Sky's not the limit for paragliders in Turkey's Alatepe

Alatepe, located in the Ören neighborhood of Milas, Muğla brings together extreme sports enthusiasts who want to have a different experience with paragliding.

The Ölüdeniz neighborhood of Fethiye district is one of the leading paragliding centers of the world. It hosts parachute pilots who hail from many countries around the world along with local and foreign tourists.

More recently, the Alatepe flight track has become the focus of attention for visitors.

The Alatepe track offers an alternative destination for parachutists, adrenaline enthusiasts and nature lovers who want to jump after practicing climbing.

Alatepe impresses its visitors with its unique views after a five-kilometer climb. After a hike in the neighborhood of Ören, paragliders and nature enthusiasts reach Alatepe, which stands at a height of 650 meters. They can then paraglide with the perfect view of the Gulf of Gökova, embracing the green and blue scenery.

Local and foreign tourists can also enjoy other activities such as swimming, diving and hiking. The rich local cuisine of Ören, which consists of fresh seafood and foods cooked with olive oil, also offers special tastes in terms of gastronomic tourism.

Nicknamed "Little Ölüdeniz" in a reference to Ölüdeniz, Fethiye, one of the best places to go paragliding, Alatepe currently hosts 5,000 jumps every year. Thanks to its appropriate weather conditions, it is possible to stay in the air longer than normal in Alatepe.

"We are jumping into the Gulf of Gökova with the wind blowing from the south. I stayed here in the air for six hours, as registered. As long as the weather conditions and your pilotage are appropriate in this area, it is easy to fly on a large 15-kilometer line for hours. Pilots fly over the sea in just three minutes after taking off from the track. It is possible to enjoy this magnificent view and make a jump in a straight line. Throughout all 12 months of the year, Alatepe allows paragliding. The acrobatics pilots come here to practice," said Ayhan Öztürk, the Ören Nature Sports (ÖRDOS) club chairman.

Stressing that they, as the association, arranged the jumps and landing runways with the support of various organizations, Öztürk added that they aim to particularly bring together sports with children. The chairman said that they are also conducting work to explore the natural cycling routes and to introduce them to tourism.