There’s a lot to see and do in Cartagena, so much so that I’ve had to write this third post to tidy everything up. You’ll find everywhere on this map. There’s a key top left. Click on the photo galleries below to get a better view.
As well as lots of Modernista architecture (see separate post), Cartagena has some interesting examples of Postmodern construction, such as the Auditorio y Palacio de Congresos El Batel down on the waterfront. It was designed by the Madrilean architects José Selgas and Lucía Cano and opened in 2011.
I also really love the Brutalist Estación De Autobuses on Avenida Trovero Marín which is masquerading as a lighthouse.
I also quite liked the quirky design of Restaurante Varadero, one of the freiduras down in the fishing port that I mentioned in my previous post.
On Calle Gisbert there is the impressive Ascensor Panorámico that takes you up 45 metres to Castillo de la Concepción. There must be some great views up there but unfortunately I didn’t get time to go up.
And at the sea end of the same road there is this elegant brutalist foot bridge.
Which is also a street art hotspot.
I noticed a couple more pieces on my walks.
And there’s some impressive street sculpture in Plaza Heroes de Cavite as well.
Besides having good architecture, Cartagena is famous for its archaeology, which began, as the city’s name suggests, with the Carthaginians (from ancient Tunis) over 2,500 years ago. Most of the visible remains, of which there are many, are Roman, in particular the still-extant Teatro Romano which is a famous symbol of Cartagena. However being the son of an archaeologist and having seen many amphitheatres in my time (they’re all eerily similar), visiting it was pretty low on the list. So apologies if you came here looking for that. It’s always good to leave something for another visit in the future I always think.
And that’s it for Spain for now, I’ll be back there in a few posts. Off to Norway next…