'Diving into sea'

CUBA: Cuba will open October. 1 an underwater tourist route to visit the remains of the six warships sunken during the Naval Battle of Santiago de Cuba on July 3, 1898, an official at the Tourist Agency Cubatur said Monday.

The offer named "Diving into History" consists of an underwater route to visit the six wrecked ships and it is focused mainly on the Spanish and the American markets because of the historical details of the battle, said Alexis Hartman.

According to Hartman, the idea is to reconstruct the final phase of the Hispanic-Cuban-American War (1898), therefore the route includes the visit to historical sites in Santiago de Cuba, but also in Havana, capital of Cuba.

In Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city of the island, tourists can follow the route of U.S. troops after their landing, and visit the Castillo San Pedro de la Roca, overlooking the bay of the city.

"Before diving, the tourists will be lectured on the history of that war," said Hartman, adding that the package is designed for groups of no more than 20 scuba divers. Among the ships to be visited there are the Spanish "Christopher Columbus", the "Almirante Oquendo," the "Vizcaya", on the west coast of Santiago de Cuba, and the American collier "Merrimac".

Havana, Tuesday, Xinhua