Adventure Sports - Home

Whether you want high-adrenalin extreme sports - on snow, ground or water; wind or gas-fuel-driven; to get about on two wheels or two legs; taking to the air; or calmer, but no less adventurous wild swimming, Andalucia has all the facilities and natural elements for you to indulge in your favourite activities.

If your idea of heaven is to take off into the sky, flying, paragliding and microlighting will all give you unparalleled views of Andalucia's spectacularly varied countryside. If you like bikes, whether motor or mountain, there are plenty of tracks to follow, from gentle converted train routes, with bridges and tunnels, to challenging off-road terrain.

Andalucia Desafio Doñana		Caving & Speleology
The highlight of this annual triathlon event is the 30km running section along the endless, virgin beach of Doñana. More>		Andalucia has a surprising number and variety of natural caves. More >
Climbing		Cycle Racing
Andalucia has some of the best climbing areas in Europe outside the Alps. More >		The three main professional cycle races in the Andalucia cycling calendar are the Tour of Spain,the Tour of Andalucia,and the one-day Clasíca de Almería. More >
Extreme Sports		Light Aircraft
If speed and danger are your thing, you've come to the right place. Andalucia is an XS paradise. More >		Clubs and Flights Schools for Light Aircraft. More >
Microlighting		Motor Biking
Fly along the shoreline and get stunning aerial views of the Mediterranean. More >		Andalucia is one giant off-road paradise and country bikers can feast themselves on terrain as testing or as comfortable as they choose. More >
Motoring		Mountain Biking
Motor Racing, Vintage Cars, 4x4, Itineraries and Driving in Spain. More >		Acres and acres of open ground. A biker's paradise. More >
Paragliding		Paris - Dakar
Andalucia provides some near-perfect terrain for paragliders. More >		Each year around New Year the Paris Dakar rally passes through Andalucia. More >
Plymouth Dakar		Marbella – Malabo Rally 2007
Since the inauguration in 2003 a motley crew take part in this low budget alternative to the Paris-Dakar. More >		Following the success of previous year trips andalucia.com is pleased to announce the 2007 Marbella – Malabo Rally. More >
Skydiving		Sphereing
Feel the adrenalin from jumping out of a plane with a parachute. More >		This is one of the newest adventure sports to take over Andalucia. If you haven't tried it, well, it's time to get rolling! More >
Vuelta de Andalucia		Watersports
Both a cyclist and any spectator would love to be part in a cycling tour. More >		Kitesurfing, wakeboarding, windsurfing and surfing can all be enjoyed along Andalucia's coast. More >
Wild Swimming
One of the latest trends in adventure sports, or more daring or unusual outdoor activities, is wild swimming. More >

Microlight

Adventure Sports in Andalucia
By Chris Jones

Andalucia has some of the best venues in the world for a range of sports, which should satisfy the desire for modest thrills and adventure inherent in most of us. Within a relatively small area, the region has the sea, hills and mountains, undulating countryside, forests, wide open spaces, lakes and rivers, major cities and tiny hamlets, hundreds of wonderfully sunny days, just the right amount of rain, snow, beautiful flora and fauna, dozens of species of wild animals and birds - enough to be going on with.

As for adventure sports, perhaps we should count ourselves fortunate that in southern Spain we don't have any skyscrapers to attract base-jumpers. There are, however, plenty of seriously high cliff faces, especially around the Sierra Nevada and Ronda, should you fancy your chances at this off-the-wall (literally) occupation. Basically, what you do is run as fast as you can and hurl yourself off the edge of a cliff, assume the straddle position, manoeuvre yourself as far away from the face as possible and open the 'chute, all within about six or seven seconds, and then float gently to the ground. That's the theory, anyway. The legality of base-jumping is questionable, particularly in urban areas, although that does seem to add a certain frisson for some. It won't surprise you to know that there is no official organisation for base-jumpers.

Skydiving, for those with a bent for the mega-adrenalin rush, is similar to regular free fall parachuting, but much, much, much faster. Aficionados exit the plane and then invert themselves, head pointing straight down, legs together and arms clamped to their sides. The idea, quite simply, is to go as fast as possible...and they do, at times reaching speeds edging around 200mph. Someway prior to hitting the ground, preferably, you just pull out of the dive, assume the normal straddle shape, decelerate and release the parachute. A buzz, or what! Not unnaturally, it is advisable to have mastered free fall in the sit fly and star shape positions before attempting it head first.
More information is available from the Skydiving Centre at the La Juliana airfield located about 25km south west of Seville off the A474.

Speed skiing is exactly what it says - going hell-for-leather straight down a near-vertical, ice-covered track on a pair of skis, described as 'nearly past fear at terminal velocity'. The skis are wider than normal, you carry body-hugging poles, aerodynamic helmets are mandatory, and so is a large helping of courage and a touching faith in your own ability on 240cm-long, 30lb fibreglass planks. In Andalucia, those heading for the Sierra Nevada have to do their fastest down the black runs. Incidentally, you stop by the simple expedient of sliding up a gentle gradient at the end of the run. Then head for the nearest bar.

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