A firm favourite with cruisers and if you are not sure why, then you haven’t discovered all of one of Spain’s most important port cities for over 2000 years, Cartagena. To help you we have Jean’s film of the Port of Cartagena, we have the more official tourist film here. We also suggest you look at the tour highlights both with GTG and the ones available on ship, because this will reveal the secrets of this famous naval city. Cartagena has a natural harbour that is over seen by the medieval Castillio de la Concepcion and behind the protective walls is the old city. The Romans had a huge influence on Cartagena and some sites remain, and some are still being discovered. When you see the amphitheatre that dates from around 100BC, you will wonder two things, how have they only recently found it, and why have they made entrance hard to find. Luckily you can see it all from the surrounding elevated park.

Cartagena was built on 5 small hills by the Romans, that made Cartagena strategically hard to attack. It has many historic monuments although they now know many have disappeared. Between 5 and 1 BC and the Concepción Castle served as a fortress for the Carthaginians, Visigoths, Arabs and Castilians as well as the Romans. Cartagena is also home to a number of Modernist buildings that were designed and built by the pupils of Antoni Gaudi, the world famous architect renowned for designing the stunning La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Cartagena is normally on the Strictly Come Dancing Cruise, one of the best cruises ever.