We suggest you to go skydiving at least once in your life, diving in a sea of clouds as its Anglo-Saxon name says. Both Évora and Lisbon are places worth visiting but, curiously, the Alentejo region is a place to be discovered. One of the best ways to explore the entire area it covers is via this risky sport.

In addition, the only center that provides this activity has different height exercices, which is not very common, and, similarly, it is unusual to stumble upon jumps as high as 5000 meters. Another inherent advantage of this discipline is that all the journeys are filmed with a camera, with the option of hiring it or not.

Besides, they are ideal for beginners, so it is can be reasonable to call a friend, family member or partner and go to the site quickly. Ask us without compromise, we are convinced that you will come back and repeat, it usually happens.

Where are the best areas for skydiving in Lisbon?

• Évora: This City-Museum is a treasure in itself. It can be said that its architectural ensemble is unique, with a large variety of perfectly preserved monuments. For all these reasons, among others, it was awarded the title of World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. In addition, an indication of its enormous value, it is part of the Network of Europe's oldest cities along with other well-known cities such as Cadiz and Cork.

But it does not only live from its historic center. Located inside Portugal, it belongs to the geographical region of Alentejo, a region that offers a multitude of incentives such as a rich gastronomy, an ancient cultural tradition and spectacular sceneries. Yes, from the heights you can contemplate its green fields, its rolling hills or the spectacular dune systems that made its beaches the best in the Old Continent back in 2015. All jumps, without exception, are carried out from the Municipal Aerodrome of Évora, located 10 minutes away by car from the center of the district.

What type of parachute jumps are available in Lisbon?

- Tandem jump 3,000 meters: the shortest, the little brother that still gives us insane feeling floating in the skies of Alentejo. In these tandem descents through the air currents, we are linked by a harness to an instructor in charge of executing the most decisive actions. At 3,000 meters we will plunge into the void at a speed of 124 miles per hour (200 km/h), with a free fall of about 15 seconds until the parachute opening mechanism is activated.

- Jumping to 4,200 meters: the fundamental difference with its immediate precedent is that, in this case, the aircraft remains above 4,000 meters of altitude, which means that the impression of being devoured by an abyss is increased, here we go to a free fall of just over 50 seconds.

- Jumping to 5,000 meters: only suitable for the most intrepid. We must recognize that any of the three modalities are appropriate for inexperienced people, although it is true that before venturing into this variant it would be recommended to have tried one of the other two available formulas. At this point we are talking about more than 75 seconds fall at 155 miles per hour (250km/h). Those are big words.

- Add photos and video: Parachuting from a light aircraft and not having added as an extra the photos or videos of the moment, is like someone who goes to a fast-food chain of hamburgers or pizzas, and asks for a "healthy" salad. The vast majority of offers provide the possibility of adding photos, videos or both in various formats: the selfie, the instructor attached to our body records in first person from his position; the photos or the external video, consists of a report, as the name suggests, taken by a monitor that descends in parallel, separate of the other teacher and the user.

What are the requirements to do this activity?

The only company that operates in area of Lisbon has just one mandatory requirement for all those who apply for the activity: to be at least 16 years old. From that age and up to 18, it is necessary to submit an authorization signed by the applicant's parents or legal guardians.

In addition, similar to what other companies apply in their regulations, the recommended weight must not exceed 15 stone (100 kg). If by any chance the agreed limit is exceeded, the interested party must inform the organizing team.

Is it safe to parachute in Lisbon?

If it wasn’t safe no one would highlight its virtues. If it is promoted as such, it is because there is a lot of hard work behind it, focused on consolidating the safety procedures that are carried out. Two factors converge to make precision the guiding light of the company that provides this service in Lisbon: on the one hand, the equipment used, which is regularly checked in case there is any damage and replaced immediately; on the other hand, the staff, made up of professionals with federal titles, creditors of an impeccable trajectory, deserving of all the credit in the world.

In addition, the pair flights are equipped with emergency devices that are activated in case of adversity, avoiding any potential danger. Apart from the guarantee elements incorporated in the parachute, an instructor will be responsible for giving a sufficiently rigorous briefing so that the student, we refer to the user, assimilates several important concepts on how to proceed if an eventuality arises.

When is the best time for skydiving in Lisbon?

Evora, which is where this aerial sport is practiced near Lisbon, an hour and a half drive from the Portuguese capital, has a Mediterranean climate characterized by hot, dry summers and relatively mild winters with rainfall. Thus, Evora can boast ideal atmospheric conditions for skydiving all year round.

Experts in the field usually point out spring and autumn as the best time to jump, but against all odds, they strongly recommend winter for two reasons: the cold can always be camouflaged with a sweater or fleece and, in addition, the strength of the wind makes you feel more alive than in any season. In Évora, also, as we have already mentioned, winters are mild, without major setbacks, which undoubtedly favors the development of events.