Mayan Legend
178 Kilometers to Conquer Cancun by Kite
I had unfinished business on the Riviera Maya. Quite some time ago, I came up with a plan to ‘conquer the Mayans’ by kiting along their coast from Tulum all the way up to Cancun. Even though such a downwinder of about 130 kilometers could be accomplished in one day, I prefer the challenge of kitesurfing roundtrips. To be as far as 80 kilometers away from ‘my’ beach and to return without getting stranded somewhere along the route is a true victory for me. In many ways, ‘cross-country’ solo kitesurfing is a fight; there is tension and there is focus. It is a contract with nature in which any lack of planning, self-discipline, and patience will be punished.
Two years ago, I kited from Puerto Aventuras to Tulum and back (107km/66mile roundtrip) and completed about one third of my grand plan. This time around, I was hoping to not only conquer Cancun but also to break the 100-mile barrier and make it my longest solo kitesurfing roundtrip to date.
My plotted route from Playa del Carmen to Cancun and back showed 139 kilometers on the map, which in my estimation presented about 180 kilometers (112 miles) of actual kiting distance. To complete this 9-hour kitesurfing marathon, I needed perfect wind conditions basically from sunrise to sunset.
Judging from the map, the route was going to be a kitesurfer’s dream; easy navigation, lots of beaches strewn with resorts, hardly any dangerous sections of cliffs, lava rocks or inhospitable jungle. I didn’t expect any harsh sea conditions either as the whole shore is protected by the Belize Barrier Reef which starts near Cancun and continues southward all the way down to Guatemala. In fact, it is the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
In the planning stage on my trip, I identified two hotspots along the route where I could face possible surprises. The first one was around Punta Maroma where the reef nearly touches the shore. I wasn’t sure whether I could stay inside the reef or whether I would be forced to navigate through the treacherous coral and stay ‘trapped’ on the open sea for miles. Luckily, I settled that score the day before my journey. Punta Maroma was only about 10 kilometers away from my resort and so I decided to scout the area during one of my ‘local’ sessions. It indeed proved to be tricky due to fluky wind conditions and crowding. The narrow passage between the mainland and the reef bustled with yachts, boats, divers, fishermen, snorkelers, and parasailing activities. To weave my kite between the masts and parasailing ropes while avoiding buoys, restricted roped areas, snorkelers, shallow coral, and invisible fishing lines was challenging to say the least. Interestingly, the wind was very light and inconsistent in this particular area on all four occasions when I kite-struggled through the passage.
The second hotspot along the route was near Wet’n Wild Cancun. It was shortly after noon when I reached the area and at that point, I had about 55 kilometers and 3 hours of kiting on my legs. My day had started well, the weather and sea conditions were great. I flew my Flysurfer Sonic FR 15m kite as I anticipated wind between 10-17 knots for the whole day.
As I passed Wet’n Wild, I started to pay close attention to the wind. The coast started to curve into the sea to such an extent that I feared I would have to kite in offshore wind conditions to make it around the horn. Following the land-curve with my eyes, I could see the end of the spit about 3 kilometers away. It didn’t take long and indeed, I started to feel the wind becoming quite dirty. I nearly dropped my kite in the water during one of the lulls and so I quickly turned around and tacked into the sea to stay away from the shore. To add to my predicament, the wind was very light at this time of the day. The lack of power in my kite didn’t give me whole lot of confidence to surf away from the shore. To head into the sea in marginal conditions may seem a bit controversial but it was the only way to make it around the horn. I figured there was no reason for the wind to quit completely and so I felt reasonably confident that I would ‘survive’ a few miles of open water riding. In the end, I had to make about 5 long tacks into the wind before I finally turned around the horn and could feel comfortable again. Replaying the whole situation in my mind, I was amazed how potentially dangerous such a seemingly innocent coastline curve could become. No kiter wants to be drifting in the water 3 kilometers from the shore in case of unforeseen trouble.
What lay ahead of me was an unexpected paradise. A 23-km long, white sand beach with water so amazingly blue that I might have very well been kiting in a sea of Windex. The waves were 8-foot high as there was no reef to protect the coast, they were nicely spaced and rolled beautifully close to the beach. There were high-rise hotels everywhere, lots of people and activities. Even though I am not a ‘ritzy’ type of a guy, I still have to admit that this part of Cancun would be great fun to spend a few days at. I decided to land my kite on the beach as I was completely out of drinking water and my body needed some rest. In addition, I was quite curious about kiting through the crushing waves and checking out the beach itself.
At the northern end of this never ending beach, there is a lavish, all-inclusive hotel Hyatt Ziva Cancun and a lighthouse. The iconic lighthouse was my destination. When I finally got there, I rested in the water with my kite at 12 o’clock and watched the big waves crashing on the lava rocks about 100 meters away. The feeling was amazing. I made it all the way to Cancun! My watch read 80.66 kilometers in 4.08 hours, including my 35-minute rest stop. Reaching the apex of my journey always feels like finding gold: “If I can bring it safely home now, there will be a reason for a victory dance.” Without losing much time, I pointed my twin-tip race board back towards Playa del Carmen, said good bye to the lighthouse, and was on my way home.
On the way back, I fought through some very light wind conditions. At one point, it became difficult to keep the kite flying, and so I decided to stop and replenish my drinking water. After I ate two protein bars and rested, I continued in marginal wind for quite some time. Serious doubts about the final outcome of my journey started to creep into my mind. I felt tired and lethargic; my morale was pretty low. Thankfully, the wind picked up again in the late afternoon and that helped to re-energize my senses and positive thinking. When I landed my kite at 7:12pm at my resort, I could barely walk. I sat down in the sand and watched the sea. Suddenly, there was no rush, everything appeared still and peaceful. The light was soft and the sunset was near. I found myself in the meditative zone, in the moment of self-reflection, and sweet tiredness. Somewhere in the back of my consciousness, my brain screamed: “You did it!”
I kited 106 miles in 9 hours and I completed my plan to kite along the whole coast of Riviera Maya. With tongue in cheek, I can finally say that I have conquered the Mayans! According to some, Mayans were visited by aliens sometime in the past. If that’s true, I think it’s about time they jump on their hover boards and try to beat my feat.
Special thanks to Alex from Kitemex Kitesurfing for his insight on local wind patterns and weather forecast interpretation. It proved invaluable for my trip.
TRIP STATISTICS ____________________________________________ Total distance: 172 kilometers (106 miles) Plotted distance: 139 kilometers (86 miles) Total time kiting: 8 hours 50 minutes Max. kiting speed: 36.4 km/h Avg. kiting speed: 20.2 km/h Fastest Kilometer: 32.1 km/h Number of Stops: 2 (38 min & 40 min) Calories burned: 2758 kcal Recovery time: 33 hours Wind direction: E - ENE Wind speed: 10-17 knots Kite: Flysurfer Sonic FR 15m Board: Flysurfer Flyrace ____________________________________________ Interactive map and detailed statistics: SUUNTO Ambit2