German Students Explore Cuba in Sailboats

HAVANA TIMES — Two Germans sailboats, with students and teachers alike on board, will arrive in Cuba in early 2013 to explore the archipelago. Once here, their trip will start from the Guanahacabibes Peninsula in western Pinar del Rio Province.

The first of the ships will arrive in late January, when they and their crew will depart from the Maria La Gorda International Diving Center. They will head to various destinations of the peninsula, which is an officially recognized “Biosphere Reserve” due to its biodiversity and the preservation of the ecosystems there.

The young people will be given classes in geography, Spanish and history on board the vessel, in addition to their carrying out various maritime tasks. They will also visit the Friedrich Engels Institute of Pre-University Vocational Sciences.

The well-preserved Guanahacabibes area is an important spawning site for sea turtles in the Caribbean, an area which a few years ago the Cuban government began to avail itself for tourism purposes.