Watching the Paragliders Fly Over the Ocean

Humans in flight

Would you strap yourself into a glorified kite and hop off a cliff?

I don’t think I would. But I quite enjoy watching the paragliders that regularly drift overhead during my evening strolls.

Nearly every night, I go for a walk on the malecón, the coastal path in the Miraflores district of Lima, Peru. The malecón is six miles long and built into the coastal cliffs that separate the beach from the city. At an elevation of around 200 feet, the path provides lovely views of the beach and ocean, especially at sunset. On its interior side, the walkway is buffered with well-maintained green space.

The malecón is always full of life — chirping birds, tourists taking photos, hand-holding couples, kids playing, and muscle-dudes doing pull-ups.

A quirky aspect of a stroll on the malecón is that airborne humans occasionally skim overhead.

There’s a flattened grassy area that the paragliders use for taking off and landing. Apparently, the coastal breeze is just right for supporting a certain aerial route along the cliffs. They drift north for a spell, tug on their cords to turn around, and float back to the landing spot.

Paragliding is one of the simplest forms of unpowered flight. There’s no rigid structure — just a pod-like harness and a fabric “wing,” connected by suspension lines.

Flight is initiated by foot-launch. The pilot walks or runs into the wind, the wing lifts up, and they float into the air.

Although I’m sure there’s an adrenaline rush for beginners, paragliding appears to be a rather peaceful activity. The flying speed is slow and the craft seems to be easy to control.

I like snapping photos of the flyers as they drift over the ocean.

I also enjoy the aesthetic of the pilots with their feet on the ground while their wings billow overhead. These are the only moments in which controlling the craft appears to be a challenge. The wing is like a dog pulling on its leash.

Pre-flight, the pilots often spend some time on the ground, grappling with their equipment. They tug on their cords and dramatically lean forward, which seems to help with controlling the wing. I only see them from a distance, but their silhouettes tell me they’re immersed in the moment. I’m sure it’s a special sensation, waiting for the earth to disappear from beneath your feet.

Read more Lima-based writing: