Wayra, Ansermanuevo

Wayra launches from around 1,470 m above Ansermanuevo, a quiet town in Colombia's Valle del Cauca, and is built for thermal, soaring and cross-country flying rather than a first-timer's hop. The takeoff is a grassy field enclosed by a fence, with a house nearby; flying with local pilots is the easiest way to learn the site, since access is otherwise a jeep ride from the town's main park followed by a steep five-minute walk up — jeeps here run crowded, so plan for a tight ride. Getting to Ansermanuevo itself takes some patience: it's typically a bus to Cartago and a minibus onward, or a direct bus from Cali; Medellín connects via Cartago in around six hours. East, southeast and south winds are what the site catches. Landing is where local knowledge matters most — there are three usable landing options, but the terrain is hilly and turns genuinely difficult once wind or thermal activity picks up, so this isn't a place to improvise a landing plan on arrival. Local pilots mostly fly on weekends and days when tandem passengers are booked, which is worth knowing if you're hoping to fly alongside them.

Launch & conditions

Takeoff is a fenced grassy field with a house nearby; without a local pilot guiding you, the alternative is a jeep from the main park in town plus a steep 5-minute walk up — jeeps run crowded.

Getting there & local rules

Reach Ansermanuevo by bus to Cartago and onward minibus, a direct bus from Cali, or via Cartago from Medellín (around 6 hours).

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Wayra, Ansermanuevo, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Wayra, Ansermanuevo with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.