HOME > MURCIA MAR MENOR & CARTAGENA > CARTAGENA

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.

SELECT A SUBJECT OR READ THE LATEST TOWN ARTICLES BELOW

Whats On Cartagena Cartagena Local News Places to visit Cartagena City Places to visit outlying districts Where to Eat Cartagena Semana Santa, Fiestas, Traditions History of Cartagena Cartagena Cartagena beaches Medical Info, Doctors and Hospitals Police, Town hall, Useful Info Public spaces and cultural venues Monuments, churches and plazas Locations with Military Connections Tourist Information and Parking Cartagena Cruise Ships Shopping and markets Cartagena Property Cartagena municipality

CARTAGENA

Fourth lane to be added to Murcia-Cartagena A-30 motorwayThe €12 million project will ease traffic jams on both the A-30 and MU-30 roads Relief is finally on the way for Murcia drivers on one of the A-30 Cartagena-Madrid motorway’s worst bottlenecks. The Ministry of Transport has announced plans.. 22/04/2025

La Manga Life 2025 magazine is out nowA celebration of the La Manga Club community, showcasing local businesses and life around the resort The La Manga Life 2025 magazine has been released and is now available to read online now, while the print copy is due to be distributed and.. 22/04/2025

Electric Movibus buses roll into testing phase on Murcia-Molina routeA greener future for public transport is taking shape in the Region of Murcia This week sees the launch of a pilot scheme testing fully electric Movibus vehicles on the route between Murcia and Molina de Segura. The trial is being run by the Regional.. 22/04/2025

Anger grows in Los Nietos as the town continues to deteriorate“Never in the 60 years I've been in Los Nietos has the town been so dirty,” according to the local residents’ association Frustration is boiling over in the Cartagena town of Los Nietos, where residents say years of neglect have.. 22/04/2025

Five of the Region of Murcia’s most original Holy Week processionsFrom fishermen in yellow coats to the thunder of drums - these lesser-known Semana Santa traditions offer something a little different By mid-Holy Week, the streets of Murcia, Cartagena and Lorca are usually packed with colour and tradition. But..

Last-minute Easter bookings fill Murcia hotels almost to capacityAccommodation in Murcia city, Cartagena, Lorca and the coast is 90% full There’s no two ways about it – the Region of Murcia does Easter very, very well, so it’s no surprise that thousands of tourists from all over the world jet.. 18/04/2025

Why now is the time to install air conditioning in your Spanish homeTo ensure you stay cool as temperatures rise, Camposol Heating & Maintenance S.L. (CHM) is the name to trust in Murcia While it’s still a bit unsettled at the moment, Spain is undoubtedly heading into another sun-drenched summer. The intense.. 17/04/2025

Council scraps Mar Menor rainwater project over land access rowCartagena forced to give back nearly €1.8 million in EU funding after being blocked from using private land A rainwater collection project planned by Cartagena City Council for the Mar Menor area has been abandoned after officials were.. 16/04/2025

Cartagena beach bars get green light to open, but is it too late for Easter?7 chiringuitos in Cabo de Palos, La Manga, Playa Honda and La Azohía are now ready to open The authorities spent a frantic weekend issuing authorisations to those awarded concessions to set up beach bars in Cartagena after their opening was.. 15/04/2025

Illegal British-run nursing home uncovered in Murcia farmhouseA British-run guesthouse in La Manchica has been exposed after an elderly woman was hospitalised in a critical condition A disturbing case in the quiet, little village of La Manchica, in the municipality of Cartagena but located just 5 kilometres south..

Kitesurfer dies off the coast of La MangaThree fellow surfers brought the body to shore after spotting the man face down in the water A man died while kitesurfing off the coast of La Manga del Mar Menor this Thursday afternoon, April 10, after being found face down in the water.. 11/04/2025

Illegal homes and unsafe toilets taped off at Villas Caravaning campsite in CartagenaThe city council has acted to halt what it considers “unauthorised activity” and to ensure user safety, as well as to prevent the notorious campsite covertly turning into a residential area Cartagena City Council has ordered the immediate.. 11/04/2025

Newly renovated port area finally unveiled in Cabo de PalosThe new pedestrian-friendly space aims to blend the area’s fishing heritage with a modern tourist attraction Cabo de Palos has officially opened its newly renovated harbour mouth, the Bocana de Cabo de Palos, marking the completion of.. 11/04/2025

Amazingly well-preserved mammoth rib discovered in Cartagena caveThe extraordinary fossil, which was discovered in the Cueva Victoria, backs up ideas about early human migration and highlights the region's rich Pleistocene past A fascinating find in Cartagena has unveiled a complete rib of a southern.. 10/04/2025

Cartagena weekly markets can go ahead this Easter and on festivos all this yearThe weekly markets have been authorised for this Friday, as well as on the bank holidays next week and later in the year, too The City Council of Cartagena has authorised the usual holding of weekly markets on all the major public holidays in 2025.. 09/04/2025

Cartagena ramps up action against harmful pine processionary caterpillarsThousands of trees treated as the council works to keep green spaces safe and pest-free Cartagena City Council is stepping up its efforts this season to tackle the pine processionary caterpillar, a pest known to be harmful to both animals.. 08/04/2025

Linea Directa 290 A-L RIGHT COL CAR INSURANCE