In the very heart iof the province of Málaga lies Abadalajís Valley, a fertile mountain enclave nestled between El Chorro reservoir, the plains of Antequera and the Guadalhorce river basin. Due to its extraordinary location it has become one of the prime areas on the Mediterranean peninsula for hang gliding and paragliding. Enthusiasts from all over Europe make their way to this inland niche in the heart of Málaga to fulfil a lifelong dream: to fly.

Abdalajís dips and soars within the Bética Mountain Range. Its distance from the socalled Atlantic high-pressure ridge bestows on it a unique microclimate with ideal thermal and wind conditions for hang gliding and paraglinding. The beauty of the surrounding landscape completes the picture. From the air, the sheer sides of los Gaitanes Gorge and the mysterious rock formations of El Torcal fade into the rolling hillrocks dotted with olive trees and fields of grain. The Guadalhorce reservoir laps at the shores of this stunning sight when taken in from a bird's-eye view.
Due to its location, orography and climate conditions, Abdalajís is the perfect area for outdoor sports lovers. It is above all, however, the eminent area for free fly, surrounded by three magnificent flights routes: the eastern area (Levante); the area to the west (Poniente); and the area to the north, known as "La Capilla".
Of the various types of free fly, two stand out for their popularity among the enthusiasts worldwide: hang glinding and paraglinding.

The first flights in a hang glider, of questionable succes, were by Abás Ibn Firnas in the 1st century. Leonardo da Vinci also tried his hand several centuries later with his flying machine, but it wasn't until 1890 that the structure of the hang glider was perfected, thanks to German engineer Otto Lilienthal, who made more than 2.000 controlled flights from atop an artificial hill.

When the Wright brothers invented the aircaft engine, interest in hang gliding all but disappeared. But, like the Phoenix, it reemerged in 1961 when a NASA engineer invented the Rogallo, or delta wing to be used as a controllable parachute for the Apollo programme. NASA rejected it in 1965, but some pilots adapted it for use in sports. Free fly became popular en the 70s in many parts of the world, in particular in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Unites States. The firts world champioships were held in 1976 in the Austrian town of Kössen.
The sport of paraglinding emerged from the desire of mountain climbers to soar from the peaks they had scaled. It was, at first, an enormous parachute which was quite versatile in terms of control and hangling. Today, this type of flights is typical over plains - and particulary over deserts, where great altitudes can be achieved - where air time depends on the pilot's ability to locate thermal updrafts or to master the dynamic effect achieved through particular formations with regard to the wind.
The science of glinding is to be found in the thermal air currents which occur when a mass of air is heated by conducction - in other words, by the contact of the air mass with the ground which has been heated by the sun's rays. This air mass expands with the heat and becomes more buoyant than the air around it, causing it to rise.
There are vaious ways to gain height, such as restitution lift, mountain waves or ridge lift, and convergence lift. All have their unique features. Even some clouds, such as cumulus, can provide lift. Abdalajís Valley offers the oportunity to fly high and discover the panoramic beauty of inland Málaga.