Camins de Vent

The hot air balloon experience over Montserrat

The experience begins before take-off. At sunrise, the crew lays out the balloon while the Catalan sky starts to brighten. The pre-flight briefing, the inflation of the balloon and climbing into the basket are all part of the experience: watching it grow, feeling the heat of the burner and knowing that in a few minutes you will be airborne.

Once in the air, the balloon drifts gently over the valleys of l'Anoia. The silhouette of Montserrat appears on the horizon: the rocky formations, the needle peaks, the Monastery visible among the stone. From 500 to 1,500 metres altitude, the Mediterranean, the vineyards of the Penedès and the fields of Central Catalonia unfold in a silence that takes you by surprise. No engine, no vibrations: just the wind and the pilot's voice.

The landing, always controlled, adapts to the air currents of the day. No two flights follow the same route: the wind decides, the pilot steers, you enjoy. After touching down, the crew opens the Catalan cava. The toast, the picnic breakfast and the presentation of the flight diploma signed by the pilot close an experience you will remember for years.

The hot air balloon experience — flying over the Empordà at sunrise

You arrive at the meeting point before dawn. The light is still blue and the crew is setting up the balloon in the field: the envelope inflates with the fan, the burner fires its first roar and, suddenly, that coloured sphere rises in front of you. You need to climb into the basket before it decides to leave without you.

The activity begins in the Baix Empordà, near Jafre. The crew welcomes you, gets everyone settled in the basket and runs through the essentials: posture at take-off, posture at landing, what to do if the balloon shifts. The briefing is brief because the flight is smooth: the balloon doesn't pitch, it has no rudder — it rises, descends and lets the wind choose the direction.

The flight lasts one hour. We climb to 500 metres and drift with the currents over the Empordà plain. Below, the medieval villages of Pals and Peratallada, the rice fields, the River Ter. To the left, the Medes Islands mark the edge of the Mediterranean. And in the background, the Pyrenees as a backdrop. No engines. Just the intermittent breath of the burner and the sound of the wind as it passes. This is the kind of silence the Costa Brava simply cannot offer at sea level.

We land in an open field. The ground crew arrives to collect everyone and the post-landing ritual calls for a toast with cava and pastries, the morning's photos and a certificate signed by the pilot. We've been doing this for 30 years and it's still hard to climb out: the ground, after an hour floating, feels strange.

The experience — Flying over the Lleida Plain by hot air balloon

You arrive at the take-off field before dawn. The Lleida Plain is still asleep and the air carries that stillness you only find in Ponent. The team is setting up the balloon to one side: the envelope inflates with the fan, the burner fires a first roar and suddenly the whole coloured sphere rises. Time to board the basket before it decides to move.

The activity starts in Bellpuig, in the heart of the Ponent Plain. The team welcomes you, assigns places in the basket and delivers the technical briefing: take-off posture, landing posture, what to do during the flight. The basket holds 12 people and has a side door, making boarding easier for children, elderly guests or people with reduced mobility. The pilot explains that the balloon does not shake, does not negotiate with the wind: it rises, descends and drifts.

The flight lasts one hour. We climb to 500 metres and the Plain unfolds below like a mosaic: cereal fields in summer, orchards in blossom in spring, straight roads crossing the Pla d'Urgell. As the light arrives, the Serra del Montsec emerges to the north — a Starlight Reserve, one of the darkest areas of Catalonia by night and one of the clearest by morning. No engines. Only the intermittent gust of the burner and the sound of the wind passing. It is the most serene flight in the network: no orographic distractions, no sharp turns, no surprises.

We land in an open field in the Pla d'Urgell. The ground crew arrives to collect you and the landing ritual begins: a cava toast and sweet pastries, the morning photos and the return to the meeting point. We have been running this flight for 30 years and it is still the favourite of those who thought flying was not for them.

The hot air balloon experience — flying over the Vic plain

You arrive at the Vic sports ground before daybreak. The sky is still dark blue and the plain is wrapped in low mist — the kind that only forms when the night gets trapped in the valley. The crew is inflating the balloon at the far end of the field and, as the envelope rises, the burner lets out its first roar. You are about to cross the roof of the mist.

The activity begins at the Club Atlètic Vic. The crew welcomes you, gets everyone settled in the basket and runs the technical briefing: posture at take-off, posture at landing, what to do during the flight. The basket holds up to 12 people and has a side door, making it easy for children, older participants and people with reduced mobility to board. The pilot explains that the balloon has no rudder — it changes altitude to find different winds — and that the landing depends on how the morning behaves.

The flight lasts one hour. We climb above the thermal inversion and the Vic plain appears as a sea of cotton with bell towers poking through. The Vic cathedral rises above the mist. As the light grows, the horizon broadens: the Montseny massif appears to the right, the Guilleries hills to the south and, in the distance, the Pyrenees still snow-covered. No engines. Just the intermittent breath of the burner and a silence that not even Vic at its quietest can match.

We land in a cultivated field. The ground crew arrives to collect everyone and the post-landing ritual includes a cava toast and a traditional Osona breakfast with local produce. We have been doing this flight for 30 years and it is still hard to get out: the ground, after an hour of floating, feels different.

The experience — Flying over the Eastern Pyrenees by hot air balloon

You step into the wicker basket before the sun has risen. Three metres below your feet and suddenly the burner roars, the envelope tightens and the ground disappears. You are floating above the Cerdanya.

The activity starts at the Aeròdrom de la Cerdanya, near Das. The team meets you before dawn, prepares the equipment and gives you the technical briefing: how to board the basket, landing posture, what to do during the flight. The basket holds up to 12 people and has a side door, making boarding easier for children, elderly guests or people with reduced mobility. Everything is designed so your only concern is to look.

The flight lasts one hour. We climb to 2,000 metres and let the currents carry us — the balloon has no rudder; the pilot changes altitude to find the wind. Below your feet stretches the widest plain in the Pyrenees: forests, rivers, scattered farmhouses, the bell tower of Puigcerdà. And ahead, the Serra del Cadí shows its eastern face as if you had never truly seen it before. No engines. Only the intermittent gust of the burner and then absolute silence. It is the unreally calm atmosphere that can only be found when you stop touching the ground.

We land in an open field. The ground crew arrives in a 4x4 to pick you up and we celebrate the adventure with a cava toast and sweet pastries. It is the ritual we have repeated for 30 years, because we know that coming back to earth takes a little effort after you have touched the sky.