Experience the thrill of floating over the picturesque landscapes of Mallorca in a hot air balloon. Discover the beauty of the island from above.
„Hot air balloon? How boring!"
says my friend Christiane when I suggest that we could take a hot air balloon ride over Mallorca.
Fortunately, I can still persuade her to get up at 5:30 the next morning to be in Manacor in time for sunrise.
Apart from us, about ten chatty Spaniards are waiting for the two hot-air balloons to be made ready for the trip. Ever since I read "Kasimir's trip around the world" (a book in which a little boy climbs onto the moon and travels around the world with it - but the moon looks a bit like a hot-air balloon), I have loved ballooning.
For me, the most beautiful means of transport (when not filling the balloon with gas) is to glide silently over the landscape. And even though drones are becoming more and more common, I love the view of the passing landscape from above.
Ricardo, our pilot today, chats lively sometimes in German and sometimes in English.
The website says that the pilots of Mallorca Balloons have already taken part in several competitions and won. So let's hope that our lives are in the best hands.
Shortly before sunrise, the time has finally come:
the balloons are inflated and we slip into the basket and wait for the wind to carry us away. No sooner have we reached some altitude
we can see the sea on one side and the mountains of the Sierra de Llevant on the other.
Below us, the trees are in blossom and now, in March, the meadows are glowing a lush green. Sheep graze carelessly until gas is pumped into the balloon and they jump frightened into the cave. The poor creatures - they have my full sympathy to be scared like that in the early morning ...
CLICK on the first picture to start the photo gallery:
Originally we were told to go for about three quarters of an hour to an hour
but in March the wind is gusty, our balloon is driven further and further south-west - Ricardo remains relaxed. Less relaxed are apparently the people who are supposed to pick us up with the mini bus, because they try to follow us all over the island. At Campos Ricardo tries to land for the first time but
but now that we are no longer on our usual route, it is not easy to find a large open area on the densely populated island where two hot air balloons can land without any problems.
"Okay now!" calls Ricardo "You have to crouch down in the basket as we discussed earlier. It won't be a soft landing" he warns us.
In the meantime, my friend Christiane also finds ballooning quite exciting. As instructed, the three of us huddle in our compartment of the basket. Ricardo sets off to land, the basket touches the ground briefly once - takes off again, sets down a second time and then comes to rest on its side the third time. Ricardo laughs: "That's the fun of ballooning, isn't it?"
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Now in spring there are special offers for 165€ per person