Making a list of the top 7 drop zones in Spain is a very easy task. Spain is a country full of drop zones and skydivers who are all very talented and eager to jump. Not to mention the beautiful and vastly different landscapes that are spread across this country. Those of us who live here are very fortunate to be able to jump year round, and have multiple drop zones to go skydiving at. As well, Spain is a popular country for skydivers to travel to, because Spain is known for its good climate and more often then not, loads are always turning.
Due to the COVID pandemic this year however, there is for sure a big difference in our tourism here. Although we are happy to be able to share the skies with some travellers, things are certainly different than most years. Because I am not travelling very much at the moment myself, I am enjoying this summer jumping at drop zones within my area of Spain. Which got me thinking, I should write an article on the top drop zones in this beautiful country! So if you are planning a trip to Spain, or a local who hasn’t had the chance to move around. Let me give you a brief introduction to 7 best drop zones in Spain!
Skydive Empuriabrava
Lets start with my home drop zone here in Spain. The world renowned Skydive Empuriabrava! This is a very well known and popular drop zone. Every year there are countless jumpers from around the world travelling here to be able to jump at the famous Skydive Empuriabrava. The land of the sky, with its gorgeous costal and mountain views.
Not only are the views spectacular, but the local talent here is amazing. World famous coaches for free fly, RW and canopy piloting, all call Skydive Empuriabrava their home. Many skydivers travel here to attend events or receive coaching from some of the sports big names. As well, right next door to the drop zone, perfectly located in walking distance is Windoor Realfly. What more could you ask for? A drop zone and a wind tunnel right beside each other! I love my home, that is for sure.
The drop zone has great facilities, which include indoor packing, video debriefing area and an on sight rigger. Also, there is a bar for good food, coffee and of course cold beer at the end of a jumping day. There are multiple fantastic aircrafts that are running at Skydive Empuriabrava. The Twin Otter, Beech and Pilatus Porter are lined up and ready to bring us to altitude to jump over the beautiful canals of Empuriabrava. Although there is a nice and large landing area, there is not many options to land out here!
It is also important to be aware that there is no camping at this drop zone. For accommodation, you must book a hotel or find an Airbnb. Check with the drop zone, as there are local hotels that give a discount to skydivers!
Skydive Spain
Located in sunny southern Spain, about a 2o minute drive from the historic town of Seville, is Skydive Spain. This is another drop zone with amazing amenities. Skydive in the sunshine, and then pack and debrief in the indoor facilities available for jumpers. If you are feeling to hot to pack for yourself, you can hire a DZ packer! With an on sight rigger and equipment shop, you will be fully covered should you need something while you are at the DZ. There are large screen tv’s and WIFI available for your needs. Of course you will want refreshments in this sunny drop zone. Visit the airfields Cloud 9 café, which sells food, and yes you guessed it, cold drinks!
Now this drop zone has some really awesome air crafts available. Both their Dornier G92 and Cessna Supervan will take jumpers to 15,000 ft in around 13 minutes. Oh yeah! Every load goes to 15k! Fast planes and lots of altitude, now this is something all skydivers can get used to! The landing area is easy and very large, right in front of the main hanger.
Another great thing about Skydive Spain is their jump ticket prices! Actually they are a really competitively priced drop zone for fun jumpers in Spain. This also includes great pricing on rental equipment, pack jobs and license/coaching packages. They also offer jump ticket blocks with no expiry dates. This is the perfect time to remind you, they have great prices and go to 15k every load!
Check out their website for suggestions for close by accommodations. Skydiver rates are available at their suggested hotels and hostels!
Saltamos – Skydive BCN
Skydive BCN is the closest drop zone to the beautiful and famous city of Barcelona. It is located less than an hours drive from the city, as well it is accessible by train. If arranged with the drop zone, they are kind enough to pick you up at the nearby station. It is important to note that this is a weekend only drop zone, open from Thursdays to Sundays.
Skydive BCN has an amazing a chill atmosphere. The facilities are top notch, which they name Saltamos Village. The village has a really nice chill out area, as well as a beautiful pool! Seriously, the pool is amazing. Jumping in the hot summers in Spain, it is a luxury to be able to use the pool whenever you need a quick cool down! There is also a restaurant on site with great food, drinks and lots of seating. Watch the canopies landing while taking in the incredible views of the unique Monserrat mountain range. In August, the bar has bands scheduled to play each weekend! Although there is no on sight accommodation at this drop zone, there are hotels available close by!
The drop zone has two Pilatus Porters running. During the climb up you can really take in the views of the Monsterrat mountain range. Which also makes an incredible backdrop for you skydiving photos and videos. The landing area is big and open, as well there are many fields around for landing out. I will be hosting some Colorful free fly events at Saltamos along with my friends Seba and Mauro, check out our event pages on Facebook!
Skytime Skydiving
Located in El Grao De Castellon, south of Barcelona a 2 hour and 40 minute drive, you find Skytime Skydiving on the coast. This is a really fun community drop zone with a great vibe. Operating year round, the DZ is situated less than 100 meters from the beach. In fact, if you have your own gear and over 100 jumps you can choose to land on the beach or the main landing area. The DZ will give you a briefing first of course. The drop zone literally runs along the beach, so you just have a short walk back if you do choose to land on the beautiful beach!
Skytime offers all of the amenities at their facilities. They have packers, on site rigging, WIFI and a skydiving equipment shop. There is also a restaurant on site. As well the DZ is located walking distance to the town and more restaurants and bars. There is no on site accommodation, however as mentioned you are right next door to the town. There are multiple options for sleeping just a few hundred meters from the DZ. It really makes it a convenient place to jump because you are able to enjoy so many of the towns amenities, the drop zone and the beach, all within walking distance.
The drop zone runs a Pilatus Porter year round. However, throughout the year the drop zone is host to many amazing events. During these events a Cessna Caravan Blackhawk is usually running to adapt the larger number of jumpers. Its a good idea to keep an eye on the events page for Skytime Skydiving. The drop zone runs many fun skydiving events and boogies of their own, as well hosts organized events. Team ToraTora often runs their events here at Skytime! If you are interested in coaching, the drop zone offers coaching in all disciplines, from RW, free fly, canopy piloting and wingsuit flying.
Skydive Madrid – Ocana and Lillo
Skydive Madrid is a club that is made up of two drop zones in the surrounding area, Skydive Ocana and Skydive Lillo. They are located quite close to one another. Ocana is just less than an hour from Madrid city centre, while Lillo is slightly over an hours drive. Both drop zones offer perfect facilities for both local Madrid skydivers, as well as international skydivers from all over the world. With Madrid being so close by with 3 different wind tunnels, you will find talented fun jumpers at both locations as well as many opportunities for coaching on staff. Lets take a look at both DZ facilities and what they offer.
Skydive Ocana
Ocana has a great layout to their drop zone facilities. They offer a huge hangar, with indoor packing and of course packers for hire. There is also the 270 Skydiving Gear Shop on site. Outside they have a huge chill out area for skydivers so they can watch landings, and just relax before jumping again. There is a cafeteria onsite as well with a big terrace. You can enjoy food and of course always cold beer after jumping. To make the hot summer jumping even more fun, Skydive Ocana has a beautiful pool onsite for you to use! After jumping from either their Pilatus or Caravan, you have ample room to land in their huge landing area.
Check out accommodation in the nearby town of Ocana. Keep in mind you will need a form of transportation to get into the town from the drop zone!
Skydive Lillo
Skydive Lillo also boasts a great big hanger for skydivers to enjoy some shade while packing. There are couches and a tv available for debriefing after a jump and checking out your videos. If you need a team room, they have ready and available for you to use! Also on sight is a full rigging loft, able to help you with anything you may need. You will find a full service restaurant, that is set up right in front of the landing area, for perfect viewing of the action.
The Pilatus Turbo Porter allows for fast rotation between loads. And in case of special events, other aircrafts may be available to accommodate more loads. Skydive Lillo offers big beautiful grass landing areas, as well as many large ploughed fields for landing. This makes it an ideal drop zone for learners, because of all the wide open, safe landing space.
Skydive Lillo is also just a short drive into the town of Lillo, where you can find many options for accommodation! Always check with the drop zone first to see if they have deals with local hotels and hostels for special pricing for jumpers!
Skydive Leon
Skydive Leon is located in North-western Spain, and is about a 30 minute drive from the city of Leon. As with many of the other drop zones in Spain, Skydive Leon has good jumping weather year round. The drop zone has an ideal landing area, with many options surrounding the DZ and very little obstacles that could pose problems. Skydive Leon owns and operates a Cessna 182, which is available year round for fun jumpers and tandems.
The facilities are oriented all together in their large hanger. The indoor packing, debriefing, change rooms, the office and manifest all inside. There is also a small cafeteria. Enjoy your food and drinks in the observation area, which is situated in perfect views of the runway and landing area. One of the coolest parts of this drop zone is their pool, which is an appreciated feature at any hot climate DZ. However, this pool is extra special because it is shaped like an airplane! How awesome is that? It looks really cool from above when you under canopy!
As mentioned the drop zone is located outside of the city of Leon. You do need to arrange transportation and accommodation if you are staying in the area to jump for a few days.
Keep coming back
Hopefully with this list of some of the best drop zones in Spain, you are inspired to go jump and enjoy this beautiful country full of amazing DZ’s. Please let me know if there is any extra information missing about these facilities, and I will be sure to add it here! If you like the article, please let me know, send me an email or a message on Instagram. I want to know about your experience and thoughts!
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