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Viva Cuba!
Cuba—the name conjures up so many
images to so many people. Congas,
rumbas, salsa, laughter, Fidel, beaches,
reefs, islands, history and passion, to name
a few. Sea kayaking may not be the first image
to occur to you, but Cuba is also an
ideal kayaking destination.
Arrivals in Cuba seem to be fraught with
bureaucratic regulations carried out by uniformed
men and women who take themselves
too seriously. However, the dogs that
sniff your bags are cocker spaniels and there
are four older men playing Guantanamera
with flowers around their necks just on the
other side of the barrier. Just give your story
straight and you and your kayak are in.
Officially you have entered, let the
unofficialdom begin! On the 30 minute taxi
ride from the airport to the city of Havana,
you will start to notice the contrasts. There
you are in your ’90s Lada, grey vinyl seats,
air-conditioning, uniformed driver and his
foreign cologne. Up beside you pulls a turquoise
’57 Chevy with all the windows
down and a carful of Cubans on their way
to play music on the Malecon.
This crumbling, freeway-sized lovers’
lane leads you past the pounding Gulf of
Mexico to the Old Havana harbour. Here
there are cobblestone streets, Cuban music
(a fruitful marriage of African and Spanish
traditions), renovated 15th century architecture
at every corner, a church where
Christopher Columbus is said to be buried,
and in the courtyard, an old black woman
dressed in the garb of a Santerian priestess
puffing away on a Cohiba.
In Havana you will meet people from all
over the country, and they are all proud and
confident in telling you that the islands and
cayes in their province would offer the best
kayaking destination.
And there are lots of islands to choose
from in Cuba, approximately 1,600 of them.
So let’s fantasize for a moment. The Archipelago
de los Canarreos is a good place to
start as it is on the south side of the big
island, making these waters somewhat protected
from the northerly winds.
Picture an early morning flight taking you
to Cayo Largo where your modern jet might
be followed in by an elderly biplane. This
easternmost island of the archipelago barely
clears the surface of the emerald sea with
its gleaming white sands and royal palms.
It’s a resort destination where international
flights land direct from Europe and pale,
white-skinned people cross paths briefly
with their beach-tanned brethren. But
you’re looking for the marina and a
Beach near Holguin, Holguin Province.
mothership sailing vessel harboured here
among yachts from all over the world.
Once on board, your ship takes a westerly
heading towards Cayo Rico. You anchor
off the island and finally get into your
kayak and paddle out through transparent
turquoise waters to the reef. Anchoring your
kayak in the sand, you don snorkel and
mask and dive into that other world beneath
the waves. The reef is rich here and you see
giant spiny lobsters, nassau groupers,
yellowtail snappers and big jacks coming
out of the deep, all surrounded by the rainbow
hues of pristine coral. Needless to say,
your meals on board consist of a variety of
fresh seafood. It’s no wonder Hemingway
loved to fish in Cuban waters as the nutrient-rich
ocean currents ensure the presence
of beautiful deep sea fish such as marlin
and dorado.
The paddling here is good because there
are little groups of cayes close enough to
each other to explore by kayak. The cayes
have abundant wildlife such as iguanas,
green monkeys, flamingos, cranes, sea turtles,
and bee hummingbirds (known as
zunzuncito—the smallest bird in the world;
the male is about the size of a grasshopper).
On Cayo Largo there is Playa Tortuga
where if you come in the right season you
could possibly see turtles laying their eggs
in the sand.
But there is also much to explore inland
in Cuba, from historic cities and towns to
an enthralling natural landscape. In the
countryside, for example, you can bike or
horseride through the cave-rich karst landscape
of Pinar del Rio with its distant views
Jacqueline Golsby
of fertile valleys growing tobacco. Here old
men paint the landscape using their own
blood in the colours to show the red earth.
In Cuba many things are in the blood,
from the music, to confidence and pride in
the face of much difficulty. Street corners➞
SEA KAYAKING &
MULTI-SPORT TRIPS IN
BELIZE, CUBA,
PANAMA, VIETNAM
All-inclusive 3 to 12-day trips
Global Adventures
1-800-781-2269
(604) 947-2263
info@globaladventures.ca
www.globaladventures.ca
Gordon Robinson photo
October/November 2002 www.WaveLengthMagazine.com
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