The Ancient Roman City of Cartagena

Stunning Archaeological Discovery:

Enjoy a scenic drive to Cape Palos, part of a small peninsula formed by long-ago volcanic activity. At the Mar Menor's most southerly tip, the picturesque village is centered around a quaint marina, rocky coastline and wonderful array of restaurants and cafés. Stop for a photo, then continue your drive to Cartagena. Enjoy free time to explore the charming coastal city and its abundance of sights as you wander through the Old Town's narrow cobblestone streets. You will visit the fascinating Museum of the Roman Theater. Cartagena's 6,000-seat Roman Theater, built as an entertainment venue in the 1st century BC, when Rome was at the height of its power, lay undiscovered for more than 2,000 years until its ruins were identified in 1990. The museum is ingeniously designed to take you on a journey through time, as you explore the exhibits and displays. After your guided tour, return to your ship.

This morning Viking Neptune docked in Cartagena, Spain, right in the city center. Tim and I took separate tours today, although we happened to run into each other at one of the stops.

I set out on the included tour, the Ancient Roman City of Cartagena, where I learned that Cartagena had been an important location for millennia, due to its natural harbor and rich mines. A trading hub was established here as early as the third century BC, long before the city was conquered by the Romans. In the nineteenth century, a mining boom transformed the city once again, leaving behind beautiful Art Nouveau buildings.

We began our walking tour on Cartagena’s marble sidewalks and stopped at Palacio Consistorial, the beautiful, early twentieth-century town hall. From there, we moved on to discover the city’s Roman history.

Palacio Consistorial and Christmas in Cartagena

Cartagena’s Roman Theater, built between the fifth and first centuries BC, was accidentally discovered in 1988, and the Museum of the Roman Theater exhibits items unearthed in excavations at the site. The museum, however, is much more than that, and its displays took us on a journey through time.

After entering the museum through the Palacio de Riquel, we followed a history-themed passageway under the street with displays of artifacts that showed the evolution of the site over the last 2,000 years. This exhibit was designed to help visitors understand how the theater had remained hidden for so many centuries.

The Passageway of History

We next reached the new museum space, where the focus was the architecture of the theater. A collection of artifacts excavated at the site, as well as models of the theater, were on display. A second exhibition focused on the importance of the theater in Roman society. In that era, the theater was used not only for recreation but also for the spread of political and religious propaganda.

The Architecture of the Theater

Theater and Society

After walking through a second tunnel, this one underneath the medieval church of Santa Maria, we exited the museum into the Roman Theatre itself. What an impressive sight! While I was walking around, I ran into Tim, who had taken a more extensive archeological tour.

The Roman Theater

Tim and Sarah at the Roman Theater

After soaking up the history of Roman times, we continued our tour with a walk through a few of the streets of Old Cartagena. 

Streets of Old Town Cartagena

It was then time to board our motorcoach for a scenic drive to Cape Palos. We circled multiple roundabouts, each with its own interesting design feature or monument, and saw bright green fields and a very colorful building. We learned that the many lemon trees growing along the way were an important crop - locals apparently use lemons on everything. 

Scenes Along the Way to Cape Palos

Cape Palos is known for its rich and diverse ecosystem and is part of a marine reserve that is one of the most important in the Mediterranean. The Cape Palos lighthouse still serves as a beacon to mariners. I climbed to the top of the hill where the lighthouse sits, and the view of the lagoon was beautiful.

Cape Palos and Its Lighthouse

By the time we returned to Cartagena, the gray clouds had disappeared, and the sky was a brilliant blue. I decided to stay in town and explore a bit more of the city. After stumbling across a Christmas concert at Palacio Consistorial, I happened to walk by the Arsenal of Cartagena, one of the city’s important historic sites.

Sights Along the Streets of Cartagena

Throughout the town, I kept encountering one sculpture after another, many of which were soldiers. As I reached the harbor, I saw Viking Neptune waiting for me, but I wasn’t quite ready to reboard. The waterfront promenade was busy, since many people were in town for the Immaculate Conception holiday. Here, I found more sculptures, and I especially loved the Whale’s Tail. 

Cartagena Is Full of Sculptures and Monuments

One sculpture that grabbed my attention was El Zulo, a monumental bronze memorial created as a tribute to the victims of terrorism around the world. I wanted to take a photo, but the sculpture had become a children’s playground, with parents taking photos of their kids. That was disturbing to me, but I could only hope that they were not aware of the meaning behind the art. I finally managed to get a photo with only the legs of a child in it. 

El Zulo

I finally returned to the ship, and Tim and I enjoyed another great lecture after dinner. We learned more about the rich heritage of Andalucía's varied architecture that we would be seeing on our upcoming ports.

Dr. Lawson Gave Another Great Lecture