Key takeaways
- Paragliding961 is a Jounieh-based tandem operator flying certified pilots over Jounieh Bay and the Harissa hilltop.
- Every flight includes free GoPro video and photos, so you leave with footage instead of just memories.
- The flight route passes the 8.5-meter Our Lady of Lebanon statue, which sits roughly 650 meters above the bay.
- Booking is direct and transparent, with pilots choosing the calmest flying windows for your comfort.
If you want to fly over Jounieh Bay, Paragliding961 is the operator that pairs certified tandem pilots with free GoPro footage of your flight. You get a trained professional handling every part of the flight, a route over one of Lebanon's most photographed stretches of coast, and video you can keep. This guide walks through exactly what the experience includes so you can decide with facts instead of guesswork.
Paragliding961 flies from the hills above Jounieh, a coastal city roughly 16 km (10 miles) north of Beirut on a distinctive U-shaped bay, according to Wikipedia. That location is the whole point. Few flights anywhere combine a Mediterranean bay, a working marina and a mountaintop pilgrimage site in a single circuit.
Paragliding961 pilots: certified, with thousands of safe flights
The person strapped behind you matters more than anything else on a tandem flight. Paragliding961 flies with certified pilots who have logged thousands of flights between them. That experience shows up in the parts of the day you never notice: reading the wind before launch, timing the run off the slope, and setting up a smooth landing.
Tandem paragliding with a trained professional carries a strong safety record, and serious incidents are rare when the operator respects the conditions. Modern tandem wings are built to handle loads well beyond normal flight, and reserve parachutes are standard equipment. The discipline that keeps those numbers low is simple: fly when the air is right, wait when it is not.
If you want to know who you will be flying with, the team shares its background in Meet the Certified Paragliding Pilots Lebanon Trusts. Reading it before you book is a fair way to judge any operator.
Flights over the iconic Jounieh Bay and Harissa
The route is the reason most people pick this flight. You launch from the hills, climb over the bay, and track toward the Harissa ridge. From the air, the U-shaped bay opens up below you with the marina, the coastal road and the Mediterranean all in one frame.
Harissa is the landmark that makes the flight unmistakable. The hilltop shrine sits roughly 650 meters above sea level and overlooks the whole bay. At its center stands the Our Lady of Lebanon statue, a bronze figure 8.5 meters tall weighing 15 tons, painted white and set on a 20-meter stone pedestal, as documented by the Mar Sharbel shrine record. Seeing it from eye level in the air is a different experience from standing beside it as a visitor.
The coastline itself is part of the draw. For a sense of what the water looks like from above before you commit, the blog covers it in The Mediterranean Coast From Above: A Paraglider's View.
Free GoPro video and photos with every flight
Plenty of operators treat video as a paid add-on. Paragliding961 includes free GoPro video and photos with every flight. Your pilot films the launch, the flight over the bay and the pass near Harissa, then shares the footage with you afterward.
This matters more than it sounds. On your first flight you are busy taking in the view and the feeling of being in the air, and most people remember less of it than they expect. The footage fills that gap. You get the launch, the turns over the water and the landing, all from the camera mounted on the flight.
A few things the included media typically captures:
- The run-up and launch off the slope
- Wide shots of Jounieh Bay and the marina below
- The approach toward the Harissa ridge and the statue
- Your own reactions during the flight
Because the video is part of the flight rather than an upsell, there is no decision to make at the launch site and no surprise charge at the end.
Clear pricing and easy booking
Hidden costs are the fastest way to sour an adventure. Paragliding961 keeps pricing clear: the flight price covers the tandem flight with a certified pilot and the GoPro media, so you know what you are paying before you arrive. That transparency is a fair thing to expect from any paragliding Jounieh operator, and it is worth confirming when you compare options.
Booking is direct. You reserve a flight, agree on a window, and the team confirms based on conditions. If you are weighing dates or group size, the full process is laid out in How to Book a Paragliding Flight in Lebanon.
Local knowledge of the best flying windows
A paraglider is only as good as the air it flies in, and local knowledge decides when that air is worth using. Pilots who fly the same site year-round learn its rhythms: when the morning breeze turns, how the sea affects the afternoon, and which days to call off.
That is where a local operator earns its keep. The team flies the Jounieh and Harissa air constantly, so it knows the hours when conditions are smoothest and the seasons that fly best. Autumn, for instance, often brings stable, clear air that suits first-time flyers, and the reasoning behind that is worth reading before you plan a trip.
Rather than promise a flight on a fixed date regardless of weather, a careful operator times your flight to the window that gives you the gentlest ride and the clearest view. That is the difference between a rushed flight in marginal air and a calm one you will actually enjoy.
How to reserve your flight today
Pick a few candidate dates, then reach out to Paragliding961 to reserve. Share your weight and the number of people flying, and let the team suggest the calmest window in your range. Because the GoPro media and the certified pilot are built into the flight, there is little left to decide once your date is set.
If you are flying for the first time, read the pilot profiles and the booking guide linked above, confirm the pricing, and keep your schedule flexible by a day or two so the team can put you in the best air. Then book, show up, and bring nothing but yourself. Jounieh Bay and the view toward Harissa will do the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paragliding961 a licensed Jounieh paragliding operator?
Yes. Paragliding961 runs tandem flights from the Jounieh and Harissa area with certified pilots who have logged thousands of flights.
Do I get video of my flight?
Every tandem flight includes free GoPro video and photos captured by your pilot during the flight, shared with you afterward.
Do I need any experience to fly?
No experience is needed. You fly tandem, strapped in front of a certified pilot who handles the launch, flight and landing.
What will I see during the flight?
You fly over Jounieh Bay and past the Harissa hilltop, with views of the Mediterranean coast, the marina and the Our Lady of Lebanon shrine.