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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

Yellow weather warning issued across Murcia as rain and storms returnAEMET's warning runs from midnight until 6:00 am on Wednesday, with up to 15 litres of rain per square metre possible in one hour The rain isn't quite finished with the Region of Murcia yet. After last week's storms and flooding, more.. 06/10/2026

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Cartagena's waterfront could soon be buzzing with markets and fairsEverything from Christmas markets to food fairs are planned from Alfonso XII dock to Santa Lucía The Port of Cartagena is working on a network of waterfront spaces for food markets, trade fairs and Christmas markets, with events set to spread.. 06/10/2026

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New €2 million project will take Cartagena's Roman amphitheatre to the next stageThe next stage will continue archaeological work inside the ancient arena, strengthen parts of the old bullring and create new areas for visitors Work at Cartagena's Roman amphitheatre is moving towards its next stage, with the current excavation.. 06/10/2026

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Free tacos are on the menu in Murcia today, and all you need is a flagTaco Bell and Duolingo are teaming up across Spain for International Taco Day Taco Bell and Duolingo are teaming up to mark International Taco Day today, Tuesday October 6, and anyone in the Region of Murcia who turns up with a flag and a bit of pronunciation.. 06/10/2026

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Cartagena neighbourhoods set for smart sensors tracking air, noise and movement€130,258 scheme will gather live data across the city’s northern districts and feed it into a new digital twin Residents in northern Cartagena could soon have a clearer picture of the air they breathe, the noise around them, the weather and.. 05/10/2026

Spain continues with EES as other countries request a delaySome European airports are still dealing with queues and technical problems, but Spain is continuing with its EES rollout Spain is continuing to use the EU's new biometric border system, while several other European countries are still working.. 02/10/2026

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Cartagena's busiest cruise month arrives with 39 ships and three on one single dayPort Authority schedule shows October peaking on the 14th as cruise season hits full swing Cartagena's cruise calendar is about to get very busy indeed. The Port Authority has confirmed 39 calls across 25 days this October, with some days seeing as.. 02/10/2026

Murcia survey reveals strong opposition to easing Mar Menor pollution rulesA new regional survey found that 75.6% want stronger environmental protection for the lagoon, while just 5.7% support reducing controls and penalties on agricultural businesses The future of the Mar Menor continues to be a subject of debate in.. 02/10/2026

Spain introduces sweeping new rental rules after Maricarmen evictionTwo new Royal Decree-Laws bring changes to rent increases, contract renewals, temporary rentals, room rentals and evictions, although Congress must still approve them Spain has introduced a major package of changes to its housing and rental.. 01/10/2026

Murcia is spending €688,000 getting its roads ready for autumn rainWith drainage systems, verges and road surfaces all in the mix, the work is already under way across several key routes With autumn around the corner and the prospect of heavy rainfall returning to the Region of Murcia, the regional government has launched.. 30/09/2026

Spanish doctors officially call an indefinite strike in OctoberDoctors say months of protests and failed negotiations with the Health Ministry have left them with no option but to step up industrial action Doctors across Spain are officially being called to an indefinite strike from October 28, after the country.. 30/09/2026

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