IQUIQUE UNLIMITED TOUR
WITH UNLIMITED RIDGES AND 360 DAYS A YEAR OF FLYING, IQUIQUE IS THE PLACE TO ADVANCE YOUR PARAGLIDING AS YOU ADVENTURE THROUGH THE DESERT
Next Tour Coming in September 2024
Tour OVerview
Packages start from $2400 (USD)
For pilots from intermediate beginner to XC enthusiasts our new adventure tour will help you progress your flying whilst experiencing one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
NEXT TOUR: September 2024
Your Guides
Get to know the fun and qualified crew that will be guiding you in the air and on the ground as you tour along the beautiful South Pacific coast of Costa Rica
ZION SUSANNO
Owner and Founder of Zion Paragliding, APPI Paragliding Instructor, APPI Pro Tandem Instructor
XC and Paragliding World Cup Pilot
-
Zion has been flying since the age of 15, giving him a total of 12 years flying, over 10,000 flying hours and has flown with more than 2000 passengers in tandem. Zion is a qualified instructor through APPI, which offers the highest standard of instructor training international. As an instructor and a Costa Rican, you are in the best hands when it comes to local flying knowledge combined with expertise for teaching and in-air guidance. Outside of teaching and flying tandems, Zion enjoys XC paragliding, competing and hike and fly missions - what can we say except the guy loves to fly and that’s why he’s the World record holder for the fastest ground speed on a paraglider, and longest distance and triangle in Central America.
-
Owner and founder of Zion Paragliding
APPI Paragliding Instructor
APPI Pro Tandem Instructor
Number 1 ranked pilot in Costa Rica
First Aider
Bilingual in Spanish and English
Second to none local knowledge of flying sites and weather
Next Clinic Dates
Coming September 2024
About The Tour
Eight days of adventure in the Atacama Desert will allow you to progress your flying in all the places you want to. This all-inclusive tour takes you to the best flying sites in Iquique where each pilot can fly to their strength and have plenty of time with our instructors to improve.
Over the eight days, we will cover a variety of different flying techniques based on the different flying sites we will visit. From simple ridge soaring to more advanced XC flying, by the end of this adventure tour you will feel more comfortable when flying the distance.
We will have the opportunity to fly across several different sites in Iquique, including Alto Hospicio, Palo Buque, Patillos and Pisagua before putting all you have learnt to the test as the group attempts the famous 100km XC flight from San Marcos launch back to Iquique.
GUIDANCE WHERE YOU NEED IT
Our paragliding adventure tour is unique in the fact that we offer full in-flight radio guidance for pilots that wish to use it. As well as giving pilots the chance to have one-to-one time with an instructor to discuss anything thing you would like to improve throughout the time in Iquique.
XC Radio Guidance
Our team of guides will be flying with you and the group on all XC flights, giving guidance on the radio as we go and fly as a team. As the tour progresses we hope you do too and our guides talk less on the radio to allow you to practise all you have learnt but don’t worry, help is always there when you need it.
Skills Practise
Palo Buque is a thermal dynamic site in Iquique and offers the perfect place for pilots to practise techniques and manoeuvres, and ask for observation and radio guidance when you want it. Tasks and skills practised are based on the pilot’s current ability but can include:
Advanced manoeuvres: rapid descent manoeuvres, spirals, wingovers, asymmetrical collapse, extra large big ears
Spot landings
Advanced kiting and ground handling
Thermalling technique
Speed bar and active piloting on speed bar
Tour ItinerarY
Day 1 | Welcome and first flights
AM
Welcome meeting and group introductions to your guides and the rest of the group
After getting to know each other we start the tour with the landing briefings in Iquique.
Head up to the Alto Hospicio take-off for the site and daily weather briefing and get ready for your first flights here.
With a flight plan, the group has their first flight in Alto Hospicio, keeping it local and getting to know the area and comfortable back in the sky for those that haven’t flown in a while.
PM
Lunch break with time for questions and debrief
Afternoon flights in Palo Buque where you can discover this magical site, practise manoeuvres and kiting and hang out in the Atacama Desert.
Day 2 -7 | XC Training and Flights
The tour continues with XC training, first flying from Alto Hospicio and making XC flights from here following the ridge.
As the tour progresses, the group moves onto different take-off sites of Patios and San Marcos to practise longer XC flying, including the famous 100km flight from San Marcos back to Iquique.
The exact days of flying these sites on the tour depends on the weather conditions.
All flight locations will start with the landing and site briefing, daily weather briefing, flight plan and question time.
After each flight the group will break for food, questions time and a debrief.
Day 8 | Final Tour Day
AM
Local flights on the final day from Alto Hospicio in the morning
PM
Post-flight group lunch and clinic debrief
Option to free fly in Palo Buque this afternoon
Onwards journeys or shuttles back to the airport can be arranged once you are here.
About Iquique
Zion Paragliding has been venturing to Iquique since 2014 to run paragliding courses and tours. We promise a safe tour filled with flying, fun and adventure and that’s why we work with local pilots to plan the best flying experience. Combined with Zion’s teaching expertise and in-flight guidance, our flying tours maximises your time in the air. Our team has also done the legwork to find the best food spots and places to stay so you can focus on flying and let us be your guides in the air and on the ground in Iquique.
Adventure in the sky and On The Ground
We always maximise flying on our tours but should a day or afternoon pass where it’s not possible to fly, plenty of other activities are at our fingertips to try. Including, sandboarding, surfing, visit to local hot springs, exploring a local train wreck yard and many other exciting adventures.
Accommodation
Holiday Inn Express
Stay in comfort and style in Iquique at the Holiday Inn Express as part of our paragliding tour package. Located on the beach front, the hotel is just steps away from two of the main landing zones in Iquique, Playa Cavancha and Playa Brava, as well as the busy downtown area with plenty of great restaurants to choose from for lunch or dinner.
(Zion Paragliding reserves the right to change the accommodation to a different hotel at any time, we will always substitute like for like)
Discover More About Iquique
Tour Details
What’s Included
8 days of flying and adventure with our tour guides
7 nights accomodation
Daily site and weather briefings
In-air radio guidance
Launch Fees
1-to-1 time with an instructor to discuss your current level and any goals you are working towards
Shuttles between the different flying sites and hotels
Daily shuttles to the launch site, landing zone pick-up and XC retrieve
Ground transport following the group on XC flights
What You Need
Minimum IPPI ParaPro2 paragliding certification or national equivalent such as USHPA P2
Paragliding Equipment
Certified paraglider (EN B or above)
Certified harness
Reserve parachute
Helmet
Unlocked dual-band VHF radio – we recommend the Yaesu FT-270 or FT-65R.
Ability to confidently take off and land on your own.
Basic fitness level – ability to sustain a 15-minute power walk
Warm clothes – you will feel the cold once you’ve thermalled to cloud base
Comfortable and sturdy shoes to withstand kiting in the desert – hiking boots are ideal
USHPA does not cover third party insurance outside of USA. Travel insurance - find out more
Who is the 8-Day Adventure Tour Right For?
IPPI P2, P3 and P4 Pilots or national equivalent license holders, who want to learn and improve their thermalling technique and XC skills - From experience, we have noticed that all pilots learn more when in a group of mixed abilities
Pilots who want to explore the paragliding in Iquique with a guide that knows the local area
Pilots who can launch and land with minimal or no help
Not Included
Airline flights or travel to the destination of Iquique
Food and drink (except where breakfast may be included in the hotel stay, our detailed itinerary will let you know once you’re booked)
Cost of any additional or optional activities
Insurance
Any additional nights accommodation if you arrive early or leave late
Covid-19 tests for travel
Pricing
All prices are subject to local tax at 13% for card or paypal payments
$2400 Shared Room
What’s Included
8 Day Tour
7 Nights Accommodation in a shared room
Includes everything listed under tour details
$2800 Private Room
What’s Included
8 Day Tour
7 Nights Accommodation in a private room
Includes everything listed under tour details
THE BEST XC FLYING FOR BEGINNERS AND STUNNING VIEWS WHERE THE DESERT MEETS THE OCEAN