Lion’s Head Paragliding Cape Town – What Makes It Special
Lion’s Head and Signal Hill are Cape Town’s two main paragliding launch sites, and while they share the same mountain park, they offer genuinely different experiences. Sitting higher and facing the Atlantic on its south-western face, the conditions here are distinct — and the landing zone, the grassy area at the Glen Country Club near Clifton, puts you down with Camps Bay to your south and the Twelve Apostles filling the sky behind you. For many pilots and guests, it’s the more dramatic of the two sites.
The Launch Site
The Lion’s Head launch sits on the mountain’s south-western face, at significantly higher elevation than Signal Hill. Access is via Signal Hill Road – your instructor will brief you on the exact meeting point when you book, and will transport you to the launch site on the day.
Lion’s Head flies in south-westerly to west-south-westerly conditions. Cape Town’s famous south-easter — the Cape Doctor — does not directly drive this site. Instead, it comes into its own during south-westerly wind cycles, which are common across the Cape year-round and particularly reliable in the shoulder seasons. Wind readings are taken from the Lion’s Head iWeathar talker, which sits in the venturi on the mountain and gives accurate real-time data. The site’s operating window is formally documented in a SAHPA-registered risk assessment, and no commercial flights take place outside its parameters.
The Flight
Launch from Lion’s Head is a forward launch, identical in process to Signal Hill — your instructor inflates the glider, you run a few steps together, and you’re airborne. The transition is smooth, but the view that greets you on Lion’s Head is immediately striking: the Twelve Apostles range and Table Mountain’s southern face to your east, the open Atlantic ahead of you, and Clifton’s four famous beaches below.
From Lion’s Head you look down the Atlantic Seaboard towards Camps Bay and Hout Bay. The scale of Table Mountain is most apparent from this angle — you’re at a similar elevation to much of the mountain, looking across at it rather than up at it. On clear days the view extends far down the Cape Peninsula.
The Landing Zone
Lion’s Head flights land at the Glen Country Club near Clifton — a designated landing area with established safety infrastructure including first aid equipment on site. It’s a contained, managed landing zone in a spectacular setting, with Camps Bay Beach visible just to the south and the Twelve Apostles forming the backdrop.
Pilots approach on a Downwind Base Final approach, losing height over the ocean rather than over buildings, and touch down on the grass. After landing, the shuttle returns you to Signal Hill Road. Friends and family who aren’t flying can watch arrivals from the Glen Country Club area — it’s a great vantage point.
Lion’s Head vs Signal Hill — Which One Are You Flying?
The honest answer is that your instructor decides on the day, based on live conditions. Both sites require specific wind directions to operate safely, and Cape Town’s weather doesn’t always cooperate with a preference. Signal Hill flies in westerly to northerly winds, while south-westerly conditions are what activates Lion’s Head. On many days only one site is suitable; on some days neither is, and flights are rescheduled.
In practice, when you book with Cape Hope Paragliding, you’re booking a flight over Cape Town with championship-level instructors. Your specific launch site is confirmed on the day. Both experiences are exceptional — the views differ, the landing zones differ, but the quality of instruction, the safety framework, and the experience of being airborne over one of the world’s most beautiful cities remains consistent across both.
The Pilot Team
Cape Hope Paragliding’s instructors bring a competitive record that is unusual in tandem operations globally. Francois de Villiers Snr, South African Champion 2006 and 2007. Francis Dudley de Klerk, South African Cup Champion 2025. Roland de Vries, South Africa’s premier acrobatic pilot. Francois de Villiers, owner and Springbok pilot. All hold current SAHPA TFI ratings under SACAA registration.
Lion’s Head is a technically demanding site. The confidence of flying it with pilots who have accumulated thousands of hours on this specific mountain, in all its conditions, is part of what makes the experience with Cape Hope different.
How to Book
Book at capehopeparagliding.com or WhatsApp +27 61 583 4055. We fly year-round, seven days a week. Book early in your Cape Town visit to allow flexibility if conditions require rescheduling on your first-choice day.
