Niteroi Paragliding: Double Flight with Video & Photos

4.98

(130 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I almost missed the meeting spot because I got distracted by a street vendor selling those tiny brigadeiros — so yeah, I showed up with chocolate on my fingers. Guilherme just grinned and handed me a helmet anyway, like he’d seen it all before. The whole vibe was relaxed but somehow also buzzing; there were a few other people waiting, some nervously pacing, others just watching the sky. I could smell the sea even from up here, mixed with sunscreen and that faint tang of metal from the gear.

Our guide (I think his name was Lucas?) ran through the basics in Portuguese first, then switched to English for me — patient but quick, like he knew nerves would only build if we waited too long. The wind picked up and suddenly it was time. I didn’t expect how soft the takeoff would feel — more like being scooped up than jumping off anything. We floated over Niteroi and I could see Rio way off in the haze; birds scattered below us, and for a minute all I heard was air rushing past my ears and Lucas quietly pointing out Pedra da Gávea in the distance.

Fifteen minutes went by weirdly fast. There was this moment where Lucas let me steer for a bit — not sure if he regretted it when we wobbled (I definitely squeaked), but he laughed and said “todo mundo faz isso!” My hands were shaking when we landed but honestly, I still think about that view sometimes when I’m stuck in traffic back home. The edited video they sent after made me look braver than I felt.