Bars, beaches, landmarks and local spots in Cartagena — a hyperlocal guide to where to go.
Paseo Alfonso XII 22, Cartagena
The National Museum of Underwater Archaeology on the waterfront — treasures raised from Mediterranean shipwrecks, telling the Phoenician, Carthaginian and Roman story of this ancient port.
A classic, well-priced tapas bodega in the centre — honest plates and local wine in an unpretentious old-Cartagena setting.
A seafood restaurant with a terrace over Cala Cortina — fresh sea produce and rice dishes with the water right in front of you.
A speciality-coffee shop with a striking steampunk design — the pick for serious coffee, plus brunch, in the centre.
A top-rated local café famous for the best café asiático in town — Cartagena's own coffee with condensed milk, Licor 43 and brandy — plus tostadas and montaditos at friendly prices.
Cartagena's own city beach — a small, sheltered cove of clear water just past the port, easy to reach and good for a swim and a snorkel, with a couple of beach restaurants alongside.
The pedestrian spine of the old town — a parade of early-20th-century Modernist façades (Casa Cervantes, Gran Hotel, Casa Llagostera) running down to the port. The heart of the evening paseo.
The hilltop castle in Parque Torres, reached by a panoramic lift from the old town — an interpretation centre on the city's history and the best 360° views over the port and rooftops.
A characterful tapas bar pairing local Jumilla wines with plates like michirones and pork in Roquefort — good value and full of atmosphere.
A stalwart for traditional Murcian cooking — arroz caldero (the coast's fisherman's rice), michirones and zarangollo done properly, in a warm classic dining room.
A gorgeous central café serving perfectly poured coffee and all-day breakfast — a relaxed spot any time of day.
The Molinete Roman Forum district — an archaeological park of a forum, thermal baths and a banqueting hall (the Atrium), roofed and walkable in the heart of the old town.
A fresh-seafood freiduría and marisquería for fried fish, prawns and the day's catch — simple, generous and dependable.
A bakery-café in the historic centre for good coffee, freshly baked pastries and a full brunch of juices, sandwiches and salads.
One of Europe's great golf resorts, in the hills at Los Belones — three 18-hole championship courses, an academy and a five-star hotel, a short drive from the city.
A much-loved taberna for market-driven Murcian tapas — vegetables, seafood and rice at their best, with a lively buzz. Worth booking at weekends.
A classic old-town tapas-and-wine bar with a charming patio — affordable plates and local Jumilla wine, a favourite for a pre-dinner graze.
Plaza Dr. Vicente García Marcos 5, Cartagena
Cartagena's Michelin-starred restaurant — chef María Gómez's refined, deeply local tasting menus (the region's rice, red prawn and vegetables) with a celebrated wine cellar. Booking essential.
The Punic Wall interpretation centre, built over a stretch of the 3rd-century-BC Carthaginian defences — the story of Qart Hadasht, the city Hannibal's family founded.
The Naval Museum on the old arsenal quay, home to the restored Isaac Peral — the world's first fully operational electric combat submarine, built here in 1888. Cartagena is the birthplace of the submarine.
Plaza Ayuntamiento 1, Cartagena
The dazzling white Modernist town hall by the port — a wedding-cake of marble and glass, one of Spain's finest Modernist civic buildings.
Parque Regional de Calblanque, Cartagena
A pristine regional park of golden dunes, cliffs and undeveloped beaches east of the city — the wild, protected coast the Costa Cálida's resorts leave behind. Access is restricted by shuttle bus in summer.
The grand natural harbour and waterfront promenade — palm-lined quays, the marina, cruise ships and the Isaac Peral submarine monument, ringed by hills and forts.
Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Cartagena
Cartagena's crown jewel — a magnificent 1st-century-BC Roman theatre for 7,000, lost for centuries and rebuilt from its own stones, entered through a museum that walks you down to the tiers. Unmissable.
A long-standing seafood restaurant known for its fresh fish, shellfish and its caldero — a Cartagena classic.