Cartagena, a port city in the southeast of Spain, in the Region of Murcia, will captivate you with its wealth of history and a range of activities to suit all tastes: museums, archaeological sites, enticing beaches, family fun … Cartagena definitely deserves to be at the top of your list of places to visit in 2024 and we can guarantee it will make a lasting impression on you. To make sure you don’t miss out on anything and you make the most of your stay, here are a few things that you simply have to include while you’re here.
Our favourite experiences in Cartagena
Discovering its wealth of history
The historical and artistic legacy of Cartagena is one of the most significant in the municipalities of Spain. With its port and its natural strategic location, the city has been an open door throughout history, through which many civilisations sailing the Mediterranean have passed. In the year 227 BC, the Carthaginian general Asdrúbal founded Qart-Hadast, the Punic capital on the Iberian Peninsula, taking advantage of the location’s impregnable natural defences. During the Second Punic War, Hannibal decided to challenge Rome on its own territory, embarking on an epic military expedition from Cartagena and crossing the Alps. But in 209 BC, the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio launched a surprise attack on Cartagena and conquered it. From that point on, the city known as Carthago-Nova became one of the key Roman ports in the Mediterranean.
The numerous archaeological sites and museums in Cartagena are testimony to the city’s rich history. If you’re unsure where to start, we suggest you visit the ARQVA (National Museum of Underwater Archaeology), where you can see the famous treasure recovered from the frigate Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, consisting of more than 570,000 gold and silver coins dating back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and which also has very interesting tours for children. You could also visit the most iconic sites run by the city’s tourism arm Cartagena Puerto de Culturas, including the Punic Wall, the Augusteum and the Roman Theatre, a restored archaeological gem offering a unique insight into life in Ancient Rome.
Things to do in the summer in Cartagena: the best beaches
El verano en Cartagena es sinónimo de días de sol y diversión en la playa. La playa de Cala Cortina es un lugar popular entre los lugareños y turistas, con sus aguas calmas y transparentes. La cala, a 4 km de Cartagena, tiene acceso directo a través de un recorrido peatonal y es un rincón perfecto para admirar el puerto natural y los acantilados circundantes. Además, las playas cercanas como la Playa de Calblanque y la Playa de la Manga ofrecen paisajes impresionantes y una amplia gama de actividades acuáticas, como snorkel y buceo.
Things to do with the kids in Cartagena
For young families visiting Cartagena, the Parque Torres is a great option. This park has green spaces for picnics, children’s play areas and panoramic views of the city and the sea. Another option is the Roman Forum Museum, offering interactive educational activities for children, enabling them to explore the history of Cartagena in a way that makes learning fun.
A trip on a tourist boat can also be a really enjoyable way for the younger ones to admire the treasures of Cartagena from the sea and to feel like explorers from times past.
Other unmissable experiences in Cartagena
One experience that you can’t afford to miss in Cartagena is the tour of the Licor 43 factory and museum. This world-renowned liqueur is produced in Cartagena, and visiting the place where it’s made gives you the opportunity to learn about its history and production process, as well as tasting a range of its delicious creations.
Whatever your age and tastes, you can rest assured that Cartagena, with its unique combination of history, culture and natural beauty, will leave you wanting to come back again and again.
