Bordeaux is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, situated on the banks of the Garonne between the Landes forest, the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. It is France's ninth-largest municipality, with 260,958 inhabitants as of 1 January.ier January 2019.
Bordeaux is a world-renowned tourist destination, known as the wine capital of the world thanks to its location amidst the prestigious châteaux and vineyards of the Bordeaux region. Second only to Paris, Bordeaux is the city with the most historic monuments in France.
At night, Bordeaux is a magical city, with a rich heritage to show off.
With the LGV high-speed rail link, Bordeaux is now only 2 hours 2 hours 30 minutes from Paris by train, which has increased the city's appeal. Its location, less than an hour from the ocean, around 50 kilometers from the Atlantic coast, and close to the tourist attractions of the Bassin d'Arcachon, the Dune du Pilat or Cap Ferret, has only increased the popularity of the Bordeaux area.
The Bordeaux region offers a multitude of leisure activities, including paragliding.
The best spots for paragliding around Bordeaux?
Around Bordeaux and in the South-West region, there are various paragliding sites. If you're prepared to do a fair bit of driving and fancy flying over the mountains, the Pyrenees are the place to go. The nearest and best-known free-flight sites are Baïgura in the Basque country, located at Mendionde, and Accous in Béarn. Other paragliding sites also exist in the Pyrenees, and there is usually at least one in each valley.
The most famous in the French Pyrenees is the Louron Valley, where international competitions are regularly held. The setting is idyllic, with a lake at the edge of the landing area, and offers incredible flying opportunities for experienced pilots, with the possibility in good conditions of flying over the border range and the peak of Aneto, the highest peak in the Pyrenees.
If you prefer to discover lowland flying and beautiful gastronomic regions, you should go to the Dordogne or the Lot, where numerous sites exist with different wind orientations adapted to the conditions of the day. In the Dordogne valley, for example, Le Roc near Souillac is known for its westerly orientation, while Côte de Jor in the Vézère valley, near Saint Léon sur Vézère, is the only site where you can often fly when the autan wind (a south-southeast wind) is blowing strongly in the region. In the Lot valley, the best-known sites are Douelle, facing north-west to north-northeast, and Crayssac, facing south-east to south-west.
These different flying sites make for some very fine flatland flying, with cross-country record altitudes of over 3000m and distances of over 200km. Some have landed in the Mediterranean. Other small flight sites closer to BordeauxThe Pech de Berre in the Lot-et-Garonne region, for example, is close to Aiguillon, but doesn't offer the same flying conditions or the same opportunities.
If you'd like to discover winching, a winch base is located in Cabanac.
If this is the seaside flight that interests you, there are several small sites on the Atlantic coast, such as Hourtin and Le Pin sec. But the best-known, nearest and best paragliding site near Bordeaux is the Dune du Pilat.
If you'd like to discover paragliding on this unique site, Dune parapente offers first flights with an experienced and passionate instructor. You'll discover the Bay of Arcachon from another angle, in a unique and magical experience. Various formulas are available, with payment on the spot or in advance. gift vouchers which you can offer, for example, at a special event. For more information and reservations, please visit our website. It's best to book in advance. Flights take place when conditions are most favorable, between early April and late September.
If you'd like to find out more about the various free-flight sites listed in this article, or discover others in France, I invite you to visit the FFVL website. https://federation.ffvl.fr/pages/rechercher-un-site-pratique
I hope I've inspired you to come and discover our activity in our region. I hope to see you soon.
Pierre-Evelyn
