is a moment, perhaps four steps into the run, when the ground stops mattering. The wing takes the load, your feet paddle at nothing, and the mountain drops away beneath you in one clean movement. People spend the drive up worrying about that moment and the whole flight down laughing about it.

Take-off is from Babadağ, at 1,960 metres, on ramps cut into the mountain above Ölüdeniz. The lagoon below is what makes this site known to pilots everywhere: a hooked spit of pale shingle enclosing water that shifts from jade to deep blue as the depth changes, with the sheltered Blue Lagoon on one side and open Mediterranean on the other. Flights are tandem with experienced certified pilots, so your job is to run when told and then enjoy the view.

Airtime runs roughly 20 to 40 minutes depending on conditions. The first minutes are steep and quick, then the wing settles into a long glide along the ridge, and if the pilot has a willing passenger there may be some spiralling before the beach approach. Landing is on the seafront, either with a couple of running steps or a gentle sit-down, both entirely normal. A video and photo package is available, filmed from a camera on the harness.

Flights operate roughly from March to November and are always weather-dependent. Wind on the launch, cloud on the summit or turbulence over the ridge can delay a slot or cancel a day outright, and pilots who fly this mountain daily are not going to gamble with it. Leave a little flexibility in your trip if this is a must-do.

• A full day out, with hotel pickup and drop-off in air-conditioned transport
• Professional English-speaking guide, entrance fees, lunch at a local restaurant, bottled water and insurance
• Wear trainers rather than flip-flops, and bring a light jacket, since the summit is markedly colder than the beach
• Secure your sunglasses, tie back long hair and hand loose items to the ground crew
• If you are prone to motion sickness, say so before take-off, as pilots can fly a flatter, gentler line