The complete guide to paragliding in Reunion Island

Why Reunion Island is one of the best paragliding spots in the world

Paragliding in Reunion Island owes its reputation to three measurable factors. The south-east trade winds meet the relief of the west coast and produce steady thermals, which brings the site of Saint-Leu close to three hundred flying days a year. Launch altitudes range from 800 metres at Les Colimaçons to 2,200 metres at the Maïdo, an unusual spread over such a compact territory. The flight path also strings together environments few destinations bring within reach: sugar cane fields, listed primary forest, a lagoon closed by a coral barrier and volcanic cirques. The school Air Lagon has operated these sites since the island's very own opening flight, which gives its instructors a fine reading of local conditions. That accumulation puts the site in international free-flight rankings. It ranks beside far larger destinations. The span runs from the cirque of Mafate to the heights of Saint-Paul.

The take-off sites in Saint-Leu

Three launch sites shape paragliding on the west coast, and they do not deliver the same flight. Les Colimaçons, at 800 metres, remains the most reliable departure: the slope is gentle, access works by car or on the lines of the Kar'ouest network, and the flight reaches the lagoon within minutes. The private site operated by the school Air Lagon sits at 1,600 metres above the primary forest and only opens for the early departure. The Maïdo, at 2,200 metres, requires a forest walk to the rampart and faces the cirque of Mafate as well as the Piton des Neiges. Landing happens in all three cases beside the lagoon, near Kélonia. All three departures share one meeting point. That simplifies logistics for anyone still torn between two packages. The same instructor team from Air Lagon flies every wing. They read the conditions of the day on site.

Saint-Leu offers three distinct take-off sites, each providing a different flight experience. From an introductory flight accessible to all, to an exceptional flight for enthusiasts, there is an altitude for every wish.

The different flight packages

Choosing a package means weighing three variables: time aloft, launch altitude and the landscape below. A maiden flight is usually well served by the fifteen to twenty minutes of the Vol Découverte, launching from Les Colimaçons, enough to take in the lagoon of Saint-Leu and the coral barrier. Passengers who have already flown once tend to pick a longer run, up to forty minutes, with the option of asking for acrobatics. The two altitude packages answer a different expectation: the panorama from the private site of the school Air Lagon, or the thermal flight launching at the Maïdo, facing the cirque of Mafate. Pricing follows these three variables. The photo and video option costs twenty euros. It attaches to either one. The choice is made on site, during the briefing. A maiden passenger rarely regrets the shorter run: the lagoon of Saint-Leu shows itself in the opening minutes, with the Mascarins conservatory still in view from Les Colimaçons. A newcomer rarely regrets the shorter option, since the lagoon of Saint-Leu shows itself within the opening minutes of any flight from Les Colimaçons, with the Mascarins conservatory in view.

Air Lagon offers 5 tandem flight packages suited to every profile, from 90 to 299 euros. Each package is led by a state-certified instructor.

The best season to fly

Reunion Island flies all year, but conditions differ from one month to another. The dry season, May to November, gives the steadiest air and the clearest reading of the lagoon of Saint-Leu from Les Colimaçons: this is when flights are least often postponed. The austral summer, December to April, stays flyable but concentrates late-day showers and a humidity that sometimes closes the relief of the Maïdo. Morning slots are preferable in both cases, the air being calmer and visibility better over the cirque of Mafate. The school Air Lagon offers nine slots daily. A flight postponed for weather costs nothing, which makes it safe to book even in the humid period, at the price of shifting by a day or two on the schedule agreed with the team at Kélonia. Cyclone activity falls within the austral summer. The weather services of La Réunion announce it days ahead.

Practical tips for your first flight

A few precautions make the flight more comfortable, and they amount to very little. Closed shoes are needed for the short run at take-off, on the slope of Les Colimaçons as at the Maïdo departure. A light jacket is worth packing even in fine weather: the temperature drops several degrees between the shore of Saint-Leu and the 800 metres of the flying site. Eating lightly beforehand helps, and heavy meals within the preceding two hours are better avoided. Booking 24 to 48 hours ahead stays advisable, and further out between June and October. The meeting point is taken near Kélonia, fifteen minutes before the agreed time. Long hair is worth tying back and unsecured glasses removing before reaching the strip of Les Colimaçons, above Saint-Leu, where the team from Air Lagon welcomes passengers. Payment is settled online or on site at Saint-Leu. The option picked at booking can still change before take-off.

A few recommendations to make the most of your paragliding experience in Reunion Island.

Why choose Air Lagon?

Four things set the school Air Lagon apart from other operators in Saint-Leu. The oldest is seniority: the opening paragliding flight of the island left these slopes in November 1984, under a wing of that era. The second is volume, with more than fifty thousand tandem flights logged. The third is the Qualité Tourisme label. No other paragliding operator on the island holds it. The fourth is the private site, run at 1,600 metres above the primary forest, which no competitor can offer. The Google listing of the company shows a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars. Every instructor holds the state Brevet. The meeting point is taken near Kélonia, below Les Colimaçons. The shuttle climbs to the launch in about ten minutes, on the winding mountain road that crosses the cane fields.

Air Lagon flew the earliest paragliding flight of Reunion Island in November 1984 and has since completed more than 50,000+ tandem flights from Saint-Leu. It is the island's only paragliding operator holding the Qualité Tourisme label, awarded by the Ministry of the Economy, and won the Reunion Island Tourism Trophy.

Frequently asked questions about paragliding in Reunion Island

Find every answer — experience, children, weather, prices and more — on our complete FAQ.