Paragliding

Imagine stepping off a mountaintop and feeling the earth fall away as warm Alpine currents catch your wing and carry you skyward. Paragliding in Ticino combines the primal thrill of flight with some of the most spectacular scenery in the Alps: lakes that shimmer like liquid sapphire far below, valleys carpeted in forest green, sun-warmed villages nestled between soaring peaks. Free-flying enthusiasts rank these mountains among the most beautiful launch sites in the world, and with good reason. From the peaks above the Locarno region to the summits of Sottoceneri and Bellinzona, Ticino offers an extraordinary variety of flying experiences. For first-timers, Cardada Cimetta, Monte Tamaro, Monte Lema and Monte Generoso provide ideal launch pads for tandem flights with experienced pilots, in total safety.

Tandem paragliding

Tandem flights are open to everyone: there is no age limit (minors require parental consent), no special requirements and no tests needed. Simply show up, strap in and let the sky do the rest. Among the professional organisers of tandem flights operating on Ticino's principal mountains: FlyTicino - www.flyticino.ch - Tel. +41 79 796 76 18 Mountaingliders - www.mountaingliders.com - Tel. +41 79 761 51 06

Cardada Cimetta

Few places offer a more spectacular stage for paragliding than Cardada Cimetta. A cable car from Orselina followed by a chairlift from Cardada brings you to the summit at 1,700 metres, where the launch area sits just below the peak. The panorama is staggering: mountains and lake, deep valleys and dense forests, terracotta-roofed villages and sunlit cities spread out beneath you in every direction. The flight itself, an exhilarating descent of nearly 1,500 metres often lasting more than half an hour depending on air currents, ends with a soft landing in Locarno, sitting barely 200 metres above sea level.

Monte Tamaro

Monte Tamaro is another essential destination for paragliding, both for seasoned pilots and tandem newcomers. A swift cable car ride from Rivera whisks you to the summit at 1,500 metres, where take-off reveals sweeping views of the surrounding mountains, Lake Lugano, the Bellinzona and Malcantone areas and, when wind conditions permit, Lake Maggiore with its valleys cascading northward. After a descent of over 1,000 metres, the designated landing spot is Bironico, a short distance from the Rivera cableway station.

Monte Lema

Considered one of the finest paragliding locations in all of Switzerland, Monte Lema rewards flyers with views that seem to stretch to the edge of the world. From the 1,620-metre peak, the lakes of Ticino spread out below while the snowcapped Bernese Alps and the glacier-clad Valais peaks line the distant horizon. Broad, grassy mountaintops provide easy, safe launches. Reach the summit from Miglieglia by cable car followed by a scenic 10-minute walk. Once airborne, you glide through pristine wilderness, lush vegetation and centuries-old hamlets perched on steep slopes. The flight ends at Miglieglia near the cable car, or alternatively in the spacious meadows of Monteggio and Sessa.

Monte Generoso

A paragliding flight from Monte Generoso is a thrilling communion with nature, particularly during certain seasons when pilots share the sky with common buzzards, kites, falcons and eagles. From the 1,704-metre summit, crowned by Mario Botta's stunning "Fiore di pietra" (Stone Flower) complex, to the landing in Mendrisio or Riva San Vitale, the panorama unfolds in breathtaking layers: the scenic ridges of Monte Generoso, the Muggio Valley, the vineyard-covered Mendrisiotto, the luminous expanse of Lake Lugano and the great Alpine chain beyond.