If you’ve never done parasailing before, add it to your bucket list. Unlike other water activities like surfing and paddle boarding, you don’t need any special skills. A sense of adventure is sufficient.
Tourists commonly opt for tandem parasailing. Some companies also arrange solo parasailing, high-altitude parasailing, and wakeboard parasailing. The reputable ones prioritize safety, and they’ll cancel your flight if the weather isn’t optimal.
Fly high at these top parasailing destinations.
Jamaica
When it comes to sandy beaches, Negril has great ones, such as Seven Mile Beach. Parasailing allows you to appreciate them aerially.
There’s no shortage of parasailing operators in Jamaica. Fly High Parasail, which is based in Negril, offers a safe and fun experience for adults and children over the age of four. They offer single, tandem and triple rides. You’ll wear a life jacket over your bathing suit, and most opt to do it barefoot.
If you’re in Ocho Rios, Sun Star Watersports has parasailing, while Half Moon Resort in Montego Bay offers it at Sunset Beach.
Mexico
Enjoy a bird’s eye view while in Cabo, Cancun or Puerto Vallarta.
Take flight courtesy of Cabo Expeditions. You’re only in the air for 10 minutes or so, but that’s enough to look at Cabo San Lucas Bay, Land’s End and Medano Beach.
Parasail Cancun permits cameras, but you’re responsible if it falls into the sea. Consider asking a friend or someone you trust to take photos and videos from below.
Vallarta Parasiling, which services Puerto Vallarta, allows you to take off from the beach. Some say this takeoff point adds a bit more thrill to the experience.
New Zealand
There are parasailing operators all over New Zealand, including Taupo, Bay of Plenty, and Queenstown.
The Paraflights company is based in Queenstown, and their staff is praised for their knowledge and professionalism. Touch the water with your feet on takeoff and departure if you wish. Flights can be booked on the hour, every hour, in summer and winter, if conditions are right.
Other recommended areas for parasailing in New Zealand include Rotorua and the spectacular Lake Wanaka.
California
There’s plenty of parasailing on offer in California—it’s a huge state after all.
For a safe and fun experience, book a solo, tandem or triple ride in Long Beach, Newport Beach, Catalina Island, or Lake Tahoe. You’ll be between 600 and 800 feet in the air, and you can choose between wet and dry flights.