Over the summer we spent some time in the Murcia region of Spain. It was gloriously sunny and fantastically relaxed. While we were there we took a couple of trips to Cartagena, a beautiful historic port in the region where of all things the kids bought boomerangs as souvenirs.
Once we had navigated the busy maze of tiny streets which we didn’t even need to go near but accidentally ended up weaving our way through we parked up and took to foot. In truth the first time we struggled to find much more than some of the cities shops, naval sites and the historic port.
The second time was much more relaxed having a better idea of how to navigate the streets and where to park. Having struggled to find the rumoured Roman Amphitheatre and hilltop castle we’d consulted google and taken on the advice of regular visitors. This time strolling through the maze of streets we’d weaved our way through in the car on our previous visit we stumbled upon the amphitheatre first. A beautiful rugged old ruins nestled right in the heart of the city, the town hall on one side and apartments and shops overlooking on the other. Just behind it rose a twisting hilltop, winding up towards an ancient castle. On one side a lift ferried interested tourists up to the top offering spectacular panoramic views of the city and a short walk through the castle gardens to the entrance. The views really were breathtaking, overlooking the port on one side and the city on the other.
Back down alongside the port makes for an interesting stroll, the size of some of the ships is truly amazing and there is plenty to do with various play parks, street venders and cafes along the way. Walking along the side of the port leads back into the heart of the city where a small street market led the way to the entrance of the amphitheatre. I must confess by this time we were all a little hot and tired so having found the walk way that led up and around the top allowing us to overlook the amphitheatre earlier we decided to leave taking a look around the inside for another time.
All in all we thought Cartagena was a beautiful city with a fascinating and vibrant historic atmosphere well worth a visit and taking the tim to take in its culture and heritage.
Viva Espana!