Port of Cartagena
OVERVIEW – On this page you can see information about Cartagena and some suggestions of Things to Do. We reflect on our visit to the city including a boat ride around the harbour.
Video(s) of our visit(s) accompany at the foot of this page.
Money Saving Tip
Before booking a Cruise Line Shore Excursion why not check out Viator for a comparison price. Just click on the icon to find out more.
Cartagena is a historic city dating back over 2,200 years. Originally founded by the Carthaginians, it was also used by Hannibal as a base before launching his famous march on Rome.
Roman forces captured the city in 209 BC and it became the wealthy capital of the province of Carthaginensis. It is during this period that monuments such as the Roman Theatre were built.
During the Middle Ages the city fell to the forces of the Byzantines and the Moors. The city flourished under their rule for centuries however during the 13th century King Alfonso X captured the city for Castile.
In the 18th Century the city was renamed Cartagena and become the headquarters of the Spanish Navy.
By the 19th and 20th Centuries there was a mining boom bringing much wealth to the area.
Today it remains Spain’s principal naval base in the Mediterranean.
Population is approximately 220,400
Currency is the Euro.
THINGS TO DO
With it’s history stretching back over 2 centuries, this city has plenty to see.
Historically the most important features survive from the Roman era. In particular the 6,000 seater Roman Amphitheatre. There is also a museum that tells it’s story and shows unearthed artifacts.
Alternatively take a glass elevator up 45 meters from Gisbert Street to the hilltop castle for sweeping views of the bay and city. Visit the Castello de la Concepcion at the same time.
The naval history is covered as well with naval museums and a museum of underwater archiology.
For those who prefer to take life easier, the town is pleasant to walk around and the waterfront area is delightful.
With boat trips, a land train and tourist bus, cafes and bars it is a delightful place to visit.
OUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO
We have visited Cartagena on more than one occasion as it does seem to be a popular stop for cruise ships.
Our most recent visit was whilst we were on Star Princess. We were lucky enough to sail on her 2nd paying passenger cruise and this was a maiden visit to the port.
Along with our friends Gavin and Luke, the Cruise Monkeys, we decided to stroll into the town. Some of the roads were blocked off for a road race competition, but it was interesting to see the competitors cross the finish line.
The town was very busy on this particular day however we meandered through the streets taking in some of the local sights.
Stopping at the tourist information we found that there was no Hop On Hop Off bus running that day, but there was a tourist bus. Unfortunately there was a huge queue and we decided not to wait.
Walking the town
It is very easy to get off the ship and stroll along the quay side and into the town. Flat areas are easy to navigate. You will see some vendors selling boat trips etc but you may find it best to do as we did and walk into the town to the tourist office.
For Information
In the end we took a tourist boat tour around the harbour. This turned out to be a great decision as it gave us the chance to see the harbour and its highlights from the water. We also had great views of the ship.
The boat times do vary a little but the trip takes about 45 minutes. During high season it leaves from the quayside hourly. Tickets can be bought on the day at a cost of €8 which is very reasonable.
If you want to you can also leave the boat at Christmas Fort to have a look around and then catch a later boat. There is a commentary giving brief details of the history of the port in several languages.
We felt this trip was extremely good value for money and a good use of our time. Would recommend it.
The Boat Trip
After the necessary pre-sailing checks and safety notices were given the boat headed out through the marina towards the outer harbour.
This gave us the opportunity to photograph the marina and some of the boats moored there.
On this particular day the small boats and yachts were somewhat dwarfed by the cruise ships. The smaller one in the picture is one of the Oceania fleet and the later one is Star Princess.
The boat gently glided out through the marina giving plenty of time to photograph Star Princess from both Port and Starboard sides.
On leaving the marina area we saw various local points of interest including:
Monte San Julian – a historic mountain, famous for it’s castle, fortifications and coastal defenses.
Fuerte de Navidad (Christmas Fort) a restored 19th century coastal battery and museum. Getting off here you can walk round the museum for a small cost.
Accompanying Video(s)
To check out our experiences in Aarhus just click the video below – and if you enjoy the content simply ‘Like’ and ‘Subscribe’ to see more (subscription is free).