Paragliding takeoffs in the Atlas Mountains and on the coast (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia; manual search)

Takeoffs where flights uploaded to XContest begin, mainly in Morocco (the Atlantic coast, the Anti-Atlas around Tafraout and Kerdous, the High and Middle Atlas), and some in northern Algeria, northern Tunisia and around Dakhla (Western Sahara). Unlike the rest of this map they come from a manual search, not from the full XContest data, and they show no XC performance. The other markers on the map are the regular XC map.

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Caution

This list is not a guide to flyable sites. Before flying, ask local pilots, clubs or schools whether a takeoff is in use and safe, and check local rules, airspace (airports, military areas), protected areas and border zones. Coastal soaring depends on wind strength and direction; inland sites need a plan for heat, strong thermals and retrieves. You fly at your own risk. How the list was made, its limits and caution →

Rules and safety

Researched on 14 November 2026 from public sources (listed below). Rules change and are applied unevenly: check with the authorities before you travel.

Authorisation in Morocco

• Every paragliding flight needs a prior authorisation from the civil aviation authority (DGAC, Ministry of Transport), under a technical instruction of 2010. Apply at least 30 days ahead.
• The application (sent directly to the DGAC since February 2024): a signed commitment (annex 2), an overflight and landing request (annex 4), and copies of your passport, pilot licence (IPPI 3/4 or national licence) and third-party liability insurance.
• In practice permits are rarely issued. A nationwide suspension from November 2023 was reported; in 2024 the DGAC refused even trainees of the Moroccan federation; in February 2026 pilots received only a stamped application, not a permit.

Enforcement

• Provinces have closed sites (Aguergour in 2014; Tiznit province after a fatal paramotor accident). Police stop pilots at some sites; elsewhere flying is tolerated.
• Customs at Marrakech airport have held the gliders of pilots without a written permit until their departure (pilot reports, 2024 and 2026).
• Radio transmitters need an import approval (ANRT) and can be held at customs; consumer drones are banned from import.
• Flying is forbidden near airport approaches, military and strategic sites and nature reserves, and suspended while nearby military zones are active.

Insurance and rescue

• Without an authorisation your insurance may not cover you: the French federation (FFVL) told pilots so in 2024. Ask your insurer in writing before the trip.
• Rescue is limited: the Gendarmerie royale handles mountain rescue, but helicopters are hard to get, and private air ambulances are expensive. Take insurance with helicopter rescue and repatriation, and do not fly alone.
• Tandem flights: there is an informal sector of unqualified and often uninsured tandem pilots. Ask for the pilot's qualification and the passenger insurance.

Weather and hazards

• Coast (Aglou, Nid d'Aigle, Plage Blanche, Dakhla): soaring works only in the right wind, mostly the north-west sea breeze, best from October to April. Strong or crossing wind is dangerous at the cliffs.
• Atlas and Anti-Atlas: thermal flying from spring to autumn; from June to August thermals become violent. The Chergui, a hot, dusty east wind, can stop flying for days. Expect a large temperature difference between valley and launch.
• Fatal accidents: a Belgian pilot died after take-off near Aglou in March 2025, a French pilot in the Taroudant region in March 2020. The Czech embassy in Rabat warns of frequent paragliding accidents.

Western Sahara, Algeria, Tunisia

• Western Sahara: the UK government advises against all travel within 40 km of the Berm (the military line) and beyond it; travel insurance can be void against such advice. Check where your site lies.
• The land border between Morocco and Algeria is closed.
• Algeria (free flight under the Fédération algérienne des sports aériens) and Tunisia (sites such as Beni Aouf, host of the 2026 Arab championship): we found no published procedure for foreign pilots. Ask the national federation or a local club before you fly.

Sources

• Czech embassy in Rabat: paragliding in Morocco (31 Dec 2024)
• LeBrief: "Parapente : sans autorisation, on ne vole pas haut !" (19 Jun 2024)
• Belgian federation FBVL: Voler au Maroc, revirement (8 Feb 2024)
• Pilots' forum: interdiction de vol au Maroc novembre 2023 (posts Nov 2023 to Apr 2024)
• Le Matin: closure of the Aguergour site (2014)
• Infomédiaire: federation statement on the Tiznit ban
• Brussels Times: Belgian paraglider dies near Agadir (March 2025)
• Bladi: French paraglider dies in the Taroudant region (March 2020)
• UK government: Western Sahara travel advice
• Morocco customs rules (radios, drones)

Downloads

• GPX waypoints (most apps and GPS devices)
• XCTrack waypoints (.wpt, CompeGPS format)

Waypoint names include the number of track starts found; the files hold every takeoff of this list and also the takeoffs of the XC map in the same area, marked “(XC map)”.

Sites

Pilot names are not displayed; the top flights link to their public page on XContest, whose address contains the pilot’s XContest username. To have your flights excluded or a note removed, contact Show contact.