Cartagena Spain

Posted on by Lea Ann Reynolds
A wide view high above the city

Cartagena was amazingly warm today and bustling with lots of tourists! We loved the warmth and the walk. Luckily it was 1/2 as many miles as yesterday but we climbed a boat load of stairs! Cartagena was another beautiful Spanish city in southeastern Spain that is new to us. It was founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC and has been inhabited by many different cultures over the centuries, including the Romans, Carthaginians, Moors, and Christians.

Love the streets

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Cartagena is the Roman Theater. This theater was built in the 1st century BC and is one of the best-preserved Roman theaters in the world. It is a large, semi-circular structure that can seat up to 6,000 people. Apparently it’s still used for performances and is a popular venue for concerts and plays.

A few close ups
Wide view of the theater
In constructing the castle they collected rainwater in these structures carved into rock
Either this one or the below picture is San Felipe. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The Castle of San Felipe was built in the 18th century to protect the city from attack. It was too far away for us to swim to so we passed!

Bullring

The Roman Amphitheater and Bullring of Cartagena are two other interesting historical sites in the city. The Roman Amphitheater was built in the 1st century AD and could seat up to 10,000 people. It was used for gladiatorial contests and other public events. The Bullring of Cartagena was built in the 19th century and is still used for bullfighting today. Didn’t see any bullfights today but would love to!

Scary lift to the top to see Concepcion castle
Beautiful Palace.

The Palacio Consistorial de Cartagena is the city’s town hall. It is a beautiful building in the neoclassical style. The building was completed in 1907. We thought it was a cathedral.

Entrance to the Concepcion castle
Wall around the castle with a moat sans water
Another outside view. We didn’t go inside.

The Concepcion castle is another important historical landmark in Cartagena. The castle was built in the 16th century, and it was used as a military base for many years. The castle offers stunning views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea. We took way too many from this viewpoint.

El Zulu Sculpture of a crouching man.

There’s so much more to see but we tired easily today and headed back to the ship. We saw enough to enjoy it.

This was a train made from chocolate that you could actually build. It even had tracks. So cute. Who would eat that?

Another great day in Spain.Tomorrow we are in Barcelona. Such a beautiful city!

May God bless you Always!

Chuck and Lea Ann

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