Although Cartagena is not noted as the main tourist destination in Spain, the city is one of the oldest in the world with over 3.000 years of history and is full of historic sites well worth visiting at any time of the year. The port of Cartagena, in the Mediterranean's Costa Cálida, has been prized since Carthaginian times. Thanks to its strategic position on the Murcia coast, it has been inhabited by several cultures which have left their mark on its artistic heritage. The city went into some decline during the mid 20th century but has undergone a major redevelopment in the past 20 years.
With its deepwater port area Cartagena was the home of the Spanish navy for many years, however, as they moved out the archaeologists moved in transforming the many historic sites into stunning places to visit.
The cities undeniable historic symbol is the Roman Theatre Museum a true wonder of the Roman occupation, the site includes the Pascual Riquelme Palace and the Santa María la Vieja Cathedral, interestingly the Carthago Nova Theatre was not discovered until 1990.
