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

Skip the summer taxi queues and let Airport Buses take the stress out of your Murcia transferAirport Buses offers four routes covering the Murcia coastline, Costa Blanca south and as far as Mojácar in Almería With the summer holidays in full swing and Murcia International Airport busier than ever, the last thing anyone wants.. 02/07/2026

Mallorca sunbed wars escalate following British tourist's viral itching powder prankAfter spotting rows of empty sunbeds reserved with towels from dawn, one holidaymaker decided to take matters into his own hands, dividing opinion online Sunbed wars have reached new levels in Mallorca after a British tourist resorted to itching.. 02/07/2026

Cartagena launches its biggest ever beach safety operation as the summer season gets properly underwayAll 27 beaches are now open at full capacity, with a new permanent police patrol unit added to the western coastline for the first time Summer is officially here in Cartagena. From Tuesday July 1, the municipality has activated its full beach season safety.. 02/07/2026

Cartagena gets its first flood park along the Canteras ramblaThe €1.96 million project includes solar lighting, a calisthenics circuit and a butterfly garden Residents in the western part of Cartagena have been puzzling over the construction work taking shape along the Canteras rambla, and in particular.. 02/07/2026

EU funding lost as Lo Pagán health centre faces further delaysConstruction began in 2023 and was due to be completed within 16 months, but legal action and payment disputes have left the project stalled for months Residents in Lo Pagán will have to wait even longer for their new health centre, as ongoing.. 02/07/2026

Murcia's Mediterranean waters hit 27°C as scientists warn of another scorching summer at seaHalf of the Med is currently running around 4°C above normal as a maritime heatwave takes hold in Murcia Beachgoers hoping for a refreshing dip are sadly out of luck as the Mediterranean off the Murcia coast is already recording water temperatures.. 02/07/2026

Murcia bus passengers left in the dark as regional transport strike gets under wayCommuters from outlying districts bore the brunt on day one, with many only finding out about reduced services when they arrived at the stop If you tried to catch a bus in Murcia on Wednesday morning and found yourself waiting longer than usual, you weren.. 02/07/2026

HELP Murcia Mar Menor delivers nappies, wipes and Baby clothes to mums in need in CartagenaRedMadre is currently supporting around 30 mothers and gets through thousands of nappies every month Volunteers from HELP Murcia Mar Menor made another trip to Cartagena last Thursday, delivering a van-load of donated goods to RedMadre, a charity.. 01/07/2026

Murcia is putting more than 6,500 extra healthcare staff in place for summer, with twice as many doctors as last yearThe Murcian Health Service is investing €37 million to keep hospitals, health centres and coastal emergency services running through to the end of September If you have ever tried to see a doctor in the Region of Murcia in August and wondered whether.. 01/07/2026

Microplastics found in Mar Menor blue crabs raise food safety concernsResearch by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography found microplastics in 100% of blue crabs tested from the Mar Menor A study by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) has found microplastics in blue crabs living in the Mar Menor, raising.. 01/07/2026

Murcia pulls out of native English assistant programme in schoolsThe decision means around 270 language assistants will no longer be placed in classrooms across the Region next academic year The Murcia Region has decided not to join the national programme for native language conversation assistants in schools.. 01/07/2026

Woman dies after being found unconscious on Mazarrón BeachWitnesses began CPR and used a nearby defibrillator after the 66-year-old was found unresponsive at the water's edge A 66-year-old woman has died after being found unconscious at the water's edge on Parazuelos Beach in Mazarrón on.. 01/07/2026

El Portús promenade repairs finally begin after year-long waitResidents have expressed their relief as Cartagena council gets to grips with storm damage at last Repair work on the El Portús seafront promenade in Cartagena got underway this Monday June 29, bringing an end to more than a year of waiting.. 30/06/2026

New AI smart buoys installed to keep watch over the Mar MenorThe high-tech devices will monitor the health of the Murcia lagoon’s water in real time The Mar Menor lagoon has a new set of eyes watching over it, with smart buoys now in place to monitor its condition in real time. It's one of the most.. 30/06/2026

Why buying off-plan in Murcia is becoming one of the most popular ways to purchase a new homeJust Murcia Property highlights off-plan homes available across San Pedro del Pinatar, Los Alcázares and Roldán Buying a property off-plan in the Region of Murcia is becoming an increasingly popular option for both international buyers.. 29/06/2026

Renfe strike today: 320 trains cancelled across Spain as railway workers walk outThe 24-hour action affects high-speed, long-distance, medium-distance and commuter services, with a second strike day already confirmed for July 15 If you're travelling by train in Spain today, check your ticket before you leave the house. The Railway.. 29/06/2026