Paragliding in Ölüdeniz

Story and Photos by Dawnelle Salant

At Turkey’s Ölüdeniz beach, The Aegean Sea begins at the edge of the land in such a light shade of blue that it is almost white. As it gets deeper, the water melts into slightly more intense shades of turquoise before finally deepening into the rich blue that is carried out to sea. One of my favorite places in Turkey, Ölüdeniz is home to the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. Meaning dead or calm sea, Ölüdeniz, is named for a perfectly still lagoon at the end of the beach.

The white pebble beach is dazzling and the surrounding landscape only enhances its beauty. Thankfully, all of the resort style hotels are set quite far back so they don’t ruin the view of the rolling hills covered in verdant foliage that back onto the beach. Tall waves roll in from the sea, crashing onto the pebbles.

The Blue Lagoon, at the far end of the beach, is a nature reserve and charges a small entrance fee. Here, the beach is covered in white sand and the water, truly dead. It’s more like swimming in a lake than in the sea. Paddle boats are available for rent and you can watch the famous Blue Cruise gullets anchor nearby.

One of the main reasons I went to Ölüdeniz was to participate in an activity that I had always wanted to do, but never had the opportunity – paragliding. I figured that if I was going to do something that put my life in danger, I might as well do it in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I have to admit I was nervous, but once I got there, I knew I would have regrets if I didn’t go.

Tandem paragliding is one of the main attractions in Ölüdeniz and the area is swarming with different companies competing for business. The adventure starts with a ride in an uncovered jeep-like vehicle which takes you to the top of the mountain. Whatever fears of flying I had soon disappeared, and were replaced with fears of toppling over the gigantic cliffs. The forty-five minute drive to the top of the mountain was definitely the scariest part of the whole experience. When we arrived at the top I was actually looking forward to jumping off the cliff. You couldn’t have paid me to go back down in that truck.

The take off area was the top of a 6,700 foot (1,900 meter) cliff. We would run down this gradual slope to catch the wind. Most people go tandem, but several solo pilots were also suiting up. One man had his dog strapped to his front, and as they took off I thought, If a dog can do it, so can I!

I had to wear a canvas suit and a helmet, which honestly isn’t very comfortable in 40°C (104°F) heat. When we were all attached and ready, my pilot explained my part in the whole process.

“When I say run, you must run.”

“Okay.” That sounded easy enough.

“You must really run. You have to give it everything or we will be in big trouble. Can you do that?”

“Sure,” I said, but thought, Can I?

“Don’t sit down until I tell you. When I say sit, you can sit. The harness turns into a chair so you will be comfortable.”

We had to wait for a good wind, and when one finally came, another man grabbed my harness in front and the pilot yelled, “Run!” But with the pilot running behind me and the strange man in front pulling me towards the cliff, my feet barely touched the ground. I couldn’t run if I had tried. It didn’t matter though, because within seconds we were floating in the air and I could sit down. That’s when I finally opened my eyes, and I have to admit, I was flabbergasted. I was almost 7,000 feet above the ground with only a parachute and a strange Turkish man holding me up.

Eventually I relaxed some and began to enjoy the view. Initially, the wind took us even higher up, but eventually we started to descend. I could see the Blue Lagoon and was stunned by how small and far away it seemed. The colors of the water were strangely magnified and I could see the entire beach in one glance.

“Wow! That is incredible!” I said to my pilot, once I’d calmed down enough to form a complete sentence.

“Yes! It’s beautiful.”

“How many times have you jumped here?” I asked.

“Over 5,000 jumps.”

I relaxed considerably more.

“5,000 jumps! Wow! Does it ever get boring?”

“No, I jump five times a day every day in the summer and then I have a break in the winter. I am always anxious to go back when the season starts.”

“How old is the oldest person you have ever taken?”

“Well, I didn’t take him, but there was an eighty-four year old who jumped with us.”

“Oh my! And the youngest?”

“Five. But you need special permission under twelve.” There are some brave people out there.

Thankfully I was brave enough to attempt this activity. There truly is no better way to see the most beautiful beach in Turkey. Not only do you get to see the unbelievable blues of the water, but also the green hills that surround the area, the hotels and the city of Fethiye in the distance. The water looked so clean and clear that I wished we could have landed in it.

When we were nearing the ground, my pilot asked, “Do you want to do some tricks?”

“Tricks? What kind of tricks?” This sounded scary.

“Twirls and dips. I can do a small one if you are scared.”

“Well…okay.” You only live once. But when we started plummeting to the earth in a fast spiral, I was pretty sure that my one life was about to end. We were going so fast that my face skin was pushed back and flapping in the wind. I screamed – both with delight and terror.

“Okay! That’s enough! That’s enough!” It was fun, but we were going down a lot faster than just floating and I wanted to enjoy the view a bit more.

As we got closer the ground, I started to worry about the landing, but I soon found out that there was little cause for concern. The landing was as smooth as ever; one minute we were in the air and the next, standing on the solid ground. An incredible experience from start to finish – and definitely worth all the apprehension! I can’t wait to do it again…

WHEN YOU GO

Ölüdeniz is a half hour drive from the city of Fethiye. The nearest airport is in Dalaman. Frequent mini-buses run between Fethiye and Ölüdeniz, but taxis are quite affordable.

Most hotels in Ölüdeniz are resort style and include breakfast and a buffet dinner in the price. Asena Beach is an excellent, mid-priced resort with a pool, two bars and evening entertainment. Its dinner buffet usually includes Turkish cuisine. Take water shoes as the beach is covered in hard pebbles and painful to walk on.

Useful Links

www.oludenizbeach.com Great website with all the information you need to know about the area. Includes pictures, a webcam, current weather reports, postcards and links to several hotels.

www.skysports-turkey.com Paragliding website that includes pictures, weather, accommodation information and online booking.

It’s not necessary to book in advance. So many companies fly five times a day that there is always availability. Talk to a few different pilots before choosing your company.

I flew with Easy Riders - www.easyriderstravel.8m.com
This site has a page with detailed information on the paragliding experience and an email address if you have questions.