Monday, May 1, 2023 - Cartagena, Spain

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Monday, May 1 - Murcia, Spain 

We arrive in Cartagena mid-day. Cartagena is a natural harbor and has been a naval stronghold since ancient times. Even today, there is a major Spanish Naval base here. 

The itinerary says Murcia, but that is a much larger city that is inland from here. On our 2018 Viking cruise, we stopped here heading to Barcelona. With a small group of friends, we had scheduled a private tour to Murcia. At the end of that tour, we were given a very brief tour of Cartagena. 

We opted for the “included” tour today that was a drive around including out into the countryside. This is an area we were not exposed to the last time so we find it interesting. We are headed to Cape Palos which is east of Cartagena. A village at the southern tip of the Mar Menor which is the largest lagoon in Spain. It is separated from the Mediterranean by a sandbar 22 kilometers in length. The water in the lagoon has a higher salinity than the sea and is a very popular tourist destination.

Clear Mediterranean water and a beach at Cape Palos

The sandbar of Mar Menor stretches out in the distance. Just a few tourist accommodations.

 

On our way to Cape Palos, we drove through an old mining area, now abandoned. A number of years ago, the mines were purchased by a French company. They were leeching the minerals from the rock and then dumping the tailings in the nearby bay. A major ecological disaster that received very little attention. 

Back in Cartagena, our tour became a walking tour of the old city and a visit to the museum of the Roman Theater that was discovered in 1988. The group was continuing on to the Theater from the museum. We decided to break off at that point and went in search of a cup of coffee

The ornate building is their city hall.

The front of the city hall.

The main pedestrian street of the old city.
 

Antiquities found when excavating the Roman theater.

A very special cup of coffee. Café Asiatico is popular in this area of Spain. It is served in a special glass. Sweetened condensed milk, topped with brandy, topped with a local liqueur, topped with coffee, and dusted with cinnamon. Stir well before drinking. REALLY GOOD!

What was left of the coffee.

 

We walked the short distance back to the ship. A very pleasant afternoon.