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Cartagena Today

The city of Cartagena

Cartagena is a city of contrasts, its rich cultural and military history merely a backdrop for the industrial and commercial activity which supports the second largest city in the Region of Murcia.

Its natural strategic port has offered shelter to traders for thousands of years, and the rich mines of the Sierra Minera provided a reason for the frequent wars which were fought in order to possess it, Cartagena still being a major naval base today, as well as boasting a rich military heritage of patrimony. The history of Cartagena charts its development and the cultures which have shaped it today.

The city has developed a lucrative tourism industry based on the number of historical places which tourists can visit and enjoy, including the RomanTheatre Museum, ARQUA, MURAM, Casa de la Fortuna, Cartagena Municipal Archaeology Museum, the Augusteum, the Molinete and other well preserved Roman buildings and museums.

In addition there has been major investment in the creation of a new market for cruise ship tourism.

Cartagena

These days the port remains a major focal point for commercial activity, and the Escombreras industrial area has attracted major businesses including the Repsol refinery, SABIC petrochemicals and Holcim concrete plants within a concealed industrial zone. Cartagena is also the home of the regional parliament building of Murcia.

The Campo de Cartagena is a major source of agricultural employment, copnsisting of flat and fertile irrigated areas where salad crops, peppers, potatoes and courgettes are grown, while non-irrigated crops include olives, carobs and almonds.

The more mountainous outlying districts of Cartagena boast extensive areas of beaches, stretching around the coastline from Isla Plana in the west to Cabo de Palos in the east. Here, the spit of La Manga del Mar Menor encloses the Mar Menor, giving Cartagena an extensive offering of prime sandy beaches with safe bathing conditions in Europe's largest saltwater lagoon.

This in turn creates a varied leisure industry, with watersports, a motor racing circuit, some of the best diving facilities in Europe and one of Spain's most prestigious golf and residential complexes, La Manga Club, all creating leisure and tourism opportunities for local businesses.

Cartagena has a rich cultural offering, with important Semana Santa and Romans and Carthaginians fiestas, Carnival, the Mar de Músicas and Cartagena Jazz festivals. The El Batel auditorium and congress centre enhances an already rich cultural programme.

LOCATION

Click for map, Cartagena Spain

There is often confusion on map searches as there is another Cartagena in Columbia. Cartagena Spain is located in the south of the region of Murcia and is a major port and industrial centre.

The municipality of Cartagena covers an area of 558 square kilometres, with a population of 218,000 making it the second most populated municipality of the 45 in the Region of Murcia.

It shares boundaries with Torre Pacheco, Los Alcázares, La Unión, Mazarrón and Fuente Álamo.

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CARTAGENA

Cartagena's parks change to winter opening hoursFor the next few months they will be open from 8am to 10pm Cartagena's parks are changing to winter opening hours. For the next few months they will be open from 8am to 10pm. These include local public park spaces such as .. 13/11/2024

Fortuna Vibes at Espacio Mediterraneo shopping centre, CartagenaHead down to the Espacio Mediterráneo shopping centre in Cartagena to try your luck in fun workshops Try your luck at the Espacio Mediterráneo, Cartagena. From November 8 to 24, you can head down to the shopping centres and.. 11/11/2024

Simon Griffiths clinches victory at 2024 Farmfoods European Senior MastersEnglishman Simon Griffiths has lifted the trophy for the Farmfoods European Senior Masters 2024 51-year-old English golfer Simon Griffiths secured his first Legends Tour victory at the renowned La Manga Club in Murcia, Spain this weekend at the Farmfoods.. 11/11/2024

Rent this excellently refurbished golf bungalow in La Manga Club golf resortLocated near the Grand Hyatt Hotel, this short-term rental accommodation is perfect for a golfing experience Do not miss your chance to stay in this fantastic 2-bedroom bungalow at the La Manga Club golfing resort in Murcia. With a.. 07/11/2024

Don't get left out in the cold: Make the switch with Spanish Energy this autumn for hot savings on your billsSpanish Energy offers a free, no-obligation comparison service that helps homeowners throughout Spain achieve substantial savings on their electricity bills All over Spain, people will have started noticing the days getting shorter and the nights.. 07/11/2024

New rubbish tip near La Manga Club and La Unión to open early in 2025The idea of building this new waste and recycling point is to provide garbage disposal services for people in Pozo Estrecho, La Palma and El Albujón Cartagena City Council has launched a tender to build a new rubbish waste tip, known in Spain.. 05/11/2024

Driver on wrong side of the road causes two accidents in La Manga del Mar MenorTwo people in a car and one motorcyclist were injured in the accidents A driver has been arrested after causing two accidents last night on the RM-12 and CT-32 highways in the municipality of Cartagena. The accidents were caused due.. 04/11/2024

La Manga scuba diver discovers 200-year-old shipwreckThe steamship recently discovered off the Murcia coast has a hole in it that could have been made by a cannonball It was mid-October and the conditions for diving in the Mediterranean Sea just off La Manga del Mar Menor were perfect. The sea was calm.. 30/10/2024

Cartagena City Council to modernise bus stationThe new station will have spaces for students and entrepreneurs Cartagena City Council has announced that it is to completely remodel its existing bus station. The aim is to give a sorely needed improvement to accessibility and to optimise.. 29/10/2024

New free entry times announced for Cartagena's top historical sitesRoman Theatre, Punic Wall, Castillo de la Concepción and Fuerte de la Navidad open for limited free hours The Roman Theatre Foundation in Cartagena has extended free admission hours at several of its most popular attractions. As of October.. 28/10/2024

Where to get a haircut, nails done and beauty treatments near Camposol, MurciaOne of the best places for nail, hair and beauty treatments in the Camposol, Mazarrón, Puerto de Mazarrón and southwest Murcia area is The Salon Camposol Hair & Beauty Salon If you’re looking for the best hair, nails and beauty.. 24/10/2024

Tortilla de patatas from 'Cucú Gastrobar' in Murcia ranked among the best in SpainThe calçots from ‘La Cerdanya’ in Cartagena also feature in the Repsol quality guide “Simple pleasures are sometimes the most difficult to satisfy,” states the Repsol guide, whose app recommends the best establishments.. 16/10/2024

Work on Cartagena high-speed rail link hoped to begin in 2027The port city could finally be part of the Mediterranean Corridor before the end of the decade At long last, the mechanisms have been approved that will allow interested promotors to begin bidding for the project of construction work to bring the.. 16/10/2024

Club MMGR Mar Menor Golf Resort renovates Bar and Restaurant“Pardon our dust” as Club MMGR renovates Club Bar and Restaurant Club MMGR Mar Menor Golf Resort is currently carrying out renovations to the Club MMGR Bar and Restaurant and have issued the following announcement: Dear Members and Guests.. 14/10/2024

Gill's story: From Peter Pan to Pinocchio's Gepetto in MurciaGill Brown is a member of the ADAPT Theatre Group in San Pedro del Pinatar. Here she tells her story “After 35 years of nursing, I came to Spain to retire and slow down. However, after being press ganged by friends into attending a rehearsal..

Roman Amphitheatre and Isaac Peral house to open: What's new for Cartagena tourism in 2025The city continues to add new cultural and tourist attractions each year The famous port city of Cartagena is quickly turning into a tourist hotspot as a record number of tourists have come this year, and more is to come next year for the Cartagena.. 10/10/2024

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