Treacherous Cuban Waters
From Cayo Guillermo to Cayo Romano and Back
Kitesurfing at Cayo Guillermo in Cuba is extraordinary. This ever-popular kiting spot is not only famous for its fairly consistent seasonal winds and inexpensive, kite-friendly resorts, but also for its superb “kitesurfing terrain.” One can enjoy deep-water rolling waves as well as smooth, flat-water riding. The more adventurous souls can even spice up their sessions with some mangrove jumping or kite explorations of adjacent islands.
Before Sunrise
I launched my kite and cast off Sol Cayo Guillermo beach at 6:44am, about fifteen minutes before the sunrise. As my 15m Speed3 Flysurfer kite floated through the golden sky, my mind was focused. I was just at the beginning of my new adventure, an ambitious plan to kite from Cayo Guillermo along the shores of Cayo Coco, past the International Airport, all the way to Cayo Romano and back. I estimated about 7 hours of kiting at a total distance of about 140 kilometers.
As the sun rose, the pre-dawn romance between me and my kite abruptly ended. The wind picked up to about 18 knots and I was totally blinded by the sun reflection in the water. My forward visibility and depth perception was basically zero. Not seeing anything was a bit unsettling because I was just passing through my first “skull and crossbones area” and I really didn’t want to get stranded there.
Skull and Crossbones
When I prepare for long distance kitesurfing journeys, I usually mark potentially dangerous zones with skulls and crossbones and make a few mental notes about what to do in case of trouble. Cliffs, sketchy reefs, or rugged lava shores without escape routes are the usual suspects requiring special attention, but none of those were going to be a problem today. My major concern though, was the virtually impenetrable mangrove jungle.
This particular area was a nearly five-kilometer long stretch of jungle without beaches or access roads. If a kiter got into trouble there and was unprepared, the most logical course of self-rescue action would be to swim to shore and wade in between the mangroves towards the main road. The road is about two kilometers away, though, the jungle becomes too thick to get through, and such a self-rescue attempt could easily end up as a catastrophe with the body never to be found. On the other hand, when prepared for such predicament, the simple solution is to stay in the sea, swim a few hours along the shore to the nearest beach and then endure a long walk of shame back to civilization.
Water Moguls Are Fun to Ride
Around 9 am, the wind speed intensified even further, with peaks well over 20 knots. My kite was so overpowered that I occasionally had to give up my upwind edge and turn downwind to bleed off a few knots to stay in control. Luckily, there were no violent gusts, otherwise I would have had to abort my mission. I was passing Memories Flamenco Resort at that point and so I felt fairly safe. I decided to keep battling the elements for just a bit longer to see how it would all develop. This portion of my journey was directly into the wind and so my legs were taking a heavy beating. According to the forecast, the wind was supposed to reach its maximum speeds between 9am and 10am and then gradually subside all the way down to 14 knots. When I finally made it around the northernmost point of Cayo Coco, I had traveled almost 40 kilometers, and I felt totally spent.
There was no time to analyze my pain as the ocean turned wild at this unencumbered northern shore. The swells were over my head and I quickly recalled my experiences from Barbados. If I let one of these waves roll over me and I dropped the kite in the water, it would be swallowed by the next rolling crusher, making the re-launch nearly impossible. I stayed a few hundred meters from the shore and focused on the job. In a short while however, I realized that the surf was rather a collection of unorganized and messy swells that didn’t have the tendency to roll often. In fact, I found riding these high “water moguls” quite fun. To ease my nerves further, I finally registered a significant drop in wind velocity and it was no wonder that I found myself smiling with joy. At last, I rode like a king with the right sized kite for the conditions and task at hand.
Demon of Jardines del Rey
The rest of my ride along the shores of Cayo Coco was a delight. The resorts including Hotel Colonial, Iberostar, Sol, and Meliá were passing by and I could see many people on the beaches noticing my yellow kite that had appeared to them out of nowhere. My own focus was on a tiny island at the end of this northern shore stretch. According to my plan, this island should be a great vantage point from which I would finally see my first glimpse of Cayo Romano. When I finally arrived and looked past the International airport towards my destination, I understood right away why the area was called Jardines del Rey (The King’s Gardens.)
Stretching in front of me was a beautiful bay about 15 kilometers across, strewn with occasional mangrove trees and water areas of many hues. There were large areas of water as shallow as one foot or even less and the whole water surface was enticingly smooth. I was in kitesurfing heaven. I parked my kite at 1 o’clock and let the 15-knot wind do its job. I was just about to experience the best tack of my life! Not only did I cross the whole bay on one single tack but I also rode so fast that the front of my board barely touched the water. My GPS watch clocked my speed at 35 km/h, and at that speed, the center fin on my Flyrace board functioned partially as a hydrofoil. It was invigorating. With my pirate-like bandana flapping on my head, I felt like a Demon of Jardines del Rey skimming the waters of the Caribbean…
Cayo Romano and Faro Paredón
Being completely overwhelmed by my beautiful surroundings, I forgot to pay attention to my second skull and crossbones area. From the end of the north shores of Cayo Coco all the way to the airport pier, there was no beach, just mangrove trees lemming the shore. Entranced by my grandiose ride, fooled by the knee to waist deep water, I found myself as far as 3 kilometers offshore without any worrying. These were the King’s Gardens after all! In actuality, if a disaster struck and I had to get myself out of there on foot, I would have been destined to wade in oblivion till the end of time.
When I passed the bridge that connects Cayo Coco to Cayo Romano, I found a little rocky spot where I could get out of the water and rest for a few minutes with my kite at 12 o’clock. At last, I was standing on Cayo Romano, my longed-for destination. There was nobody in sight. I felt at one with nature and marveled at my surroundings. The most dominant feature of the area was a fully operational, 130-foot tall light house, Faro Paredón, built in 1859. It was proudly towering in the distance as if presiding over the family of tiny islands and tidal flats of the archipelago. I wished I had more time and physical strength for further exploration of my newly discovered kitesurfing paradise, but just like a mountain climber on a summit, I had to turn around and head back home.
Cuban Police At My Heels
On my way back, I landed my kite on a beach near Meliá Cayo Coco resort to rest and warm up. I laid on an old boardwalk and soaked up the warmth of the wood like a lizard. As they didn’t have any water in the nearby shack, I bought beer and ate a few energy bars that I had brought along. In about an hour, I was back on the water heading home. With a quartering tailwind for most of my return, my progress was fast and I totally enjoyed the ride. When I was approaching Cayo Guillermo, though, the wind picked up dramatically and for the last few kilometers, once again, I was forced to wrestle my overpowered kite. I reached Sol Cayo Guillermo beach shortly after 3:15 pm totally exhausted but extremely happy. I had kited 133 kilometers in 7.5 hours to complete this long distance kitesurfing adventure. Feeling victorious while rolling up my kite, little did I know that the Cuban police were already alarmed and at my heels.
The next day I was presented with a shocking surprise when I was told that the police were waiting for me in the hotel. At first, I thought that it was a mistake and I couldn’t be the guy they were looking for. Nevertheless, I quickly summoned a few friends to have some representation and we all went to meet with the officials. When I saw the entourage of people waiting for me, I knew I was in deep trouble. I was introduced to an officer of the Ministry of the Interior, then to an immigration officer, then to a police officer and a soldier. The official translator from the hotel was on her way and so we waited.
Resigned to Serving Time in Cuban Jail
These were the longest minutes of my life; my mind was in overdrive: Why was I in trouble? Could it be my SPOT Satellite Messenger? I had heard that standalone GPS units and satellite phones were not allowed in Cuba. Unfortunately, I completely disregarded that information and kept broadcasting my GPS locations to the rest of the world every 5 minutes during my trip. Could I be detained for some sort of espionage? I did, after all, pass right by the international Airport… And why is the immigration officer here? Are they going to take away my passport? My mind was spinning so hard that I felt like blood was going to start spilling out of my ears.
When the translator finally arrived, I was officially introduced to my “jury.“ The officer of the Ministry of the Interior took charge of the meeting and I was informed that I indeed was in violation of Cuban law. This wasn’t a good start, I thought, and I slowly resigned myself to serving time in Cuban jail. I apologized for my wrong doing and informed the officer that I still didn’t understand where and how I broke the law. “Going all the way to Cayo Romano and back is against the regulations!“ said the officer and produced a piece of paper from his pocket. I was supposed to recognize that sheet of paper as I allegedly had had to sign the same copy at the time I paid the new 18 CUC federal fee imposed on kiters. Luckily I had paid the fee, as everybody else in our group, but none of us were given anything to sign. After a short discussion, the officer realized that I had never been presented with that particular piece of paper and, to his full credit, he acknowledged the fact that I really couldn’t have known anything about restrictions for the watercraft movement around Cuba. With those findings he concluded there would be no actions taken against me and that I was free to go. He further explained that the kiters were authorized to kite only in the vicinity of the hotels. Circumnavigating Cuba by kite is not allowed!
Ironically, the shortest distance between Cuba and the United States is 90 miles, which is almost exactly the same distance as I had covered the day before! I will never know the severity of my infraction and the form of punishment that could have followed but one thing I know for sure: We shall never take our liberties and freedoms for granted!
TRIP STATISTICS ____________________________________________ Total distance kited: 133.2 kilometers (83 miles) Plotted distance: 104 kilometers (65 miles) Total time kiting: 7 hours 30 min. Maximum kiting speed: 35.1 km/h Average kiting speed: 17.8 km/h Fastest Kilometer: 31.6 km/h Calories burned: 1823 kcal Recovery time: 11 hours Wind direction: NE Wind speed: 14-24 knots Kite: Flysurfer Speed3 15m Board: Flysurfer Flyrace ____________________________________________ Interactive map and detailed statistics: SUUNTO Ambit2
One thought on “Treacherous Cuban Waters”
What a journey Lukas,, you are my hero