Paragliding in Montenegro, from Brajići to Bečići beach

Of all the activities on the coast, paragliding is the one that best explains Montenegro’s geography. From up there you suddenly get what every guide says, that the mountains drop straight into the sea, because they’re at your back and the water is beneath your feet. And on the Budva Riviera you can do it in a morning with no experience at all.

The flight from Brajići to Bečići

The national tourist board describes the classic coastal flight. You launch at Brajići, a village 731 metres above sea level on the road that climbs from Budva towards Cetinje, and land on Bečići beach. The flight takes 10 to 15 minutes. Below you is the whole riviera, from the old town to Sveti Stefan, with Sveti Nikola island in the middle. For me it’s the best treat you can give yourself on a Budva holiday, and I describe the beach you land on in Bečići. Brajići is also home to one of the ziplines in Montenegro, 1,200 m long, if you’d rather hang from a cable.

Tandem or solo

If you’ve never flown, the answer is a tandem flight with an instructor, which needs nothing more than nerve. Flying solo is another matter, as it means training with a certified pilot, and the national tourist board says there are several licensed schools. For the technical details, the same page points to the Paragliding Association of Montenegro, which publishes a map of take-off sites with descriptions, coordinates and contacts. Its email addresses are on the national tourist board page, and that’s where I’d start if you want a course rather than a one-off flight.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Bečići before prices climb.

Durmitor, the mountain flight

The other big flight is in the north. At Savin Kuk, near Žabljak, you ride the two-seater chairlift and walk about 20 minutes to the take-off at 2,244 metres. The flight again lasts 10 to 15 minutes, over lakes, canyons and villages. The national tourist board quotes the pilot Petar Lončar, the first to paraglide across all seven continents, saying that Durmitor is the one place you never forget. The national park is covered in Durmitor.

Other take-off points

The same source lists Visitor above Lake Plav, Dizdarica above Herceg Novi and launch sites near Bijelo Polje, Mojkovac, Berane and Pljevlja, plus more urban spots in Kotor, Petrovac, Bar, Podgorica and Žabljak. The choice, it says, depends on which pulls you more, the sea or the mountains. I’d start on the coast and keep the north for a second trip.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Bečići before prices climb.

Price and insurance

There are no official prices for tandem flights, so get a quote and ask whether it includes the transfer up to the take-off and photos. And before you fly, check your cover. gov.uk recommends comprehensive travel insurance for Montenegro, and the GHIC only gets you state healthcare once you hold a certificate issued by the local health insurance fund. Not every policy includes adventure sports. For more ideas, I’ve gathered them in things to do in Montenegro.