← Maratón de Murcia·Day trip

Cartagena: Roman Theatre and Harbour

A naval port with a Roman theatre that lay buried under the old town until 1988, a Modernista main street and a flat harbour promenade.

DurationDay trip
TransitBus from Murcia San Andrés, about 1 hour; a few direct trains a day
DepartsMurcia

After the Maratón de Murcia: Cartagena

The Route: Murcia → Cartagena → Murcia Logistics: Bus from Murcia's San Andrés bus station, about an hour, with departures through the day. Direct trains are few, so check both before you go. Marathon Month: February Duration: Day trip

Murcia San Andrés ──(about 1 hr bus)──> Cartagena ──(about 1 hr bus)──> Murcia

Cartagena is Murcia's port, 50 km south on the Mediterranean, and after a flat city marathon it offers something different: a harbour, a Roman theatre and a naval town that has been fortified since the Carthaginians founded it. It is the closest coastal day out from the Maratón de Murcia.

February in Cartagena is mild for the time of year, usually in the mid to high teens by afternoon, with cool mornings and a breeze off the sea. It is off-season. Carnival sometimes falls in February, depending on the Easter date, so check the local calendar; otherwise the streets are quiet.

The one practical catch is the day of the week. The Roman theatre museum, the main reason to come, is closed on Mondays throughout the year. If you are staying until Tuesday, go then. If Monday is your only day, plan around the harbour, the streets and the outside of the theatre, and check which other sites are open that day.

Buses from Murcia's San Andrés station to Cartagena take about an hour and run regularly through the day. Direct trains exist but there are only a few each day, so the bus is usually the more convenient option. Check current times at the station or online.

The Roman theatre

The theatre was built at the end of the first century BC and was found in 1988 under houses and a cathedral in the old quarter. The museum, designed by Rafael Moneo, leads visitors from a building on the square through tunnels and up into the seating. There are stairs and escalators, and the seating itself is steep, so take it slowly. Entry is €7. In winter the museum opens Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 and on Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00, with free entry for the last two hours on Tuesdays.

The old town and the harbour

Calle Mayor, the main shopping street, runs from the harbour into the old town. It is flat and pedestrianised, and many of its buildings date from the early twentieth century, when mining money paid for a wave of ornate Modernista facades. The Gran Hotel and the Casino are two of the best.

The harbour promenade along the Paseo de Alfonso XII is the recovery walk: level, paved and about a kilometre long, with benches, the naval museum and views of the warships and the old defensive walls. Boat trips around the harbour run in season; check whether they are operating in February.

The hills above the town carry castles and viewpoints, but they involve steep climbs. The Castillo de la Concepción has a panoramic lift from near the theatre; check whether it is running on the day of your visit before you commit to the slope.

Lunch and the return

Fish and rice dishes dominate menus around the harbour and Calle Mayor. Caldero, a rice cooked in fish stock from the nearby Mar Menor, is the local speciality and a good carbohydrate meal after a hard race. Leave time to walk back to the bus station, which is close to the harbour.