Where to Skydive in Morocco: The 2026-27 Winter Guide

Where can you skydive in Morocco? At Beni Mellal airport, at the foot of the Middle Atlas, with PACMA, a club approved by the French Parachuting Federation (FFP). We jump every day from 5 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, from around 4,000 m, facing the snowy peaks, 2 hours' drive from Casablanca and 2.5 hours from Marrakech. A tandem costs €250 (2,500 MAD for Moroccan residents): 50 seconds of freefall in the winter sun, with no experience needed.

This guide comes from the Parachute Air Club du Maroc, founded in 2000 and based in Beni Mellal since 2003. It covers everything you need to decide where, when and with whom to make your skydive in Morocco, with checked information that keeps you clear of the usual travel-blog mistakes. Starting from a big city? Our step-by-step guides are ready for you: skydiving from Marrakech and tandem skydiving from Casablanca.

Skydiving in Morocco at a glance: where, when and who for

Is there skydiving in Morocco? Yes, and there has been for a long time: PACMA has been taking beginners and skydivers up since 2000. It is a winter activity, enjoyed in the sunshine while Europe shivers. Here are the essentials at a glance, checked by the club for the 2026-27 season.

The atmosphere is warm and the crowd wonderfully mixed. In midwinter you will share the same runway with holidaymakers who have driven over from Marrakech for their first jump, Casablanca residents treating a loved one, students on their course and experienced skydivers from France, Belgium or the UK, whose home dropzones close or slow right down at this time of year.

Where can you skydive in Morocco?

In Morocco, skydiving open to the public takes place at a club or centre on an uncongested airfield. PACMA welcomes you at the regional airport of Beni Mellal, in the centre of the country, every day of the winter season. Marrakech and Casablanca make perfect starting points: offers "from" those cities are excursions to a dropzone outside town, and ours is 2 to 2.5 hours away by road.

Why a regional airfield? Skydiving needs three things: an airfield, an aircraft that can climb to 4,000 m and clear airspace above a large landing area. Big cities rarely tick the third box, because their airports are busy with airliners.

Beni Mellal: PACMA's dropzone, open all winter

Beni Mellal airport, in the municipality of Ouled Yaich, is home to the PACMA dropzone, open every day of the season from 8:30 am to 6 pm. It also hosts events: the Moroccan press covered an international skydiving championship in Beni Mellal in February 2023, with 35 skydivers, including a PACMA team. According to the regional tourism council, around 1,000 skydivers came to the region in 2025 (Aujourd'hui le Maroc, February 2026).

Other kinds of jumping: military and competitions

Morocco also has a military parachuting tradition. Teams from the Royal Armed Forces take part in competitions held in Beni Mellal, for example. These activities are not open to the public: as a civilian, you skydive in Morocco through a club or centre.

What isn't skydiving: paragliding, microlights and hot-air balloons

Search for "skydiving Marrakech" and you will mostly find paragliding flights over Agafay, microlight flights and sunrise hot-air balloon rides. They are great experiences, but they are not skydives: none of them gives you freefall.

The key takeaway: from Marrakech, your freefall is waiting for you in Beni Mellal, 2.5 hours away by road. There is no dropzone in the city itself: "skydiving Marrakech" offers are excursions to an airfield outside town, often resold by an agency. To compare all the airborne activities in the country, see our selection of adventure activities in Morocco.

Common mistakes in travel blogs

To book with peace of mind, you need accurate information. Here are the most common misconceptions about skydiving in Morocco, and the facts.

• "A short drive from Marrakech". Not true: Beni Mellal is 2.5 hours by road from Marrakech. It is a day trip or, better still, a weekend.
• The wrong aircraft. Some pages mention a Cessna. In Beni Mellal, PACMA jumps from a Pilatus PC-6 Porter, a plane built to carry 9 skydivers to 4,000 m.
• Prices from five years ago. Articles from 2020 are still doing the rounds. Trust the prices published by the centre itself for the current season: ours are on our prices page.
• Mixing up paragliding and skydiving. A paragliding flight from a hillside has nothing in common with freefall from a plane.
• "All year round". At PACMA, the season runs from the first weekend of December to the first weekend of April. A "skydive in Morocco in August" deserves some precise questions before you pay.

From your city: how far is the drive to the dropzone?

Beni Mellal is 2 hours by road from Casablanca and 2.5 hours from Marrakech, both times confirmed by the club. Beni Mellal airport, where the dropzone is, is right on site. From Rabat, Fez or Agadir, plan a weekend: the map and table below will help you organise the journey.

Schematic map. Only the drive times confirmed by the club are shown: 2 hours from Casablanca, 2.5 hours from Marrakech. Rabat, Fez, Essaouira and Agadir are shown for reference.

Live in Casablanca or Rabat? A skydive in Beni Mellal is one of our favourite weekend getaways from Casablanca. On holiday in Marrakech? It takes pride of place in our unique day trips from Marrakech.

Our instructors' advice: treat yourself to some slack. Your jump time depends on the weather and the order of the lifts. A full day on site, or better a weekend, lets you savour every moment, from the briefing to the last landing of the day.

Why skydive in Beni Mellal? Space, mountains and light

Because everything comes together here for an unforgettable jump. Our instructors sum it up in three words: space, mountains, light.

Space. Beni Mellal is a regional airport with modest traffic. Lifts can follow one another without waiting for slots between airliners, which is rare near major airports.

Mountains. The dropzone sits at the foot of the Middle Atlas, above the Tadla plain. At 4,000 m the view stretches over the peaks on one side, often snow-capped in winter, and over the patchwork of fields and orchards of the plain on the other. That contrast is what makes the site so popular with visiting skydivers.

Light. In winter the air is often dry and crystal clear. Late in the day the ridges turn golden, which camera flyers love.

Add a large grass landing area, a lunchtime buffet under the caidal tent by the runway (70 MAD) and the joy of bringing friends and family: they watch you land from a few dozen metres away and share the moment with you.

Here in Beni Mellal… The club was founded in 2000 by Karim Zaz and Omar Benizi, and settled permanently in Beni Mellal in 2003. Omar Benizi, president and chief instructor, a former officer in the Royal Armed Forces and former national team member, has been skydiving since 1975 and has made around 14,000 jumps. To learn more about our history and team, discover the club.

Want to explore the region before or after your jump? Ain Asserdoun spring, Bin El Ouidane lake, Ouzoud falls: we have gathered our favourite spots in things to do in Beni Mellal.

Why is skydiving in Morocco a winter activity?

Because the Moroccan winter is the perfect season to jump: calmer air, days that are often sunny and mild on the plain, and snow-capped peaks as a backdrop. In summer the heat makes the air turbulent and work on the ground exhausting. So at PACMA the season runs from early December to early April, at the ideal time of year.

1. Summer heat. Summers on the Tadla plain are very hot. Climbing to 4,000 m in full kit, waiting on the ground in blazing sun and working on a scorching runway is no fun for students or staff.
2. Hot, bumpy air. Heat creates thermals that make the air unstable near the ground. A plane also climbs less well in hot, thinner air.
3. The European skydiving calendar. From December to March, many European dropzones close or slow right down. Skydivers and instructors go looking for sunshine, and Morocco is only a few hours' flight away. That is why many French skydivers spend the winter in Beni Mellal.
4. Winter weather. Windy, cloudy or rainy days do happen, and you're covered: the chief instructor pauses jumping, and your skydive is rescheduled free of charge to another date in the season, or turned into a credit.

The Christmas, February half-term and Easter holidays are the busiest periods: book early if your dates are fixed. If you are weighing up several countries for a winter jump, our guide to the best places to skydive in winter compares the sunny options.

Aircraft, altitude and instructors: what makes a great skydive?

Three things make the difference: a jump plane designed for skydivers, enough height for real freefall and qualified instructors. In Beni Mellal you get all three: a Pilatus PC-6 Porter, exit at around 4,000 m and an FFP-approved club whose instructors follow the federation's rules.

The Pilatus PC-6 Porter

PACMA jumps from a Pilatus PC-6 Porter, a single-engine turboprop renowned in the skydiving world for its toughness and short take-offs. It carries 9 skydivers plus the pilot per lift. One Porter flies all season, with a second joining at busy times. The aircraft are provided by our partner Vertical T'Air, a skydiving centre in Arcachon, France, which also supplies part of the instructor team.

The jump profile

On the way up you fly over the Tadla plain and watch the Atlas draw closer. At the door, the view stretches for dozens of kilometres: a sight that is worth the trip on its own.

Instruction and safety

PACMA is a club approved by the French Parachuting Federation (FFP): training and jumping rules aligned with FFP regulations, qualified instructors, an automatic activation device on every rig and weather calls made by the chief instructor. The activation device is a small unit that automatically opens the reserve parachute if, for any reason, no canopy is open by a set height. To understand how risk is managed, read our article is skydiving dangerous?.

Tandem, AFF or fun jumps: which option should you choose?

There is an option for every ambition. To feel freefall once, choose a tandem: no experience needed, an instructor handles everything, €250. To jump "on your own" from the very first jump, the AFF first jump (€500). To become a skydiver, the 7-jump AFF course (€1,300). Already licensed? A jump to 4,000 m costs €27.

The full price list (video, rig hire, dropzone card, group rates from 10 people) is on our prices page. A few conditions to know before you book:

• Tandem. No experience required. The maximum weight is 90 kg dressed. A medical certificate stating you are fit to skydive is required; without one, you can see the club doctor on site (200 MAD). Age requirements are listed on the tandem page; minors need parental consent.
• AFF first jump and AFF course. An FFP-approved medical examination less than three months old is required.
• Licensed skydivers. A valid licence or certificate and insurance, your logbook, an in-date reserve repack and a serviced activation device. The chief instructor may ask for a check jump.

AFF (Accelerated Freefall) is called PAC (Progression Accompagnée en Chute) in France. It has four levels. Your first jumps are with two instructors, then one, before your first solo jump. At PACMA, training follows the FFP syllabus: FFP licences, medical examination and jumping rules.

Looking for a gift idea? A skydive in Morocco is a present people remember for the rest of their lives: our gift vouchers can be printed straight away and are valid for the season, with the end date printed on the voucher.

How do you check a Moroccan skydiving operator?

Ask seven questions before you pay: where exactly is the dropzone, which aircraft, what exit altitude, which federation, what is the all-in price, what happens if the weather is bad, and what are the physical requirements. A serious operator answers each one without hesitation, in writing. Our instructors suggest asking us exactly the same questions.

1. Where exactly is the dropzone? A specific airfield name, not just "near Marrakech".
2. Which aircraft? The type of plane, and how many skydivers it carries.
3. What exit altitude? A jump from 4,000 m does not give the same freefall as one from 3,000 m.
4. What safety framework? Membership of a federation (FFP, USPA or another), instructor qualifications, an activation device on every rig.
5. What is the all-in price? Video, transport, insurance: what is included?
6. What happens if the weather is bad? A free reschedule or a credit should be standard.
7. What are the physical requirements? A clear weight limit and medical requirement are a sign of professionalism, and a guarantee for you.

Some offers online go through resellers. That can work, as long as you know who will actually run your jump: book direct and you talk to the team who will take you up. Our article on how to choose a skydiving centre covers 12 criteria and the traps to avoid.

Ready to jump facing the Atlas this winter? Book your tandem skydive online in a few minutes: €250, secure payment, and a free reschedule to another date in the season if the weather calls for it. The Beni Mellal sky is waiting for you from 5 December.