There are many things in Costa Rica I have done, and only a few that I have not. Paragliding was one of those things (along with sky diving and bungee jumping).

I could never see myself doing the bungee jump nor throwing myself out of an airplane, but for some reason paragliding called to me. So, I took a leap of faith…. No pun intended.

Located on a cliff near Puerto Caldera 200 ft above sea level, in Costa Rica’s central Pacific region, you will find Nemaclys. Nemaclys is the only paragliding company in the country.

The company is run by Swiss born Jean Claude, who has been a resident of Costa Rica for the last 15 years. Jean Claude has many years of paragliding as well as sky diving experience.

After a short security briefing, you strap into your harness which then connects to the pilot’s harness, thus riding tandem.

The good thing is that you really don’t have to do any of the work other than the initial ‘take off’ where you have to lean forward, cross your arms and try to walk forward (which sounds easy, but once the parachute is up in the air, the force pulls you back).

Once you have enough forward momentum going, you then walk forward and literally jump off the cliff…. But then you are pulled up by the parachute! Amazing.

I was expecting that sinking feeling you get on a roller coaster, but that didn’t happen at all. Instead, I was one with the birds, flying a few hundred feet up, in silence, enjoying a smooth ride and documenting my ride with my trusty Iphone camera.

Simply amazing. It’s hard to describe what you feel being above the coastline watching the big boats coming into port and the people driving and enjoying the beach down below.

I want to mention that while the actual ‘flight’ is short (15-30 minutes depending on how long you want to go) I had to wait over an hour for the winds to change direction and to guaranty a safe ride.

There is NO motor, so you are at the mercy of nature, which doesn’t always cooperate. However, this area is known for less rain and steady winds, which is why Jean Claude chose this area for his business.

If your travels take you to this part of Costa Rica, I highly recommend taking part in this great activity. It will be one of those things to remember!

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.