Fly Site- Salango, Ecuador

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Launch (N 01°36’01”, W 80°51’08”)                       

Landing Zone The Beach

Salango is a small community on the Ecuadorian coast about a five-minute bus ride South of Puerto Lopez.  Launch is found above the South end of Salango at Hosteria Islamar, near the antennae.  The ridge faces the ocean and is underlined by a wide, fantasy-like aquamarine beach for most of the length.

The initial ridge is short and somewhat crescent-shaped, requiring tight turns and constant steering.  There might be room for two pilots to be making turns simultaneously on this ridge...  In ideal weather, local pilot Jorge Mora says it is possible to gain elevations of over 300 m here.  Gain maximum elevation and head left across the gap for the longer, straighter ridge paralleling the beach.

While the Salango fly site is small and might not atop the list of traveling paragliders, the site is beautiful beyond words and merits a stop if you are passing through.  Nearby Puerto Lopez is also a popular destination for many activities from whale-watching to hiking to diving.

Notes on Launch: The launch I used was a small, flat area that dropped off precipitously to waves crashing in to rocky cliffs.  Be very confident in your ground-handling skills before attempting to launch here

There are several potential launch sites at Islamar.  Which one is preferable will depend on the wind direction.  With consistent, solidly South winds, a South-facing slope also found on the property is the best choice.  When winds are not as strong or slightly more Southwest, the launch marked by the GPS point (above) is preferable.  (You will pass the aforementioned South-facing slope on the left walking en route to the GPS point)

Notes on Landing Zone:  Land on the wide, sandy beach below.  A road leads between the largest, closest gap and will take you back out to the highway.  Buses headed North to Puerto Lopez and Salango pass regularly.

Hazards: Do not attempt to fly too far to the right of launch (i.e. around the point towards Salango).  Significant rotor is found there.  Do not launch if winds are primarily West.

Watch out for the mean dog on the property that bit me.  I assume if you are a guest at Hosteria Islamar he’ll know better.  It really is an incredibly beautiful property and looked like a nice place to stay!

Flyable days per year: Appx. 300+ ?  Best months June - August.

Best times of the day: Variable.  Contact local pilot Jorge Mora for details (georgedepor@hotmail.com

Cost: The launch is within Hosteria Islamar and requires their permission to use.  One day I was charged nothing, the next day I was charged five dollars... (?!)

How to get there:

To Puerto Lopez: There is at least one daily bus direct from Quito.  More regularly scheduled buses are available from nearby transit cities of Manta, Portoviejo, and Jipijapa.

To Hosteria Islamar:  From Puerto Lopez, catch any bus headed South (i.e. Santa Elena, Monteverde, etc.)  Just moments after passing through Salango (the next town Southbound) there is a large white “Islamar” arrow on the right side of the road.  Follow this gravel road ten minutes walking up to their gate and hit the doorbell.

Website: Contact Jorge Mora at georgedepor@hotmail.com, or contact any number of tour agencies in Puerto Lopez that book paragliding day-trips.