A paragliding holiday with your partner does not require both of you to be pilots. Sesimbra is one of the few places where the combination genuinely works for mixed couples — the pilot gets excellent airtime and coaching, the non-pilot gets a tandem flight, a beautiful coastal town to explore, and access to some of the best beaches and seafood restaurants on the Portuguese Atlantic. If both of you fly, you can launch together, fly the same ridge, and land on the same beach. Either way, the week works.
When One of You Flies and the Other Doesn't
This is the most common scenario — a licensed pilot with a non-flying partner. The challenge in this situation is that the pilot disappears for four to six hours on flying days while the partner finds their own way through the day. In the wrong destination, this leads to resentment. In Sesimbra, it tends not to.
The reasons are practical. Sesimbra is a working fishing town with a real town centre, a sheltered beach within walking distance, an old Moorish castle above the town, and good restaurants at every price point. A non-flying partner in Sesimbra is not stranded — they have a genuinely interesting place to spend the day, and the pilot's flying ends at a predictable time in the afternoon so evenings are shared.
Non-flying partners who want to be closer to the experience can watch from the clifftop launch area. The views from the ridge are good even from the ground, and seeing your partner's wing inflating and rising above the cliff is something that most people find unexpectedly moving.
Tandem Flights — The Non-Pilot's Introduction to the Sky
For couples where the non-pilot is curious, a tandem flight with Behrooz is the natural way to share the experience. The tandem passenger does nothing — they wear a harness that attaches to the pilot's, run a few steps on launch, and then sit back while Behrooz handles the flying. The flight lasts 15–30 minutes and reaches 150–300 m above the cliff.
The most common reaction from non-pilots after a tandem flight is surprise at how peaceful it is. The absence of engine noise, the slow movement, the altitude without vertigo — it is different from every other aerial experience and most people find it immediately calming rather than frightening.
Side-by-Side: Launching at the Same Time
For couples where both are pilots, the question often comes up: can we fly at the same time and stay together in the air? The answer is yes, with some caveats.
On coastal soaring days at Sesimbra, the ridge is long enough for multiple pilots to fly simultaneously without conflict. Two pilots can launch in quick succession and soar the same section of cliff, maintaining visual contact throughout. If both pilots are at a similar skill level, this works naturally — you share the same lift band, can radio each other, and land on the same beach.
Behrooz can accommodate couples where both pilots are joining the same coaching week. Group composition is discussed in advance — if you want to ensure you're in the same week with the same programme, book together and let Behrooz know. Side-by-side tandem launches are also possible for couples where one is licensed and the other is flying their first tandem — both wings launch in the same session, giving you a shared moment in the air even at different skill levels.
Sesimbra as a Romantic Base
Sesimbra is an objectively beautiful place to spend a week. The Moorish castle sits above the town on a rocky hillside. The harbour has working fishing boats next to colourful painted buildings. The seafront has the unhurried quality of a place that has not yet been overrun by tourism — quiet enough to feel like you found it, lively enough to have something happening in the evening.
The food is outstanding. The Atlantic coast of Portugal has some of the finest seafood in Europe, and Sesimbra is a fishing port — the fish here is caught locally, priced honestly, and cooked with the confidence of a place where fish is the main dish, not a menu option. Caldeirada (fisherman's stew), grilled sea bass, percebes — paired with local Setúbal white wine — makes for genuinely excellent evening meals at prices that surprise most Northern European visitors.
Atlantic sunsets from the harbour are worth planning an evening around. In summer and early autumn, the light turns the cliffs gold for a long time before the sun drops into the ocean.
Day Trips Together on Non-Flying Days
Weather closes the flying window occasionally, and those days become couple days by default. The options within easy reach of Sesimbra:
- Arrábida Natural Park — 20 minutes east. One of Portugal's most beautiful stretches of coastline: turquoise water, limestone cliffs, small beach cafés accessible only by boat or on foot. Couples routinely report this as the best day of the trip.
- Lisbon — 40 minutes north. Pastéis de Belém for breakfast, Alfama in the afternoon, rooftop bar in the evening. A classic day trip that never disappoints.
- Setúbal — 20 minutes east. A working Portuguese city with a good Friday market, excellent regional food, and the Arrábida wine-producing valley nearby.
- Boat trips from Sesimbra — the local fishing harbour runs boat trips along the coast in summer. An hour on the water looking back at the cliff you've been flying above is a different kind of perspective.
For more detail on what the week looks like day by day, read our guide to a week in Sesimbra. For logistics on getting to Sesimbra from Lisbon Airport, the transport guide covers all the options.
To discuss availability and find a week that works for both of you, message Behrooz on WhatsApp.