Bolting (andbuilding) an industry.AdventureTourism is coming toCuba. YAROSCALMARTINEZ.
By Peter Chrzanowski
Best known for communism,Havana’s classic cars,
and all-inclusive beach resorts, Cuba has recently
begunopening its doors to eco and adventure
tourism,while simultaneously experimenting
with free economymodels. In the past two years,
President Raoul Castro and the people of Cuba
have been allowing small business to flourish.
The looselyknit paraglide tandemoperators in
Jibacoahaveanear-perfect spot:30kilometresof
perfect beaches set halfway (75kilometres) between
HavanaandVaradero,witha500-foot, forested
mountain ridge turned90degrees to thenorth
winds.Tourists can soar formiles ineither direction
before landingat thebeachbar of their hotel.
Local pilots flying tandem tours rely on equipment
(wings, instruments, even clothing andboots)
donated to themby pilots fromCanada and
Europe (Canadians account for 80per cent of all
CubanTourism). InCanadawemight fly ourwings
for five years before retiring them; inCuba, Imet a
mother of two flying a relic from1992.
But, at least they’re not rock climbers.A few
hundred kilometreswest ofViñalesValley, rock
climbingwas, until recently, totally illegal.Andno
one knowswhy.
Rumours claim itwas because toomany of Cuba’s
best youngmenweremarriedoff towomen
climbers arriving from Europe.Others say itmay
be that the localswere fraternizing and learning
toomuch about the outsideworld from visiting
climbers.Most agree that the ruling came from
somewhere highup in themilitary, but noone
knows (orwill say) exactlywhere.
Regardless, climbing continued clandestinely in
and aroundViñales, andnow that it’s supposedly
legal again, businessmen likeYaroscal (Yaro) are
waiting for the floodgates toopen.
Workingwith local
casas
, alternative
accommodation for touristswhere a roomwith two
beds could rent for $25,Yaroalso establisheda club
withanorganizedpool of donated climbinggear
available for Cuban climbers touse, or for tourists
to rent.Clubs seem tobe theway for private
entrepreneurs to enter adventure commerce.They
facilitate the aggregationof gear needed,much
throughdonations, andprovide aplatform to start
guidingand teaching clients on local routes.
Yaro introducedus to anup-and-comingmountain
bike guidingoutfit fromHavana that alsooperates
ondonated equipment fromCanada.OnPlaya
Coral,we alsodiscovered a scuba diving company.
Although all the businesses paid taxes andhad a
legal agreementwith the State, they alsohad their
ownnetwork of
casas particulares
, restaurants,
and local know-how tohelp themoperate, but
remain somewhat incognito
—
change iswell on
itsway inCuba, but there remains a sense that
anything could still happen.
Nevertheless, adventure sports andeco-tourism
exist andCubahas diversityof landscape.
Mountains in the south rise to2,000metres above
theCaribbeanbeaches,manyofwhichareendlessly
perfect for kite surfing.Anabundanceof horseand
walking trails crisscross the island, createddecades
agoout of necessity, but now ready tobe converted
intowell-treaded tourist paths.
ADVENTURE, CUBANROLLED
ECO-TOURISMANDADVENTURESPORTSGETATOEHOLD INTHENEWCUBA
UP
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