Alto Rey

Alto Rey is a lightly used flying site in Guadalajara province, Spain, sitting at roughly 1,800 m and best known among hang glider pilots, who still gather here for competitions — paragliders see it far less often. That quiet keeps parking and take-off straightforward even on a good-weather weekend. The site runs along a long ridge that draws resident eagles, so thermalling alongside them is part of the experience, and the terrain gives real potential for cross-country flights when conditions line up. Take-off is a wide, relatively flat area reached by a hard-packed dirt road that any car can manage — no 4x4 needed. The one condition that matters is wind direction: it needs to come from the south, because any other direction sets up rotor turbulence off the ridge. With a clean south wind and eagles riding the same thermals, Alto Rey rewards pilots patient enough to wait for the right day over a site that rarely gets crowded.

Launch & conditions

Take-off is a broad, relatively flat area — easy to launch and rig without crowding. Wind must be blowing from the south; any other direction causes rotor off the ridge, so check before committing.

Getting there & local rules

Reached by a hard-packed dirt road suitable for any regular car — no 4x4 required. The site is rarely used by paragliders, so both parking and take-off are usually free of queues.

Check conditions before you fly

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