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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 car tax jumps from €32 to €144 for some driversBiggest hikes hit hybrid and electric owners in latest IVTM update If you've got your vehicle tax bill through in Cartagena, you might have spotted a nasty surprise. Some drivers are facing increases of up to 344%, with one example jumping from &euro.. 24/02/2026

Café Bar Yemanjá set to reopen for the season from this date!After a winter break, Cabo de Palos’s favourite bar is reopening for the spring and summer season from this March Café Bar Yemanjá in Cabo de Palos will reopen its doors on Saturday March 14, welcoming customers from 10am to 4pm.. 24/02/2026

Ikea planning store in Cartagena is closing its doorsCompact design space in Espacio Mediterráneo to shut in March Ikea is closing its small planning store in the Espacio Mediterráneo shopping centre in Cartagena next month. Opened in 2022, this 75-square-metre outlet on the first floor was.. 24/02/2026

Torre Pacheco road from Mar Menor Golf Resort to airport reopens but disruption continuesThe carretera RM-313 Variante Norte is back open after two years, but ADIF has closed traffic on the Puente de El Pasico due to high-speed rail works After two years of closures, the Variante Norte (RM-313) in Torre Pacheco is finally back in use.. 24/02/2026

Try your luck with Espacio Mediterráneo's new 'Scratch off an Extra' promoA fun digital game, instant prizes and the chance to win a €100 Carrefour gift card every month If you love a good surprise (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t), Espacio Mediterráneo in Cartagena has just launched something that.. 24/02/2026

Booking now open for free guided visits to the Roman amphitheatre of CartagenaSee for yourself the progress in excavating the 2,000-year-old arena As of 9.00 on Tuesday 24th February booking is open for the free guided tours of the Roman amphitheatre in Cartagena, where excavation is still under way as more and more of the 2,000.. 24/02/2026

Murcia drivers lost two days and six hours to traffic jams in 2025TomTom reveals steady 30% congestion and Friday rush-hour nightmares Ever found yourself glaring at a sea of brake lights on Espinardo interchange wondering if you'll ever get home? You're not alone. Last year, Murcia drivers wasted two days.. 23/02/2026

5G high-speed internet coming to a town near you as Murcia expands coverageThanks to recent rollouts by MasOrange, Telefónica, and Vodafone, rural towns are finally getting high-speed internet Telecoms in the Region of Murcia are moving fast, and 5G is no longer just for the cities. Thanks to recent rollouts by.. 23/02/2026

Protected birds at risk as dangerous power lines in Murcia remain unsafe after crucial deadlineA year-long deadline to adapt dangerous high-voltage lines has passed, and around 50 owners still haven't submitted safety plans The regional government has been pushing for safer power lines across Murcia to protect local wildlife, but many.. 23/02/2026

More than 100 illegal immigrants land on Murcia coast in a wave of overnight arrivalsBoats came ashore at San Pedro del Pinatar, Águilas and Cartagena, with at least 17 children among those on board More than 100 migrants reached the coastline of the Region of Murcia between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, with five.. 23/02/2026

Cartagena Port gets high-tech X-ray van for cruise passenger checksElectric vehicle boosts security and sustainability with sharper scans and zero emissions Cartagena Port Authority is gearing up with a new electric van fitted with cutting-edge X-ray tech to scan cruise passengers' luggage more efficiently and securely.. 23/02/2026

Carlos Alcaraz continues his winning streak with a win at the Doha ATP 500The 22-year-old World No.1 from El Palmar in Murcia extended his unbeaten start to the year, beating Arthur Fils to claim his ninth ATP 500 title Not long after becoming the youngest man in history to complete the Career Grand Slam, Carlos Alcaraz added.. 23/02/2026

Murcia steps up wild boar controls as 20,000 culled each yearEight new trap cages added amid swine fever concerns and growing urban incursions Wild boar wandering into housing estates, rooting through farmland and appearing on local roads are no longer rare sights in parts of the Region of Murcia. Now, authorities.. 23/02/2026

How oysters are being used in the Mar Menor as water temperatures riseThese native flat oysters help clean the water and support the Mar Menor's ecosystem Scientists are continuing to study how native flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) can play a part in restoring the Mar Menor. These oysters are natural water filters.. 20/02/2026

Over 10,000 hospital appointments cancelled in Murcia as doctors' strike hitsThis is the fifth strike since June and has disrupted thousands of consultations, diagnostic tests and surgery appointments Murcia's hospitals have felt the full impact of a national doctors' strike this week, with thousands of appointments.. 20/02/2026

More than 100 households in Villas Caravaning face electricity and water cut-offsThe local PSOE political party has urged Cartagena City Council to act on behalf of residents as debts top half a million euros More than a hundred families still living at the Villas Caravaning campsite in Cartagena, are at risk of having their electricity.. 19/02/2026

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