Tandem Paragliding Flight in Sedgefield

Sedgefield coastal ridge and dunes

Sedgefield sits between Wilderness and Knysna, where a long line of high, vegetated coastal dunes runs parallel to the beach. When the sea breeze blows steadily onshore, the air is pushed up the face of these dunes and creates smooth, rising lift, which makes the area one of the most reliable coastal soaring sites in South Africa and a favourite with paragliding pilots.

Your flight takes off from the ridge above the beach, so there is no long hike or steep mountain launch. You simply walk or run a few steps with your instructor until the wing lifts you gently off the ground. Once airborne you glide along the face of the dunes, high above the waves, with a wide view that people searching for paragliding on the Garden Route are hoping to find.

Swartvlei and the lakes from above

Behind the dunes lies Swartvlei, the largest natural inland lake in South Africa, connected to the sea by a winding estuary that opens and closes with the seasons. From the air you see its deep blue water, reed beds and the sandbanks of the estuary mouth, together with the patchwork of smaller lakes and wetlands that stretch west towards Wilderness.

This chain of lakes, rivers and forested hills is what gives the Garden Route its name, and it is hard to appreciate fully from the road. Ten minutes in the sky gives you a bird's-eye picture of how the lagoons, dunes and mountains fit together. On clear days you can look along the coast in both directions, with the Outeniqua mountains rising inland behind the forests.

Sedgefield town

Sedgefield is a relaxed seaside town that in 2010 became Africa's first member of the international Cittaslow 'slow town' movement, which celebrates local food, crafts and an unhurried way of life. Its Saturday morning markets are popular with visitors driving along the Garden Route, and its quiet beaches are good for long strolls and rock pooling at low tide.

The town is about 25 minutes by car from Knysna and around half an hour from Wilderness, which makes the flight easy to fit into a Garden Route day. Many guests combine paragliding with lunch in town, a visit to the beach at the river mouth or a stop at one of the forest viewpoints on the way back to Knysna.

Your flight: safety, timing and the best season

Before take-off your instructor explains the launch, how to sit in the harness and how to land, which is usually a gentle touchdown on the sand or the take-off area. All flying and safety equipment is provided. You do not need any strength or skill: you just relax and enjoy the view, and many guests ask to try a few gentle turns.

Paragliding depends entirely on the wind. Flights run from late morning to mid-afternoon when the sea breeze is steady, and the instructors decide on the day whether conditions are safe. The best time to go paragliding in Sedgefield is from spring to autumn, roughly September to May, when onshore breezes are most consistent, though flyable days happen all year. If a flight cannot go ahead, we help you move it to another time.