Jamesuk
Active member
cartagena - i will be moving there shortly and really don't know what to expect, i will be living in a villa there so if anyone has any good and bad experiences then i would really like to know.
james
james
Cartagena, Spain - anyone ever been?
- Thread starter Jamesuk
- Start date
Richard10002
Well-known member
I was there overnight in June, but didnt get off the boat, so not much use to you.
My crew went ashore for a couple of hours and was gobsmacked by the beauty of the buildings in the City Centre, and amazed at the quality of the customers at the local Lidl supermarket.
My crew went ashore for a couple of hours and was gobsmacked by the beauty of the buildings in the City Centre, and amazed at the quality of the customers at the local Lidl supermarket.
jimbaerselman
New member
Extract from my web site -
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"6. Cartagena. The narrow streets of the old town, packed around the port, are dense with bars and restaurants - a tremendous contrast with the grubby industrial suburbs. World class events are the Easter fiesta, International Nautical week in June and the world music festival in July. All year, gorge yourself in the tapas bars around the Ayuntamiento. No wonder people love this place. But these festivals do crowd the marina, which, outside festival time, is good value for money."
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It's a pleasant surprise to see how well dressed the Spanish are compared to Brits - especially those on holiday. Though you'll see very few holidaymakers in Cartagena.
As in any bigger Spanish city unemployment levels lead to a petty theft problem. Not as bad as Barcelona (fewer targets!) but keep your bags and backpacks well attached.
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"6. Cartagena. The narrow streets of the old town, packed around the port, are dense with bars and restaurants - a tremendous contrast with the grubby industrial suburbs. World class events are the Easter fiesta, International Nautical week in June and the world music festival in July. All year, gorge yourself in the tapas bars around the Ayuntamiento. No wonder people love this place. But these festivals do crowd the marina, which, outside festival time, is good value for money."
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It's a pleasant surprise to see how well dressed the Spanish are compared to Brits - especially those on holiday. Though you'll see very few holidaymakers in Cartagena.
As in any bigger Spanish city unemployment levels lead to a petty theft problem. Not as bad as Barcelona (fewer targets!) but keep your bags and backpacks well attached.
Sea Devil
Well-known member
I have been there several times - liked it a lot.. really nice pedestrian streets with good inexpensive restaurants - excellent open air market - every day I think.. The whole place has been modernised in recent years but still has lots of character. One of the places I have considered when thinking of living in Spain. Big shipyard n the other side of the harbour, nice yacht club, newish marina and a submarine naval base... Lots of local anchorages and a natural harbour... Hope you enjoy it
Michael
Michael
davies
New member
No, but the other Cartagena (Colombia) has a decent marina.
charles_reed
Active member
Spent about 3 months there engaged in a battle with insurers about replacing a fatigued mainmast.
Found it delightful - from the sea - and ghastly on the landward approach.
Good Carréfour supermercado, excellent daily market, pleasant yacht club and traces of Gaudi architecture. Excellent marine archaeological museum, rather obtrusive naval base ( they kept on blowing bugles) and good café society life. Ristoranti middling, but plenty of them - the wife enjoyed Torres park and the monument to Hannibal is quite touching. There's the Roman lighthouse re-sited there.
Good centre for coach travel, went to Granada 3 times, and connections available all round Europe.
Oh! A word of warning, it's on the cruise-ship circuit - when the SAGA one came in you couldn't move for the Zimmer frames down the main drag; though I was impressed by the THomson skipper's shiphandling getting off without a tug with an onshore F5 and only 2 ship's length in which to manoeuvre.
Super bike shop there, Ciclos Curra, got a 2nd hand Trek 2300 there, with carbon frame and Mavic rims for €960.
Found it delightful - from the sea - and ghastly on the landward approach.
Good Carréfour supermercado, excellent daily market, pleasant yacht club and traces of Gaudi architecture. Excellent marine archaeological museum, rather obtrusive naval base ( they kept on blowing bugles) and good café society life. Ristoranti middling, but plenty of them - the wife enjoyed Torres park and the monument to Hannibal is quite touching. There's the Roman lighthouse re-sited there.
Good centre for coach travel, went to Granada 3 times, and connections available all round Europe.
Oh! A word of warning, it's on the cruise-ship circuit - when the SAGA one came in you couldn't move for the Zimmer frames down the main drag; though I was impressed by the THomson skipper's shiphandling getting off without a tug with an onshore F5 and only 2 ship's length in which to manoeuvre.
Super bike shop there, Ciclos Curra, got a 2nd hand Trek 2300 there, with carbon frame and Mavic rims for €960.
charles_reed
Active member
I\'d back
Jim's comment about petty crime (the locals blame the N African immigrants).
Had a bike, with U lock and a wire cable round a concrete pillar nicked from the bus station. They'd left the pillar but taken the cable!!
Jim's comment about petty crime (the locals blame the N African immigrants).
Had a bike, with U lock and a wire cable round a concrete pillar nicked from the bus station. They'd left the pillar but taken the cable!!
Jamesuk
Active member
Re: I\'d back
Sounds great - will be working in the shipyard on a superyacht so there until Christmas before heading out to the Caribbean so looking forward to putting my "instand spanish 6 week programme" into action.
As for the the bike theft, well my bike is too expensive to even consider locking but having living in Bristol i know not to leave anything unattended if its too expensive to replace without thought.
many thanks
James
Sounds great - will be working in the shipyard on a superyacht so there until Christmas before heading out to the Caribbean so looking forward to putting my "instand spanish 6 week programme" into action.
As for the the bike theft, well my bike is too expensive to even consider locking but having living in Bristol i know not to leave anything unattended if its too expensive to replace without thought.
many thanks
James