Cartagena Tourist Attractions
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Cartagena, one of Spain's most important commercial and naval ports, lies in a deeply indented bay on the Mediterranean which is guarded by two forts, Las Galerias and San Julián, situated on steep rocky promontories.
Monumento de los Heroes de Cavite
At the west end of the promenade flanking the harbor is the Monumento de los Heroes de Cavite, which commemorates the dead of the Spanish-American War of 1898.
Castillo de la Concepción
From the Cathedral a flight of steps leads up to the 11th century Castillo de la Concepción, 70m/230ft above sea level, which is now a public park, the Parque Torres. From here there is a fine view of the harbor and, prominent to the south, the Escombreras refinery.
Peral
At the quay just south of the one with the Monumento de los Heroes de Cavite is one of the oldest submarines in the world, the "Peral", built in 1888 by Isaac Peral of Cartagena.
Town Hall
North of the Monumento de los Heroes de Cavite is the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, with the Town Hall (1907).
Cathedral of Santa María la Vieja
To the east of the Town Hall can be seen the ruins of the Cathedral of Santa María la Vieja, which was destroyed during the Civil War.
Maritime Museum
The Museo Naval is in Calle Real, near the Plaza de España.
Museum of Underwater Archaeology
On the far side of the harbor basin, adjoining the Faro (lighthouse) de Navidad, is the Museo Nacional de Arqueológia Submarina, which displays antiquities recovered from the sea.
Archaeological Museum
The most important museum in Cartegena is the Museo Arqueológico Municipal in Calle Ramón y Cajal, in the northeast of the city. Housed in an old 19th century market hall, it has a collection of Carthaginian, Roman, Visigothic and Arab antiquities, including a Roman copy of a Greek statue of Hermes.
Surroundings
La Union
La Unión, 12km/7.5mi east of Cartagena, is the center of the largest ore-mining area in Europe. The town developed as a result of the increasingly intensive mining activity of the last 100 years or so, and its prosperity during this period is reflected in a number of handsome Art Nouveau buildings.
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