How To Join The Viral 'Tarzan Movement' That Encourages An Unplugged Primal Vacation

What if we never stopped climbing trees? What if that favorite childhood pastime — shimmying up trunks, dangling from branches — continued well into adulthood or even for the rest of our lives? This is the question posed by Victor Manuel Fleites Escobar, a 35-year-old influencer who singlehandedly created the "Tarzan Movement." Originally from Cuba, the man has come to embody a novel arboreal lifestyle, spending much of his time in forest canopies. He hones his strength and dexterity on exercise equipment that is free, public, and as organic as it gets. Many of us dream of the best places to go climbing in the world, but this guy asserts that an even better place might be our own backyards.

"Trees ... became my sanctuary," recounts Fleites Escobar on his website. "Silent spaces where I could move freely and authentically, a practice that would become part of my everyday routine." And like the protagonist of Edgar Rice Burroughs' 1914 adventure novel, Fleites Escobar finds inspiration not in traditional workout routines but in primates. He has long studied the movements of apes and monkeys, mimicking their movements and physical habits. He could easily do this in private, but Fleites Escobar is sharing his lifestyle with the world, thanks to a widely-watched Instagram account.

While most viewers will look at this trunk-hugging adonis with distant admiration, others may try climbing a tree or two themselves. Fleites Escobar is critical of digital culture, and most of us will benefit from shutting off the phone and embracing some nature. If you get really into it, the Tarzan Movement teaches others how to use these simian skills.

Climbing around has been a lifelong passion for Fleites Escobar, who grew up outside Havana and later moved to Spain with his parents. As he recounts in a YouTube-released documentary, young Fleites Escobar loved to scale trees from an early age, making his way to the tops and grabbing fruit from beneath tropical fronds. This love for natural spaces continued into his more mature years, when the expectations of adulting became less palatable. "As life became more complex, I sought refuge in the power of my dreams," he opined on his website. He credits both Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci and philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti as inspirations. Following the pandemic, Fleites Escobar moved to Barcelona, where he practiced his unusual techniques with friends in urban parks.

What started as an experiment in personal growth has quickly gained popularity online: Tarzan Movement's Instagram account has more than a million followers, and Fleites Escobar now maintains a beautifully designed website. He has developed online courses, with names like "Gorilla," "Gibbons," and "Orangutan"; each module guides pupils through primate-based exercises, which develop strength, balance, and agility.

Online courses cost about $275, which is a pretty penny for casual learners, especially when the curriculum consists of pre-recorded videos. But the Tarzan Movement is developing a network of coaches, who will, in theory, lead in-person workshops. Anyone can give the instructions a try, but you may benefit from already having learned the "safety first" fundamentals of Rock climbing 101.

What does this mean for travelers? Most of us may have little desire to crawl around the grass on all fours or hang from dangerous heights, as the Tarzan Movement documentary shows people doing. Even Fleites Escobar doesn't see this as a mere workout routine or outdoor excursion. In a stirring interview with Outside Magazine, he said: "For me, the fundamentals start with your own understanding with your own body ... I was able to validate the things that open my heart, the things that felt more natural to my animal background. That was my journey into the trees, into silence, into doing nothing."

Skeptics might have mixed feelings about a guy who praises natural living but is also an Instagram influencer with a gigantic digital footprint, but fans will insist that the ends justify the means: Fleites Escobar wants people to interact with their environments in a primal way, which is arguably the most important part of travel. As guidebook author Rick Steves has observed, social media has changed the nature of travel, and many travelers are glued to their smartphones, turning life-changing trips into an obstacle course of Yelp reviews, thoughtless GPS navigation, and obligatory selfies. For Fleites Escobar's followers, if a modern-day Tarzan can use those same social media platforms to teach viewers to unplug completely and interact with the world in a tactile way, so much the better. It's great to see famous sights and eat acclaimed meals, but sometimes, it's even more satisfying just to monkey around.