As the name suggests Cartagena was established by the Carthaginians in 227 BCand has been occupied by someone ever since .In twenty years this town has changed for the better.It used to be a navel town for conscripts .It could even have been described as ” seedy “.When NATO came in Cartagena lost its strategicbase and then the town council and others decided to promote its heritage instead .The historic town centre has been restored with taste and enables everyone to enjoy it .Most of the sites are free and those that charge are very inexpensive .Museums are also open on Sundays which is very convenient for many people .In all there are 44 places to visit in and around the town .The periods are covered from the Romans onwards .
The facades of the houses in the main streets have all been restored .There are medieval streets all around you to wander around and do your shopping .All of the streets have been pedestrianised .There is a Ist Century Roman amphitheater to look at and Byzantine ramparts to walk along .There is a huge Museum of Underwater Archaeology which spans 2,500 years from the 7th Century BC to the 19th Century .
This is most certainly a town to visit , not just for the day but for a long weekend if you want to savour the whole thing .
