The renowned hotel chain Occidental Resorts, with 10 years of operations in Cuba, just won the bid for a 210-room hotel in a place called Cayo Guillermo, 650 km south of Havana. When the directors of this company are directed to know that hotel to see what are the possibilities and see how they can make a differentiated tourism, and so to promote this wonderful destination, to reach the beach, they find a lot of kites, which it gives them the idea of opening a hotel wing, specifically for kite surfers, with all the amenities that athletes need. Is that way I get a proposal where asking me to make them a study to see the possibilities and the feasibility of this project.
Of the 210 rooms, 44 bungalows are practically at the seashore, and the idea of them, we customize and kitesurfing tematizarlos motif, and create facilities to receive separate kite surfers.
With this promise, I am dedicated to assessing and pesquisar on the internet about this destination hitherto unknown to me. Give me a week of time to prune present a proposal for project viability.
As I looking information, which is very low, although I find little information leads me to believe that this destination has so much potential, I find some blogs kite Portuguese, Russian and Argentine surfers Kiting who have come to this place, where the description given by them, indicating again that this place has it all to be a power in the world of kitesurfing. Start reviewing wind statistics, and to my surprise, I find that this Key and this area has almost twice as likely to wind Cabarete, in the Dominican Republic, which excites me a lot.
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Finally, after a week of extensive work, give the detailed proposal, hotel managers, who tell me that the study and give me an answer soon. They spent three days when I receive an email asking me where my passport details as well as my willingness to travel in less than a week to go visit the place and see if this project is really feasible.
Friday, 13 September 2013.
I leave Cancun with the Corporate Director of Hotel Chain West, bound for Havana, where we are waiting at the airport one person representing the agency Tourism Cuba, Gran Caribe, which escorted us to our hotel in exclusive area of Havana, the Occidental Miramar hotel where we settled and just after our check in, we went to old to learn a little Havana, had dinner at a Cuban restaurant called The Guajirito, ate a Creole-style octopus, and juice cane rum, which they call Guarapo. After dinner, we went to take a Mojito at a local club called La Cecilia and then go to sleep because the next day we would be leaving for Cayo Guillermo to 530 am.
Saturday September 14, 2013
We are waiting in the lobby of the hotel at 530 am with a light breakfast, our private transportation, personal photographer, as well as corporate representative in Cuba Occidental, which traveled with us to Cayo Guillermo.
It is impressive to see how the government and the Cuban Ministry of Tourism, are so outstanding, and so interested in this project of kitesurfing on the island. I wish other countries had this vision and contribution.
Although there are direct flights to Cayo Guillermo (Cayo Coco), drove 650 miles from Havana, as we had to visit several places, which gave us a chance to learn more about this iconic country. The scenery here reminds me of Costa Rica and the Dominican Rep, but in a different way, it is very interesting to be surrounded by these model 1950-1960 cars driven on the streets, what makes you go back in time.
Before reaching our destination, we arrived at a "bridge" over the sea, which he dubbed loving KITE THE ROAD, that impressed me a lot, and no wonder, since this is a road that literally goes over the sea and is lost in the horizon, they are 30 km, above the Street ..... very shallow water and super-flat ... this time we did not see, but according to count, this passage in certain time of year is filled with flamingos apart the entry of this street there is a wind farm, which gave me more confidence in destiny, and I left thinking to kiting here in the next visit.
Obviously more than 6 hours on the road, there was much talk and as I was better understood because there are so many parties involved in this project, and I say this as the hotel in which we are going to stay during our visit to Cayo Guillermo, is managed by the hotel chain Melia, which according to me, is the responsibility of the West, responsible for my visit to Cuba, which did not make sense to me ... which means I understood, is that Melia, also wanted to be part of this project .
This day is the first, and has been very interesting, today we did a site inspection at both hotels, beach areas, etc to see the potential, not to mention we ate delicious, and we are treated like kings :) apart from at least 3 meetings with interesting people, including, I was the director of the hotel Melia, corporate representatives and directors of the Western chain as well as the representative of destination tourism agency Cuban Gran Caribe.
I must confess that although I brought my computer, I was not convinced he was going to use, it is the middle of September, and technically it is assumed that there is no wind in the Caribbean, even in Cabarete, which is already a known machine Wind and September the wind does not blow or to blow out the candles on the cake ... 
Throughout the day, we had a slight wind current more or less 5-8 knots, which is not enough even to begin to think about putting together the team, but to my surprise, at approximately 6 pm began ascend the wind rose at the end .. at least to get out and surf a little, nothing amazing, but at least we could Kiting until the sun fell, roughly 745 pm and may thus feel even a little The wind here ....
As far as I know, nowhere in the Caribbean there are chances of wind in September, and the type of wind that I experienced today, it was not a super wind, it was very even, no streaks, pretty solid and steady, from the same direction as the wind in Cabarete, but much cleaner, not to mention that although the conditions were not the most favorable, as even the water temperature was warmer than room temperature ... These small signals and other factors and talking to the locals, take me to confirm that indeed, this will be a boom in the world of kite.
From the time we finished Kiting, until we went to dinner, and take a digestive in the lobby bar of the hotel, the wind continued to blow, and rising in intensity, which led me to decide to get up early the next day as early as possible, so you can take advantage of the spa before the sun came up and killed the wind.
One of the other things that surprised me, and I can say with confidence, qno have known a place with features that these beaches have, not only for its natural beauty and turquoise waters, but the conditions presented here for practice kitesurfing. 8 km from coast with completely flat water, waist-deep water from the shore ... where you arrive to view, making a perfect place to learn and also for independent, as there are several islands around, and you can go to visit with nothing more than your kite. It also means the style is Bali, with bridges and words in the water .... is a paradise .... and also has a potential, huge!!
The wind kept blowing all night, which left me very busy. I woke up at 6 am, and we headed to the hotel 2 km north West. Inflate our kites, Kiting and try, but the truth was not good, try until 8 am, when it began to warm, and the wind died.
Well, nothing happens, after all, I expected no wind, so we're going to breakfast at Meliá.
During breakfast, I'm noticing the palm trees increasingly moving as the minutes passed, when suddenly Jesus photographer arrives and tells me that no wind on the beach! Obviously I jumped out of my chair and headed to the dock, to find that there was indeed white caps, and a wind of at least 12/14 knots, fully consistent without streaks. Again we take the equipment and went 2 miles north to West.
The water is flat, shallow and with incredible colors ...
We started sailing when suddenly drop us a storm, completely killing the wind.We were about 200 meters away from the shore, so we just got up and me with water at waist started to do a self rescue. I roll my lines, bring the kite to me and just start walking towards the shore, I realize that on the horizon once again I start forming white caps, so with it, I dropped my lines, and before they were fully paid for the bar, the wind starts to blow .... I could hardly undo the bar, and my kite was in power, I get hooked, I climb the kite, and start browsing ..... We were half an hour in front of the hotel, watching the beach, feeling the conditions, and enjoying. All directors was happy seeing and taking photos from the shore, that they must return to Melia, so we told them not to worry, that we would reach the hotel by water .... the wind comes from the southeast at an angle , making it crossed side on shore, and began to make a down wind towards the Meliá, climb, descend, jumped, finally, we had perfect conditions to take advantage and make good reconnaissance, when we got near the hotel dock , Jesus was there with their cameras so start the show!!
After a while, and were about 3 in the afternoon, so a little tired and hungry, the kites down right on the beach of the hotel, and we went to eat. The wind was blowing steadily, as we should be a target kite, ate quietly, take a coffee, did digestion, and decided it was time to return to the water.
This time adapt a camera to my kite to get an aerial view of the place, besides the camera video and pictures that photographer Jesus wore. We make several shots near the pier near the beach in order ....
I took to get to know the coast, I went to the south to about mangroves where now if I saw some flamenco, some barracudas in the water, and went mostly to reconnoiter. Search 8 km of coastline from south to north, noting the viability of the project. Throughout this expansion, although the water is low and not found a single stone, the entire bottom is sandy except the darkest part, you are basically grass, which can step seamlessly to hurt, making esteun terrific site kite, especially for apprentices. From what comes, note that there were some cays and islands in front of us, and obviously I had to get there .... So what I'm outlining to them while singing and screaming with happiness to have such a paradise just for me. When you get half way, was the same distance from the shore of the keys, but it was a little late and nobody knew I was there, so I thought I had been a little irresponsible of me to follow, with which I return to the shore, besides that I no longer 20 years, and my left arm was cramping ... ha hahaha. I arrive at the beach, there is nobody, just landed, I keep my kite, and go to my room, to realize that they were the 750 hours, and we still had a little light and the wind was still blowing.
I showered quickly and reach others for dinner and to exchange information about what we had experienced, but not before reviewing the report wind this day, which was faithfully recorded wind conditions we spent the day today, so I can confidently say that Windfinder and the Institute of Meteorology of Cuba, are quite accurate in their readings of wind with respect to this destination.
Sunday, 15 September 2013.
We woke up at 7am, had breakfast and embarked back to Havana. The experience was amazing, as were almost one and a half there, which were kiteando practically all the time, and that we are out of season .... How many times has it happened to you that you go to a destination kite in season for a week, and vece have only a day or two or maybe none of wind??
We arrived in Havana at about 230 pm, the hotel Occidental Miramar, to eat, move and swim since the 530 had an appointment with the Director of the travel agency Gran Caribe to expose the idea of what we had experienced.
In summary, the proposal loved, not only by the fact that going to make a kite center to receive a new differentiated tourism, with all amenities, fall into one of the 4 hotels, but the proposal is far more ambitious and beyond, we want to completely convert Cayo Guillermo, in the new Mecca of kitesurfing, because right now, in Latin America in the summer and autumn there is only the possibility of going to the Brazilian northeast. Cuba, by its terms, and proximity, will be the new boom, as the trip is short and economical, A visit to Havana, Cuba, including: tickets, transportation, accommodation, food and beverages, plus unrivaled navigation condition is only much cheaper than the price of the flight to Brazil, in addition to Cayo Guillermo has favorable conditions 11 months a year.
With this premise, we are working on the final draft, which will be delivered directly to the Minister of Tourism in Cuba, Monday September 23, 2013, now just wait for the decision, but regardless of this act, and we have complete packages mounted for you can come to visit this magical place, for more information please email us atmorphkiteboarding@gmail.com , justfly@morphkiteboarding.com orwww.morphkiteboarding.com .
On another note, also stayed in Varadero, and beaches in Havana, where we also obtained very satisfactory results, but we we went through step because in due time, we will be sharing this information with you, for one, separate spaces for first commercial trip will be in November 2013, do not miss this unique experience, with direct flights from Canada, Argentina, Mexico City and Cancun, you are ready to discover new horizons with Morph???
You want to make a special thanks to everyone involved in this experience to executives and partners Occidental, Meliá, Gran Caribe, was a wonderful and unique experience, besides having made excellent friends, once more through the world of kite ... This is the beginning of a great future.
Its all about discovering new horizons,
It's all about exploring new cultures,
It's all about finding new possibilities,
It's all about Morph, just fly.
David Furchtgott Nussbaum.
Havana Cuba, in September 2013.
Image credits.
Jesus Lacerates
Director Guayasamín Foundation.
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