ParaglidingGuide Help Centre
Everything You Need to Know Before You Fly With Us
Planning a flying week should feel exciting, not confusing. This page brings together the practical questions people ask us most often about visiting Algodonales, guided flying, pilot development, accommodation, transfers and beginner training.
Use the categories below or search for a word such as airport, insurance, XC, accommodation or beginner.
Still unsure which trip is right for you? Send Nick a short message with your qualification, recent airtime, preferred dates and what you want to improve.
Visiting Algodonales
General Trips, Booking and Practical Information
The useful basics: how the week works, what is included, payment, insurance, food and what we do when the weather is not suitable for flying.
What should I expect from a trip with ParaglidingGuide?
We take the hassle out of your flying holiday and help you make the most of the conditions. Most days begin with a weather briefing and discussion about the best site, likely flying window and objectives for the group.
We then organise transport to the site, provide the local briefing, fly for as long as conditions sensibly allow and arrange retrieves. Days can be long, especially when the weather gives us a full flying window or an evening soaring opportunity.
What is included in a standard guided week?
A standard guided week costs €895 per pilot and normally includes seven nights’ accommodation, six full flying days, daily transport to the selected site, retrieve support, weather and site briefings, and pilot-development or XC guidance appropriate to your level.
Saturday airport pickup and drop-off are included. Food, flights to Spain, personal equipment, insurance and non-standard airport transfers are not included.
How do deposits and balance payments work?
A €200 deposit secures your booking. The remaining balance is due 14 days before arrival. Your booking confirmation will explain how to pay and what information we need from you.
What is your cancellation policy?
- More than four weeks before arrival: full refund.
- Between four and two weeks before arrival: the deposit is retained.
- Less than two weeks before arrival: no refund.
We recommend suitable travel insurance that protects you if illness, disruption or another unexpected event prevents you from travelling.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes. Every pilot must have insurance covering paragliding, medical treatment and repatriation. Rescue cover should also be included where applicable.
Check the policy wording carefully rather than assuming standard holiday insurance covers free-flight activities.
What about food and drink?
Food and drink are not included in the standard guided-week price. All of our accommodation provides access to a working kitchen, and Algodonales has supermarkets, cafés, tapas bars and restaurants.
Flying plans influence meal times, so the group often keeps daytime food flexible and meets for dinner after the day’s flying.
What happens on a non-flying day?
We first assess whether another flying site or a later window is realistic. When flying is not sensible, there are plenty of alternatives: e-bike rides through our sister company AlgoBike, guided hikes through HikingGuide.es, white-village visits, horse riding and city trips to places such as Seville, Granada, Málaga or Cádiz.
E-bikes are also available for pilots who want an early ride before a later flying window. Activities depend on availability, weather, group interest and any associated third-party costs.
Qualified pilots
XC Guiding and Pilot Development
From post-CP mentoring and confidence building to first cross-country flights and more ambitious XC objectives.
Who can join a guided or pilot-development week?
You should hold at least a BHPA Club Pilot rating, FAI IPPI 3, APPI Pilot rating or equivalent, and be capable of launching, landing and flying independently in suitable conditions.
You remain pilot in command. We provide briefings, local knowledge, coaching, route advice and support, but every pilot is responsible for their own decisions.
What kind of coaching is available?
Coaching is bespoke and may include:
- Weather interpretation and site assessment
- Equipment, instruments and flight preparation
- Ground handling and launch confidence
- Active flying in thermic conditions
- Thermalling technique and climb efficiency
- XC planning, transitions and landing options
- Daily debriefs and flight review
Is the week suitable for a newly qualified CP pilot?
Yes, provided you are qualified and capable of flying independently. Post-CP mentoring helps bridge the gap between the school environment and confident club or mountain flying.
We keep objectives conservative, revisit core skills and help you build experience without pressure to follow stronger pilots into conditions or tasks that are not right for you.
Do I need previous XC experience?
No. You may join with the goal of improving thermalling, making your first sensible move away from the hill or completing your first short cross-country flight.
More experienced pilots can work on route planning, transitions, tactical decisions, efficiency and distance. Tasks are adapted to the day and the pilot.
Will experienced XC pilots be held back?
Mixed groups do not mean every pilot receives the same task. When conditions, group size and retrieve logistics allow, stronger pilots can pursue a more ambitious route while developing pilots work on a suitable objective.
No responsible guide can promise that every day will produce a large XC, but we aim to help each pilot use the available conditions appropriately.
Which flying sites do you use?
The main local options include the different take-off directions on Sierra de Líjar, together with alternative sites such as El Bosque, Montellano, Teba and coastal or regional sites when conditions make them appropriate.
We do not publish a rigid site itinerary. The correct choice depends on wind direction, strength, stability, cloud development, pilot level and the best sensible flying opportunity that day.
Can tandem flying be used as part of my coaching?
Yes. Nick enjoys using the tandem as a teaching platform, particularly for thermalling and cross-country decision-making. Flying together allows you to experience the same air and discuss climbs, transitions, terrain, route choices and landing options in real time.
Tell us in advance if this interests you. Tandem teaching depends on weather, pilot suitability, equipment, logistics and the objectives of the week.
How much flying will we do?
A standard week includes six full flying days. We fly whenever conditions are suitable and often use an evening soaring window as well. Flights around arrival or departure may also be possible and are treated as a bonus.
Weather and airtime can never be guaranteed. Safety and appropriate decision-making take priority over forcing a flight.
What equipment do I need?
Bring a complete, suitable and serviceable flying kit: paraglider, harness, reserve, helmet, radio, flight instrument and a phone capable of tracking and navigation.
Contact us before travelling if you have questions about radios, instruments, equipment suitability or something you may need to rent or purchase.
Your stay and arrival
Accommodation and Airport Transfers
Private bedrooms, optional private apartments and clear transfer arrangements.
What is the standard accommodation like?
Standard guided weeks include a private bedroom in one of our shared apartments or houses. Kitchens and living areas are shared with other pilots, which keeps the week sociable while preserving your personal space.
The accommodation is kept clean, maintained and practical for flying guests. Exact properties and layouts depend on availability.
Will I have to share a bedroom?
No. We do not place two unrelated adults in one bedroom. Every adult receives their own private bedroom in standard shared accommodation.
Couples or people who specifically want to share can tell us when booking.
Can I upgrade to a private apartment?
Yes. A completely private apartment is available for an additional €30 per night, subject to availability.
Private apartments provide your own bathroom, kitchen or cooking area, sitting space and bedroom or sleeping area. Some also have balconies.
Can I arrange my own accommodation?
Yes. You may book your own hotel, apartment or local accommodation and join us for the guiding and flying programme.
Contact us before booking so we can confirm the correct self-accommodation price and practical meeting or pickup arrangements.
How do Saturday airport transfers work?
Saturday airport pickup and Saturday airport drop-off are complimentary for guided-week customers. We coordinate exact collection details from the flight information supplied by the group.
Do not assume a fixed collection time until we have confirmed the group’s flight schedule with you.
What if I arrive or depart on another day?
A non-Saturday airport transfer costs €70 per leg. Car hire, public transport or arranging your own transfer may also be suitable depending on your airport and arrival time.
Send us your flight details before finalising arrangements so we can advise on the most practical option.
Which airport should I use?
Málaga and Seville are the airports most commonly used by our guests. Jerez may also be practical for some routes. The best option depends on flight availability, arrival time and the transfer plan for your week.
Learning to paraglide
Beginner Course Questions
EP, CP and combined residential training in Spain, delivered by our registered training partner with ParaglidingGuide providing local support.
Who delivers the beginner training?
Beginner instruction, supervision, syllabus delivery and BHPA training are provided by Valleys Paragliding, a BHPA registered ab-initio school run by Charlie Fryer.
ParaglidingGuide supports the course locally with accommodation, transport coordination, site knowledge and on-the-ground assistance.
What is the difference between EP and CP?
The BHPA Elementary Pilot course introduces equipment, ground handling, launching, landing, basic flight control, theory and supervised solo flying. It is broadly equivalent to IPPI 2.
The Club Pilot course develops the additional practical and theoretical skills required to fly independently in a club environment. It is broadly equivalent to IPPI 3.
Can I complete EP and CP together?
Yes. The combined EP and CP option is designed as a two-week residential course, allowing suitable students to progress from complete beginner through to the BHPA Club Pilot syllabus.
Progress depends on weather, aptitude, practical performance and completion of the required theory and assessments. No responsible school can guarantee a rating solely because a student has attended for a set number of days.
How much do beginner courses cost?
- EP course: €1,350
- CP course: €1,350
- Combined EP and CP: €2,400
Check the beginner-course page or contact us for current dates, availability and the exact inclusions applying to your course.
Is equipment included?
Training equipment needed for the beginner syllabus is included during the course. Theory and examination materials, accommodation and planned airport transfers are also included as described on the beginner-course page.
BHPA membership, travel insurance, flights to Spain, food and drink are not included.
Do I need previous experience?
No previous paragliding experience is required for the EP course. A reasonable level of mobility, the ability to follow instruction and a responsible approach to safety are important.
Tell us in advance about any injury, medical issue or physical limitation that might affect running, carrying equipment or participating in practical training.
What happens if the weather delays the course?
Paragliding training is weather dependent. Instructors use suitable periods for practical training and may use unsuitable flying periods for theory, equipment knowledge, briefings or other syllabus work.
Completion depends on achieving the required standard, not simply attending for a fixed number of calendar days. The training provider will explain the available options if weather prevents completion.
What can I do after completing CP?
After CP you can begin building experience in an appropriate club environment. Many newly qualified pilots benefit from joining one of our post-CP mentoring or pilot- development weeks to consolidate launching, landing, weather assessment, thermalling and independent decision-making.
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