Big Sur Coastal Sites
Big Sur · near Carmel / Big Sur (nearest services) · Central Coast
Paragliding
At a glance
- Skill level
- intermediate
- Best season
- Fall through spring · Summer brings coastal fog and limited visibility
Worth knowing
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Paragliding detail
- Flying types
- coastal-soaring
- Conditions
- Ocean cliffs generate consistent ridge lift when wind is onshore. Tree hazards near some launches require careful setup. Check road access with Los Padres National Forest before heading out — Hwy 1 closures are common.
- Ushpa
- P2 minimum recommended for independent flying. Familiarity with coastal hazards and ocean landing avoidance essential.
- Intl tip
- Hwy 1 along Big Sur is one of the world's great scenic drives. Even if flying conditions aren't right, the drive itself — Bixby Creek Bridge, McWay Falls, Point Sur — is worth the trip.
The guide
Few places on earth combine scenery and soaring the way Big Sur does. The cliffs south of Carmel and north of San Simeon that m…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Big Sur Coastal Sites — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 36.19, -121.73