Cartagena Travel Guide, Spain

The Spanish port of Cartagena is a city of contrasts. Having belonged to every invading force that has ever set foot on the Iberian Peninsula, Cartagena bears the historical and cultural legacy of over two thousand years of Spain’s past. There are some magnificent pieces of architecture in Cartagena and some beautiful landscapes as well, sadly marred by the city’s severe pollution. Luckily, in recent years the restoration of Cartagena became a major goal of the local government, and the city has started to slowly recover its polish. Cartagena combines the pleasure with cultural enrichment. You can lounge on the sunny beaches or relax on a sidewalk café having some tapas, or you can visit archaeological sites, museums and famous buildings. This Cartagena Travel Guide will offer some useful information about transport and accommodation in the city for those who would like to spend a lovely holiday in Cartagena.

Cartagena Travel Guide - Transport

The closest international airport to Cartagena is San Javier. Several low-cost airlines serve the airport, and if you’re lucky you can get giveaway plane tickets from London, Brussels, Oslo and other cities to San Javier. Murcia is a popular destination among British tourists, and several British airports offer cheap direct flights to San Javier. You can also land at El Altet airport in the nearby province of Alicante. There is a highway linking Cartagena to El Altet, but direct public transport is more than lacking. You can take a cab to Alicante and then a bus to Cartagena or you can find your way to Murcia and take the bus or train to Cartagena from there. Either way, the journey will take about two hours. If you’ve got no time to spare but a well-padded wallet, you can rent a car at the airport, and reach Cartagena in about 20 minutes from San Javier, and an hour from El Altet. Cartagena city centre is not overly large and most of the sights are within walking distance from each other, so don’t bother using public transport unless you want to visit some of the charming nearby villages.

Cartagena Travel Guide - Accommodation

For those who plan on spending more time outdoors than in their hotel rooms, Los Habaneros in the city center will be the ideal hotel. The rooms are comfortable and newly renovated, and there is wireless internet in the lobby. More importantly, the hotel is close to the main tourist attractions. NH Cartagena is also located in the heart of the city, but it offers slightly more luxurious (and expensive) conditions. The staff are friendly and the amenities are great, and despite the fact that the hotel has its own reasonably good restaurant, this Cartagena Travel Guide recommends trying out some of the fabulous restaurants in the hotel’s vicinity - La Mejillonera is a must!

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• La Mar de Musicas Festival
  review by Murciaturistic posted more then 30 days ago
  Culture, leisure and festivals...this is what Region of Murcia offers you during this summer season. When you are here you have the chance to enjoy the benefits of two seas, the Mediterranean and the Mar Menor of Murcia (salted lagoon), in which you can enjoy in July a huge variety of Sun &...
• Cartagena worth a visit
  review by Wazling posted more then 30 days ago
  Cartagena is one of the biggest cities of the region Murcia. The city doesnt offer you much you can do there. But there are some places worth a look. The city walls are still preserved and you can visit the fortifications and two forts „Las Galeras“ und „San Julian“...

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