Cartagena: Best Things to Do
SIGHTSEEING
You have to mark Castillo de la Concepción as the first place to visit when you are in Cartagena to getting to know the city by its history. This castle located in the Cerro de la Concepción as one of the highest points of Cartagena which offers the best view of the city. The castle keeps its place for about 3000 years and holds many histories from the first build, Muslim era, Spanish civil war, until nowadays. You can reach the castle by a ride on a glass lift while enjoying the city view from a certain height.
Castillo de la Concepción
DOWNTOWN
Calle Mayor is the least busy street in Cartagena and always packed with tourists and locals. In this street, there is Casa Cervantes, a modernist house which builds in 1900 by the architect Víctor Beltrí. It has detail classic ornament in their wall and pillars which make this place become a tourist attraction. Right next to this building, there are Casino de Cartagena and Casa Llagostera existed. The street is full of bars, cafes and shops, so it is really recommended to you when you are looking for a street to hanging out.
Casa Llagostera
SHOPPING
When you are looking for a place which sells many of artwork made by the local artist in Cartagena, you need to bring your step to Centro De Artesania De Cartagena. You can easily find anything in this shop, such as jewellery, wooden crafts, ceramics, scarfs, and many more. They sell those amazing artwork in realistic prices and it is always worthy to spend a buck in here.
Centro De Artesania De Cartagena
FOOD & DRINK
You have to try Bacalao Fresco con Tomate (Fresh Cod with Tomato) which loved by locals before you leaving Cartagena. The dish is a legacy from the Roman era which well preserved as it original but with little changed over centuries. It is a fried codfish (fried with olive oil) cooked with vegetables, garlic and tomatoes.
CULTURE
Cartagena has a rich culture since this city existed for more than 3000 years ago. It holds so many histories from the Roman Era, World War I and II until nowadays the globalization era. But the ancient and modern culture are mixed-well because of the local always welcome to the new culture brought by the immigrants but still holding onto the legacy by the ancestors.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
The best time to visit Cartagena is from May to October when the temperature is warm and the rainfall is limited so you can enjoy strolling around the city.
HOTEL
Hotel NH Cartagena offers the best of a historical city or ocean view from its window. The room has a chic yet modern minimalist concept and dominated by brown and white colour furniture. But when you want to stay at a hotel which brings sea breeze to your room, you may book a room at Servigroup Galua Hotel since it located in La Manga and offers you the beauty of Mediterranean sea. The room is dominated in pastel aquatic colour and has a contemporary modern concept to give a comfortable stay experience to the guest.
Hotel NH Cartagena
Servigroup Galua Hotel
RESTAURANT
Restaurante Magoga has an open kitchen concept which served its best fresh fish and seafood from the Mediterranean and well known for its best selection of cheese in the country. It has elegant white dining room with Mediterranean style decor and the food served to your table in a unique plate. But when you are looking for a restaurant which served its best meat in Cartagena you need to head to A la Brasa Taberna Mediterránea. They offer big steak with real grill flavour in a moderate portion along with the tasty burger.
Restaurante Magoga
A la Brasa Taberna Mediterránea
CAFE
CafeLab is the right place to go if you are looking for a place which served coffee in the finest way because they put an extra effort in cultivation, roasting, and extraction to the cup. The vibes of the cafe are also at another level, it has a warm yet cosy atmosphere which created from its brown chair and table combine with warm yellow lighting. But when you are want to try the authentic coffee of Cartagena "Asiatico", you may head to El Soldadito de Plomo which also well known as their homemade sweet dessert. This cafe has a very vibrant atmosphere with different chairs in every table and the wall is full of art.
CafeLab
El Soldadito de Plomo
BAR AND NIGHTLIFE
Colmao has the most Cartagena vibes among the bar in Cartagena by its interior decor which dominated with pictures of the locals' daily activity in the old time. This bar is famous for its selected wine and beer, but the easy bite snack like burger and salad is such a scene-stealer. On the other hand, El Lingot will bring a cold cocktail to your table if you grab a seat at the bar in the evening. You can not deny the warm cosy atmosphere which brings by the pastel-coloured furniture weather in the indoor or outdoor seat.
Colmao
El Lingot
INTERESTING PLACE
The Barrio del Foro Romano is worth to visit when in Cartagena since it is the biggest urban archaeologist park in Spain. When you come to this place, you need to stroll through the old Carthago Nova roads to explore its natural thermal baths in a special environment. And you have to make a time to explore Punic wall of Cartagena since this site held the memories about the Punic war between Carthaginians and Romans in the past. The wall is built in the third century BC and now in the ruin condition due to Punic second war but you can still amazed by how great the architecture.
The Barrio del Foro Romano
Punic wall
INSTAGRAMMABLE SPOT
Upload some photos from Roman Theatre Cartagena on your Instagram feed and make your followers wonder where does this majestic amphitheatre situate. It is an ancient theatre with a Roman architecture built in 5 and 1 BC which hidden for many centuries before rediscovered by the archaeologist in 1988. To complete your visit to Cartagena, you have to take a snap in Palacio Consistorial which also known as unique triangular building. The building has majestic charm since the construction using Macael marble (Almeria) and Villalba granite, iron and zinc and from the building and in the hall there is a staircase which decorated by allegorical motifs related to the city.
Roman Theatre Cartagena
Palacio Consistorial
