Balloon Flight from Coruche over the Sorraia Plain, with Champagne

Coruche sits on the Sorraia, an hour and a half north-east of Lisbon, on ground flat enough that pilots have landing options in almost any wind. That is the practical reason the town has become the centre of Portuguese ballooning, and the reason a flight here is among the most dependable in the country. The flight is slow and quiet. A balloon travels at the speed of the wind, so there is no draught in the basket and nothing to hear once the burner is off. Below are the fields and the river, and the light at that hour does most of the work. Departures are at sunrise every day of the year. In the winter months there are also sunset flights, when the day's thermals have settled and the light comes in low from the other side. A glass of champagne is served at the end. One practical note worth reading before you book: there is no hotel pick-up or drop-off. You make your own way to the launch field, and the operator sends the meeting point once the weather has been checked.