Mira

Mira launches at 2,553 m in Ecuador, about 40 minutes north of Ibarra by direct bus or car, and flies with wind from the southwest. This is a genuinely welcoming site for newer pilots: both the takeoff and the landing field are explicitly considered suitable for beginners, and there's real space to work with, room enough for around ten wings to lay out together at launch without crowding each other. Reaching takeoff from town is easy too, a roughly 30-minute walk or a 10-minute drive. The landing field matches the beginner-friendly character of the site: big, long and narrow, with plenty of room and an easy approach, and it sits right next to a hotel, swimming pool and bar, so it doubles nicely as a relaxed spot to land and unwind afterward. Beyond the easy basics, the altitude and southwest wind window also support thermalling, soaring, cross-country flying and hike-and-fly for pilots who want more.

Launch & conditions

Takeoff has room for around ten wings to lay out at once, and is about a 30-minute walk or 10-minute drive from town.

Getting there & local rules

Mira is roughly 40 minutes north of Ibarra, reachable by direct bus; takeoff is about a 30-minute walk from town, or 10 minutes by car.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Mira, 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 Mira with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.